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Demography and foraging ecology of Chelonia mydas on tropical shallow reefs in Bahia, Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 October 2015

Adriana Jardim ,
Milagros López-Mendilaharsu  and
Francisco Barros
Adriana Jardim*
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Ecologia Bentônica, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Campus Ondina, Salvador, BA 40170-290, Brazil Fundação Pró-TAMAR, Rua Rubens Guelli 134 sl. 307, CEP. 41815-135, Salvador, BA, Brazil
Milagros López-Mendilaharsu
Affiliation:
Fundação Pró-TAMAR, Rua Rubens Guelli 134 sl. 307, CEP. 41815-135, Salvador, BA, Brazil
Francisco Barros
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Ecologia Bentônica, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Campus Ondina, Salvador, BA 40170-290, Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to:A. Jardim, Fundação Pró-TAMAR, Rua Rubens Guelli 134 sl. 307, CEP. 41815-135, Salvador, BA, Brazil email: adriana@tamar.org.br
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Abstract

Long-term tagging studies, particularly those that target life stages away from nesting beaches can provide important insights in key life history traits, which are essential for the effective management of endangered species. The coast of Bahia hosts important green turtle foraging areas, but information on demography, spatial use and foraging ecology in this region is lacking. Here, we (1) examined the size-class structure of green turtles in Bahia, (2) compared the size distribution from Bahia to other foraging aggregations in Brazil, and (3) studied the somatic growth dynamics. Additionally, we investigated the (4) diet, (5) habitat use and (6) activity patterns of green turtles along shallow reefs in Bahia. From 2009 to 2013, 322 green turtles were captured and 44 were recaptured between 7 and 1218 days after initial tagging. Curved carapace length varied from 32.9 to 122.5 cm. Mean annual growth rate was 3.03 ± 1.18 cm year−1. The diet of the turtles was mainly composed of red algae of the family Gelidiaceae, Gelidiellaceae and Cystocloniaceae. There was a positive relationship between the abundance of red algae and the number of turtle sightings, with a significant increase in foraging activity during late afternoon. This study highlights the importance of this area as a mixed foraging aggregation of juvenile and adult green turtles, and reveals that foraging grounds for this species in Brazil exhibit southern immature-dominated assemblages and northern mixed aggregations. Areas with high aggregation of green turtles comprising individuals from different life stages must be targeted for conservation management.

Keywords

Foraging areagreen turtlefood resourcesactivity patternsgrowth ratessize distributionBrazil
Type
Review Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 96 , Issue 6 , September 2016 , pp. 1295 - 1304
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2015 

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