Home range, habitat use, and migrations of hawksbill turtles tracked from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA

Kristen M. Hart; Autumn R. Sartain-Iverson; Ikuko Fujisaki; Harold L. Pratt; Danielle Morley; Michael W. Feeley

doi:10.3354/meps09744

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USGS · 70038891

Home range, habitat use, and migrations of hawksbill turtles tracked from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA

Kristen M. Hart·Autumn R. Sartain-Iverson·Ikuko Fujisaki·Harold L. Pratt·Danielle Morley·Michael W. Feeley

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Abstract

To determine habitat-use patterns of sub-adult hawksbills Eretmochelys imbricata , we conducted satellite- and acoustic-tracking of 3 turtles captured in August 2008 within Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), south Florida, USA, in the Gulf of Mexico; turtles ranged in size from 51.9 to 69.8 cm straight carapace length. After 263, 699, and 655 d of residence in the park, turtles migrated out of the DRTO. Within the park, core-use areas (i.e. 50% kernel density estimates) were 9.2 to 21.5 km 2 ; all 3 turtle core-use areas overlapped in an area 6.1 km 2 within a zone of the park with multiple human uses (e.g. fishing, anchoring). Two turtles migrated to Cuba and ceased transmitting after 320 and 687 tracking days; the third turtle migrated toward Key West, Florida, and ceased transmitting after 884 tracking days. The present study highlights previously unknown regional connections for hawksbills, possible turtle-harvest incidents, and fine-scale habitat use of sub-adult hawksbills within a United States National Park.

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Marine Ecology Progress Series Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 24.5657760529391° to 24.726039692971767° latitude; -82.96635296640954° to -82.76726111255684° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Kristen M. Hart, Autumn R. Sartain-Iverson, Ikuko Fujisaki, Harold L. Pratt, Danielle Morley, Michael W. Feeley. 2012. Home range, habitat use, and migrations of hawksbill turtles tracked from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09744

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