Interactions Between Leatherback Turtles and Fisheries in the Pacific Ocean
GRANT AWARDED: November 2008. Pacific leatherback sea turtles swim throughout the world’s oceans and nest on beaches within the tropics and subtropics. Egg poaching, coastal development and incidental capture in fishing gear has caused the populations to decline by over 90 percent in recent decades, resulting in an endangered listing under the Endangered Species Act. This project determines the relationship between Pacific leatherback sea turtle migrations and oceanographic conditions and assesses the geographic overlap with commercial fisheries in order to provide conservation recommendations.
Publications and Reports:
Roe JH et al. 2014 Predicting bycatch hotspots for endangered leatherback turtles on longlines in the Pacific Ocean. Proc. R. Soc. B 281:20132559. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.2559
Download full paper (PDF)
January, 2014
This study in the journal PLoS ONE is the first support for foraging behaviour differences between populations of this critically endangered species and suggests that longer periods searching for prey may be hindering population recovery in the Pacific while aiding population maintenance in the Atlantic.
Free access to PLoS One article
May, 2012
Bailey, Helen, Scott R. Benson, George L. Shillinger, Steven J. Bograd, Peter H. Dutton, Scott A. Eckert, Stephen J. Morreale, Frank V. Paladino, Tomoharu Eguchi, David G. Foley, Barbara A. Block, Rotney Piedra, Creusa Hitipeuw, Ricardo F. Tapilatu, and James R. Spotila. 2012. Identification of distinct movement patterns in Pacific leatherback turtle populations influenced by ocean conditions. Ecological Applications 22:735–747.
Link to abstract
April, 2012
Benson, S.R., Tomoharu, E., Foley, D.G., Forney, K.A. , Bailey, H, Hitipeuw, C., Samber, B.P., Tapilatu, R.F., Rei, V., Ramohia, P., Pita, J. and P.H. Dutton. 2011. Large-scale movements and high-use areas of western Pacific leatherback turtles, Dermochelys coriacea. Ecosphere 2(7): art84.
Ecosphere paper
July, 2011
Media:
Lenfest in the News
Jellyfish key to Pacific leatherback turtle survival
Other Links
Recent Work
