Major Cuban Green Turtle Rookeries: Identification of Management Units and Their Genetic Relationships with Other Greater Caribbean Populations

Abstract

Genetic monitoring of highly migratory endangered species is fundamental for effective management, particularly when they are shared internationally, and their populations need to be identified. A prime example is the green turtle, Chelonia mydas, whose genetic structure has been extensively studied in the Western Atlantic. Nevertheless, the identification of Cuban management units has remained uncertain, despite representing regionally significant nesting assemblages and occurring within a strategically central position. Compared to previous work, the current study used 800 bp mtDNA control region sequences and larger sample sizes (n = 189 from four nesting sites in SW Cuba). Of the 23 resolved haplotypes, nine were novel, fourteen were reported in Cuba for the first time, and eleven were endemic. Even though the distribution of nesting grounds barely spans 300 km, three management units were identified: Guanahacabibes-San Felipe (GUCB; with most of the endemic haplotypes), Isla de la Juventud (IJCB; with a predominance of haplotype CM-A13.1), and Cayo Largo (CLCB; with a haplotype profile closely related to Southern Caribbean rookeries). We discuss how the geographic distribution of mtDNA variation has likely been shaped by local and regional oceanic current patterns or derived from formerly hyperabundant regional populations. Genetic characterization of Cuban management units represents a significant contribution, filling critical knowledge gaps that have hampered the comprehensive mixed-stock analyses required to guide effective regional conservation strategies.