Title
Population recovery changes population composition at a major southern Caribbean juvenile developmental habitat for the green turtle, Chelonia mydas
Date Issued
01 December 2019
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
van der Zee J.P.
Christianen M.J.A.
Nava M.
Hao W.
Bérubé M.
van Lavieren H.
Hiwat M.
Berzins R.
Chevalier J.
Chevallier D.
Lankester M.C.
Bjorndal K.A.
Bolten A.B.
Becking L.E.
Palsbøll P.J.
Instituto Smithsonian de Biología de la Conservación
Publisher(s)
Nature Publishing Group
Abstract
Understanding the population composition and dynamics of migratory megafauna at key developmental habitats is critical for conservation and management. The present study investigated whether differential recovery of Caribbean green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookeries influenced population composition at a major juvenile feeding ground in the southern Caribbean (Lac Bay, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands) using genetic and demographic analyses. Genetic divergence indicated a strong temporal shift in population composition between 2006–2007 and 2015–2016 (ϕST = 0.101, P < 0.001). Juvenile recruitment (<75.0 cm straight carapace length; SCL) from the north-western Caribbean increased from 12% to 38% while recruitment from the eastern Caribbean region decreased from 46% to 20% between 2006–2007 and 2015–2016. Furthermore, the product of the population growth rate and adult female abundance was a significant predictor for population composition in 2015–2016. Our results may reflect early warning signals of declining reproductive output at eastern Caribbean rookeries, potential displacement effects of smaller rookeries by larger rookeries, and advocate for genetic monitoring as a useful method for monitoring trends in juvenile megafauna. Furthermore, these findings underline the need for adequate conservation of juvenile developmental habitats and a deeper understanding of the interactions between megafaunal population dynamics in different habitats.
Volume
9
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Zoología, Ornitología, Entomología, ciencias biológicas del comportamiento
Biología marina, Biología de agua dulce, Limnología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85073066019
PubMed ID
Source
Scientific Reports
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus