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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Using satellite tracking to optimize protection of long-lived marine species: Olive ridley sea turtle conservation in central africa
PLoS ONE, Volume 6, No. 5, Article e19905, Year 2011
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Description
Tractable conservation measures for long-lived species require the intersection between protection of biologically relevant life history stages and a socioeconomically feasible setting. To protect breeding adults, we require knowledge of animal movements, how movement relates to political boundaries, and our confidence in spatial analyses of movement. We used satellite tracking and a switching state-space model to determine the internesting movements of olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) (n = 18) in Central Africa during two breeding seasons (2007-08, 2008-09). These movements were analyzed in relation to current park boundaries and a proposed transboundary park between Gabon and the Republic of Congo, both created to reduce unintentional bycatch of sea turtles in marine fisheries. We additionally determined confidence intervals surrounding home range calculations. Turtles remained largely within a 30 km radius from the original nesting site before departing for distant foraging grounds. Only 44.6 percent of high-density areas were found within the current park but the proposed transboundary park would incorporate 97.6 percent of high-density areas. Though tagged individuals originated in Gabon, turtles were found in Congolese waters during greater than half of the internesting period (53.7 percent), highlighting the need for international cooperation and offering scientific support for a proposed transboundary park. This is the first comprehensive study on the internesting movements of solitary nesting olive ridley sea turtles, and it suggests the opportunity for tractable conservation measures for female nesting olive ridleys at this and other solitary nesting sites around the world. We draw from our results a framework for cost-effective protection of long-lived species using satellite telemetry as a primary tool. © 2011 Maxwell et al.
Available Materials
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3092776/bin/pone.0019905.s001.pdf
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3092776/bin/pone.0019905.s002.pdf
Authors & Co-Authors
Maxwell, Sara M.
United States, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
Breed, Greg A.
United States, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
Nickel, Barry A.
United States, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
Makanga-Bahouna, Junior
Gabon
Parc National de Mayumba
Pemo-Makaya, Edgard
Gabon
Parc National de Mayumba
Parnell, Richard J.
Gabon
Parc National de Mayumba
Formia, Angela
United States, New York
Wildlife Conservation Society
Ngouessono, Solange
Gabon, Libreville
Agence Nationale Des Parcs Nationaux
Godley, Brendan J.
United Kingdom, Exeter
University of Exeter
Costa, Daniel P.
United States, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
Witt, Matthew John
United Kingdom, Exeter
University of Exeter
Coyne, Michael S.
United Kingdom, Exeter
University of Exeter
United States, Durham
Seaturtle.org
Statistics
Citations: 151
Authors: 12
Affiliations: 6
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0019905
e-ISSN:
19326203
Study Locations
Congo
Gabon
Participants Gender
Female