Adult Migrations and Habitat Use
233
nesting beach during the internesting period and return to foraging grounds after the
last clutch has been oviposited (Byles et al., 1995). Postnesting females migrate
north and south of their nesting beaches to foraging areas in the Gulf of California
and to coastal areas in Central and South America (Byles et al., 1995).
8.10 CONCLUSIONS
Distinct migratory patterns exist among extant sea turtles, and these patterns are
best understood in the context of the locations and sizes of their foraging areas. The
first pattern is exhibited by leatherbacks and east Pacific olive ridleys. These turtles
migrate to oceanic waters where they forage over very broad areas, seeking out
highly productive waters such as fronts and convergence zones. These foraging areas
vary spatially and temporally, and are frequently unpredictable. The second pattern
is exhibited by Kemp’s ridleys, loggerheads, and flatbacks. These species migrate
to highly productive neritic foraging areas located on continental shelves. Many
forage over broad areas, typically swimming along a coastline; however, some
establish small, circumscribed foraging areas. Their foraging areas are fairly predictable in space and time, however small-scale variations are possible. The third
pattern is exhibited by green and hawksbill turtles. These species migrate to wellestablished, fixed foraging areas located nearshore. Their foraging range is relatively
small and virtually no spatial or temporal variation exists.
In the past decade we’ve made great advances in describing sea turtle migratory
patterns and pathways but there still remains much to learn. Describing and understanding the migratory behavior of and navigational mechanisms used by sea turtles
remains to be one of the most exciting challenges ahead.
REFERENCES
Alvarado Diaz, J., Delgado Trejo, C., and Figueroa Lopez, A., Reproductive biology of the
black turtle in Michoacan, Mexico, in Proceedings of the Eighteenth International
Sea Turtle Symposium , Abreu-Grobois, F.A. et al., Compilers, NOAA Tech. Memo.,
NMFS-SEFSC-436, 2000, 159, Miami, FL.
Alvarado, J. and Figueroa, A., Breeding dynamics of the black turtle ( Chelonia agassizi ) in
Michoacan, Mexico, in Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Workshop on Sea Turtle
Conservation and Biology , Eckert, S.A., Eckert, K.L., and Richardson, T.H., Compilers, NOAA Tech. Memo., NMFS-SEFC-232, 1989, 5, Miami, FL.
Alvarado, J. and Figueroa, A., East Pacific green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas , in National
Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Status Reviews for Sea
Turtles Listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 , Plotkin, P.T., Editor,
National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, MD, 1998, 24.
Arenas, P. and Hall, M., The association of sea turtles and other pelagic fauna with floating
objects in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, in Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual
Workshop on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation , Salmon, M. and Wyneken, J.,
Compilers, NOAA Tech. Memo., NMFS-SEFC-302, 1992, 7, Miami, FL.
1123 book.book Page 233 Monday, November 11, 2002 11:11 AM
233
nesting beach during the internesting period and return to foraging grounds after the
last clutch has been oviposited (Byles et al., 1995). Postnesting females migrate
north and south of their nesting beaches to foraging areas in the Gulf of California
and to coastal areas in Central and South America (Byles et al., 1995).
8.10 CONCLUSIONS
Distinct migratory patterns exist among extant sea turtles, and these patterns are
best understood in the context of the locations and sizes of their foraging areas. The
first pattern is exhibited by leatherbacks and east Pacific olive ridleys. These turtles
migrate to oceanic waters where they forage over very broad areas, seeking out
highly productive waters such as fronts and convergence zones. These foraging areas
vary spatially and temporally, and are frequently unpredictable. The second pattern
is exhibited by Kemp’s ridleys, loggerheads, and flatbacks. These species migrate
to highly productive neritic foraging areas located on continental shelves. Many
forage over broad areas, typically swimming along a coastline; however, some
establish small, circumscribed foraging areas. Their foraging areas are fairly predictable in space and time, however small-scale variations are possible. The third
pattern is exhibited by green and hawksbill turtles. These species migrate to wellestablished, fixed foraging areas located nearshore. Their foraging range is relatively
small and virtually no spatial or temporal variation exists.
In the past decade we’ve made great advances in describing sea turtle migratory
patterns and pathways but there still remains much to learn. Describing and understanding the migratory behavior of and navigational mechanisms used by sea turtles
remains to be one of the most exciting challenges ahead.
REFERENCES
Alvarado Diaz, J., Delgado Trejo, C., and Figueroa Lopez, A., Reproductive biology of the
black turtle in Michoacan, Mexico, in Proceedings of the Eighteenth International
Sea Turtle Symposium , Abreu-Grobois, F.A. et al., Compilers, NOAA Tech. Memo.,
NMFS-SEFSC-436, 2000, 159, Miami, FL.
Alvarado, J. and Figueroa, A., Breeding dynamics of the black turtle ( Chelonia agassizi ) in
Michoacan, Mexico, in Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Workshop on Sea Turtle
Conservation and Biology , Eckert, S.A., Eckert, K.L., and Richardson, T.H., Compilers, NOAA Tech. Memo., NMFS-SEFC-232, 1989, 5, Miami, FL.
Alvarado, J. and Figueroa, A., East Pacific green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas , in National
Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Status Reviews for Sea
Turtles Listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 , Plotkin, P.T., Editor,
National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, MD, 1998, 24.
Arenas, P. and Hall, M., The association of sea turtles and other pelagic fauna with floating
objects in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, in Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual
Workshop on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation , Salmon, M. and Wyneken, J.,
Compilers, NOAA Tech. Memo., NMFS-SEFC-302, 1992, 7, Miami, FL.
1123 book.book Page 233 Monday, November 11, 2002 11:11 AM