Journal
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
Volume 359, Issue 1, Pages 47-54Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.jembe.2008.02.019
Keywords
activity dive profile; diving marine turtle; metabolic rate; movement; temperature
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
While olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) occur throughout tropical oceans their physiological ecology has been poorly documented. In May 2005, satellite-relayed data loggers (SRDLs) were attached during oviposition to four adult female olive ridley turtles on the Wessell Islands, northern Australia. Subsequent nesting haul-outs were determined for two of these turtles using a combination of movement and diving data. Internesting intervals were relatively long (27 and 18 days, respectively) for hard-shelled turtles given the warm (27-28 degrees C) water temperatures, possibly due to a low metabolic rate for this species. Turtles travelled considerable distances during the internesting interval (200 and 125 km respectively), possibly associated with a search for food or alternative nesting sites. Changes in dive behaviour suggest that olive ridleys prepare for oviposition by searching for an appropriate beach over several days. (c) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available