@article{dad3a43a3aa840cea1a572812c9b2c26,
title = "Fine scale daily movements and habitat use of East Pacific green turtles at a shallow coastal lagoon in Baja California Sur, Mexico",
abstract = "Green turtles spend most of their lives in coastal foraging areas where they face multiple anthropogenic impacts. Therefore, understanding their spatial use in this environment is a priority for conservation efforts. We studied the fine scale daily movements and habitat use of East Pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas) at Laguna San Ignacio, a shallow coastal lagoon in Baja California Sur, Mexico where sea turtles are subject to high levels of gillnet bycatch and directed hunting. Six turtles ranging from 44.6 to 83.5. cm in straight carapace length were tracked for short deployments (1 to 6 d) with GPS-VHF telemetry. Turtles were active throughout diurnal, nocturnal, and crepuscular periods. Although they moved greater total distances during daytime, their speed of travel and net displacement remained consistent throughout 24-h periods. A positive selection for areas of seagrass and moderate water depth (5 to 10. m) was determined using Ivlev's electivity index, with neutral selection for shallow water (<5. m) and avoidance of deep water (>10. m). Turtles exhibited two distinct behavioral movement patterns: circular movements with high fidelity to the capture-release location and meandering movements with low fidelity to the capture-release location. Our results indicate that green turtles were active throughout the diel cycle while traveling large distances and traversing multiple habitats over short temporal scales.",
keywords = "Baja California Sur, Mexico, Daily movements, Fine scale, Green turtle, Habitat use, Vagility",
author = "Jesse Senko and Volker Koch and Megill, {William M.} and Carthy, {Raymond R.} and Templeton, {Robert P.} and Nichols, {Wallace J.}",
note = "Funding Information: The Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida supported JS with a graduate teaching assistantship and generous scholarships. Fieldwork for this study was funded by a grant from the Earthwatch Institute to WMM, VK, and WJN. We are grateful for the tireless work of Ranulfo Mayoral and the Grupo Tortuguero Network. ProPeninsula, the staff at Kuyima Ecotourism Camp, Fred Senko, Amee Lewis, and Agnese Mancini provided logistical, management, and field support. We are especially thankful for the dedicated, passionate, and hard working volunteers from the Earthwatch expedition “Tracking Baja's Black Sea Turtles” who helped collect and record data. David Armitage and Nicholas Campiz offered helpful statistical and GIS advice, respectively. Robert Fletcher, Brian Silliman, Graeme Hays, and two anonymous reviewers provided valuable suggestions and comments that greatly improved this manuscript. All research activities, including the capture, handling, attachment of transmitter devices, and tracking of turtles were authorized by the Secretar{\'i}a para el Medio Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) (permit no. SGPA/DGVS/06840/07) and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Animal Research Committee (permit no. 017-09WEC) at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. The use of trade, product, industry, or firm names is for informative purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. [SS] Copyright: Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",
year = "2010",
month = aug,
doi = "10.1016/j.jembe.2010.06.017",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "391",
pages = "92--100",
journal = "Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology",
issn = "0022-0981",
publisher = "Elsevier",
number = "1-2",
}