Title
Tracking juvenile Hawksbill Turtles at Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize
Author(s)
Jackson, J.;Lewis, J.;Graham, R;.;Godley, B.
Published
2010
Publisher
B.C.G. Testudo
Abstract
As a marine biodiversity hotspot (Roberts et al., 2002) and a ‘Global 200’
conservation priority area (Olson & Dinerstein, 1998), the Mesoamerican
Barrier Reef System (MBRS) is an economically and ecologically important zone
for both Belize and the Caribbean region as a whole. The MBRS encompasses
essential habitats for a range of endangered and critically endangered marine
species. These include several important foraging and breeding grounds for
critically endangered hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), the focal
species of this study.
It is widely accepted that after a long pelagic period, juvenile hawksbill
turtles of approximately 20-25cm CCL (curved carapace length) inhabit a
foraging ground, usually on or near coral reefs (Carr, 1987), where they may
reside until migrating to adult nesting grounds which could be hundreds of
kilometres away (Bowen et al., 1996; 2007). Developing our understanding
of how hawksbills use these different habitats will help conservation planners
in the long-term management of marine turtle populations.
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