Home range, habitat use, and migrations of hawksbill turtles tracked from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA
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Abstract
To determine habitat-use patterns of sub-adult hawksbills Eretmochelys imbricata, we conducted satellite- and acoustic-tracking of 3 turtles captured in August 2008 within Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), south Florida, USA, in the Gulf of Mexico; turtles ranged in size from 51.9 to 69.8 cm straight carapace length. After 263, 699, and 655 d of residence in the park, turtles migrated out of the DRTO. Within the park, core-use areas (i.e. 50% kernel density estimates) were 9.2 to 21.5 km2; all 3 turtle core-use areas overlapped in an area 6.1 km2 within a zone of the park with multiple human uses (e.g. fishing, anchoring). Two turtles migrated to Cuba and ceased transmitting after 320 and 687 tracking days; the third turtle migrated toward Key West, Florida, and ceased transmitting after 884 tracking days. The present study highlights previously unknown regional connections for hawksbills, possible turtle-harvest incidents, and fine-scale habitat use of sub-adult hawksbills within a United States National Park.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Home range, habitat use, and migrations of hawksbill turtles tracked from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA |
| Series title | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
| DOI | 10.3354/meps09744 |
| Volume | 457 |
| Year Published | 2012 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Inter-Research Science Publisher |
| Contributing office(s) | Southeast Ecological Science Center |
| Description | 15 p. |
| First page | 193 |
| Last page | 207 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| Other Geospatial | Dry Tortugas National Park |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |