The developmental biogeography of hawksbill sea turtles in the North Pacific.

ABSTRACT: High seas oceanic ecosystems are considered important habitat for juvenile sea turtles, yet much remains cryptic about this important life-history period. Recent progress on climate and fishery impacts in these so-called lost years is promising, but the developmental biogeography of hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) has not been widely described in the Pacific Ocean. This knowledge gap limits the effectiveness of conservation management for this globally endangered species. We address this with 30 years of stranding observations, 20 years of bycatch records, and recent simulations of natal dispersal trajectories in the Hawaiian Archipelago. We synthesize the analyses of these data in the context of direct empirical observations, anecdotal sightings, and historical commercial h

SUBMITTER: Van Houtan KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4834323 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature