Did Declining Carrying Capacity for the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Population Within the Gulf of Mexico Contribute to the Nesting Setback in 2010−2017?

Caillouet, Charles W.; Raborn, Scott W.; Shaver, Donna J.; Putman, Nathan F.; Gallaway, Benny J.; Mansfield, Katherine

doi:10.2744/ccb-1283.1

Cited by 22 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…During 2012-2019, documented sea turtle strandings in MS also varied greatly from as low as 68 in 2015 or as high as 213 in 2013 with an annual mean of 142. Interestingly enough, a large-scale mortality event occurred in Kemp's ridleys in 2010, and the population trajectory has not recovered from pre-2010 estimates (Gallaway et al, 2016;Caillouet et al, 2018). Instead, annual nesting numbers have shown fluctuations since 2010, and these fluctuations may indicate that this species has reached carrying capacity within the Gulf of Mexico, potentially because of decreased prey population levels (Gallaway et al, 2016;Caillouet et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interestingly enough, a large-scale mortality event occurred in Kemp's ridleys in 2010, and the population trajectory has not recovered from pre-2010 estimates (Gallaway et al, 2016;Caillouet et al, 2018). Instead, annual nesting numbers have shown fluctuations since 2010, and these fluctuations may indicate that this species has reached carrying capacity within the Gulf of Mexico, potentially because of decreased prey population levels (Gallaway et al, 2016;Caillouet et al, 2018). These decreased prey population levels (particularly blue crabs) could have partially provided impetus for immature Kemp's ridleys to forage around recreational fishing piers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of incidental captures in MS from 2010 to 2015 were juvenile Kemp's ridleys (89%) (Lepidochelys kempii) (STSSN 2 ), which are the smallest and most endangered of all sea turtle species (Marquez, 1994;Caillouet et al, 2018;Wibbels and Bevan, 2019). Neritic zones in the Gulf of Mexico and western North Atlantic Ocean represent important foraging habitats for 2 https://grunt.sefsc.noaa.gov/stssnrep/ Kemp's ridleys (National Marine Fisheries Service, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and SEMARNAT, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Interview-Based Approach to Assess Angler Practices and Sea Turtle Captures on Mississippi Fishing Piers

2020

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Interview-Based Approach to Assess Angler Practices and Sea Turtle Captures on Mississippi Fishing Piers

2020

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“…The Kemp's ridley population has increased since 1985, when only 702 nests were documented worldwide, to over 24,500 nests recorded in Mexico alone in 2017 [39]. It is important to mark their recovery as the monumental success of a bi-national effort.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA

et al. 2019

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The Kemp’s ridley, Lepidochelys kempii, is the most endangered sea turtle in the world. Anthropogenic mortality of Kemp’s ridleys has been well documented in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), USA. We evaluated the reproductive maturity of 75 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles found dead on GOM beaches on Mustang Island and North Padre Island, Texas, USA, 1994–1999. Straight carapace length (SCL) ranged from 40.8 to 68.7 cm. Preserved gonads and associated tissues were examined and measured. Gonadal measurements were then compared with SCL. Adults and juveniles shared a larger range of carapace measurements than expected, supporting the idea that juveniles spend several years in a pubertal state. Our results suggest caution when using SCL, tail length, or curved front claws alone as indicators of sexual maturity. In fact, SCL can be used to discern adults from juveniles with more predictive power when coupled with testis length or oviduct length measurements, thus allowing endangered species managers to more clearly identify demographic shifts in the number of mature animals, which can precede population changes. This study shows that information gained from the examination of stranded sea turtles allows wildlife managers to make more informed decisions regarding conservation priorities.

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“…A decline in nesting numbers was evident in 2013 and 2014 (Caillouet, 2014;Caillouet et al, 2015), and the overall population was predicted to be decreasing by 5% per year (Heppell, 2014). The causes of the post-2010 nesting setback are still debated (Caillouet et al, 2018), but recently a record high number of nests were documented in Mexico and Texas in 2017 (Caillouet et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitochondrial genomes and genetic structure of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)

Frandsen

Figueroa

George

2019

Ecology and Evolution

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The Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is the world's most endangered sea turtle species and is primarily distributed in the Gulf of Mexico. In the United States, South Padre Island, Texas serves as a key nesting ground for the species. Genetic studies of the Kemp's ridley have been used to aid in conservation and management practices, with the mitochondrial control region as the most commonly used marker due to its perceived hypervariability and ease of sequencing. However, with the advent of next generation sequencing technology, targeting complete mitochondrial genomes is now feasible. Here, we describe a more complete mitochondrial genome for the Kemp's ridley than has been previously published in literature and demonstrate a cost-effective and efficient method for obtaining complete mitochondrial genomes from sea turtles. We compare the genetic diversity and taxonomic resolution obtained from whole mitochondrial genomes to that obtained from the mitochondrial control region alone. We compare current genetic diversity with previous records. Furthermore, we evaluate the genetic structure between the breeding stock in South Padre Island and that of deceased Kemp's ridleys recovered on the Northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and of Kemp's ridleys stranded on the East Coast of the United States. Our results show that complete mitochondrial genomes provide greater resolution than the control region alone.They also show that the genetic diversity of the Kemp's ridley has remained stable, despite large population declines, and that the genetic makeup of deceased turtles stranded after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is indistinguishable from the breeding stock in South Padre Island, Texas. K E Y W O R D Sconservation, control region, genetic diversity, next generation sequencing, phylogeny, phylogeography

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Did Declining Carrying Capacity for the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Population Within the Gulf of Mexico Contribute to the Nesting Setback in 2010−2017?

Cited by 22 publications

References 34 publications

An Interview-Based Approach to Assess Angler Practices and Sea Turtle Captures on Mississippi Fishing Piers

An Interview-Based Approach to Assess Angler Practices and Sea Turtle Captures on Mississippi Fishing Piers

Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA

Mitochondrial genomes and genetic structure of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)

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