Abstract
AbstractKnowing the age of individuals in a population is crucial to devise appropriate conservation strategies, especially on endangered long-lived species such as sea turtles. Sea turtles do not have external morphologic characters that indicate their age; therefore, age has been estimated by indirect methods such as biometric measurements or skeletochronological analysis. Previous skeletochronological studies have determined that sea turtle age can be estimated with skeletal growth marks (GMs) produced by annual seasonality. This study focused on the skeletochronological analysis of known-age loggerheads reared under seminatural conditions, showing that sea turtles kept under natural photoperiod and seawater temperature seasonality and fed periodically, did not present visible GMs. However, the animals suffering health problems affecting their growth did exhibit GMs. This suggests that skeletochronological studies in sea turtles must be taken with caution at least at early life stages and for the northeast Atlantic loggerhead population. Additionally, this study showed that seawater temperature seasonality strongly influences sea turtles’ growth rates.
Funder
Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Ecology,Aquatic Science,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Reference41 articles.
1. Avens L, Snover ML (2013) Age and age estimation in sea turtles. In: Wyneken J, Lohmann KJ, Musick JA (eds) The biology of sea turtles, vol 3. CRC Press, Florida, pp 97–134
2. Avens L, Goshe LR, Pajuelo M, Bjorndal KA, MacDonald BD, Lemons GE, Bolten AB, Seminoff JA (2013) Complementary skeletochronology and stable isotope analyses offer new insight into juvenile loggerhead sea turtle oceanic stage duration and growth dynamics. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 491:235–251
3. Avens L, Goshe LR, Coggins L, Snover ML, Pajuelo M, Bjorndal KA, Bolten AB (2015) Age and size at maturation-and adult-stage duration for loggerhead sea turtles in the western North Atlantic. Mar Biol 162(9):1749–1767
4. Avens L, Goshe LR, Coggins L, Shaver DJ, Higgins B, Landry AM Jr, Bayley R (2017) Variability in age and size at maturation, reproductive longevity, and long-term growth dynamics for Kemp’s ridley sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico. PLoS ONE 12(3):e0173999
5. Avens L, Ramirez MD, Hall AG, Snover ML, Haas HL, Godfrey MH, Goshe LR, Cook M, Heppell SS (2020) Regional differences in Kemp’s ridley sea turtle growth trajectories and expected age at maturation. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 654:143–161