Jellyfish Support High Energy Intake of Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea): Video Evidence from Animal-Borne Cameras

Heaslip, Susan G.; Iverson, Sara J.; Bowen, W. Don; James, Michael C.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033259

Cited by 89 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 49 publications

(80 reference statements)

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“…Leatherbacks feed almost exclusively on large scyphozoan jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) while in Canadian waters (James and Herman, 2001;Heaslip et al, 2012), and apparently time their residency in Canadian foraging habitat to coincide with conditions that favor high abundance of prey . Furthermore, tag returns, genetic analyses, and satellite telemetry have revealed that these annual cohorts of foraging leatherbacks comprise breeding and nonbreeding adults as well as subadults representing all distinct breeding stocks throughout the Wider Caribbean (James et al, 2005aStewart et al, 2013).…”

Section: Ecology and Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hamelin et al (2014) used high-resolution dive data from three leatherbacks to show that turtles foraging in Atlantic Canada remain at or above the main thermocline, suggesting that prey resource distribution is associated with water mass. In addition, Heaslip et al (2012) used turtle-borne video to estimate rates of prey biomass ingestion and energy intake for leatherbacks foraging off Nova Scotia.…”

Section: Ecology and Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We updated (with new deployments) and re-analyzed the dataset used by Heaslip et al (2012), and used it to test specific hypotheses about the interactions between leatherback diving and feeding activities and prey availability and density, and consequences for tradeoffs between increased foraging effort and increased prey capture (see Methods: Hypotheses). Our results provide the most highly-detailed description of leatherback foraging behavior to date, and demonstrate the importance of quantifying fine-scale foraging behavior of a marine migratory species for better understanding of habitat selection and resource acquisition.…”

Section: Ecology and Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fine-scale foraging ecology of leatherback turtles

Wallace

Zolkewitz²,

James

2015

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Remote tracking of migratory species and statistical modeling of behaviors have enabled identification of areas that are of high ecological value to these widely distributed taxa. However, direct observations at fine spatio-temporal scales are often needed to correctly interpret behaviors. In this study, we combined GPS-derived locations and archival dive records (1 s sampling rate) with animal-borne video footage from foraging leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) off Nova Scotia, Canada (Northwest Atlantic Ocean) to generate the most highly-detailed description of natural leatherback behavior presented to date. Turtles traveled shorter distances at slower rates and increased diving rates in areas of high prey abundance, which resulted in higher prey capture rates. Increased foraging effort (e.g., dive rate, dive duration, prey handling time, number of bites) was not associated with increased time at the surface breathing to replenish oxygen stores. Instead, leatherbacks generally performed short, shallow dives in the photic zone to or above the thermocline, where they disproportionately captured prey at bottoms of dives and during ascents. This foraging strategy supports visual prey detection, allows leatherbacks to exploit physically structured prey at relatively shallow depths (typically <30 m), and increases time turtles spend in warmer water temperatures, thus optimizing net energy acquisition. Our results demonstrate that leatherbacks appear to be continuously foraging during daylight hours while in continental shelf waters off Nova Scotia, and that leatherback foraging behavior is driven by prey availability, not by whether or not a turtle is in a resource patch characterized by a particular size or particular prey density. Our study demonstrates the fundamental importance of obtaining field-based, direct observations of true behaviors at fine spatial and temporal scales to enhance our efforts to both study and manage migratory species.

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Section: Ecology and Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Ecology and Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Ecology and Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fine-scale foraging ecology of leatherback turtles

Wallace

Zolkewitz²,

James

2015

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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“…In contrast, using finer-resolution diving data, we found marked diel dive patterns for leatherbacks in these same areas, suggesting that foraging is light-mediated. Heaslip et al (2012) demonstrated that foraging during daylight hours in Atlantic Canada is restricted to the photic zone. Moreover, while leatherbacks clearly dive throughout the night throughout their range, Casey et al (2010) provide evidence from stomach temperature telemetry that food ingestion rates in waters adjacent nesting beaches are significantly lower during the night than during the day.…”

Section: Dive Frequency Variationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water mass characteristics and solar illumination influence leatherback turtle dive patterns at high latitudes

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Eastern Canada hosts one of the largest seasonal aggregations of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Atlantic Ocean, and is considered critical foraging habitat. Explaining distributional variation of leatherbacks in this three-dimensional habitat is relevant to the recovery strategy for this endangered species as human activities are a leading cause of mortality. We identify high-resolution spatial and temporal patterns in leatherback movements, and associated environmental variables shaping leatherback habitat use in Atlantic Canadian foraging waters. Data loggers were deployed on three female leatherbacks off Halifax, Nova Scotia, and were recovered during subsequent nesting in South and Central America. Time (0.5 Hz), depth (61 m), water temperature (60.18C), and location data were recorded and analyzed for the period when the turtles were resident in their Canadian foraging domain. We demonstrate that leatherback dives are primarily restricted to the main thermocline, suggesting a food-related water mass association. We also identified low-and high-frequency periodicities in turtle depth-at-time, reflecting a diel pattern triggered by nautical twilight and dive periods of 8-10 minutes. We further demonstrate that dive frequency is a function of seasonal change in daylight. Our findings illustrate that solar illumination influences leatherback diving in north temperate waters, consistent with turtles using visual cues for foraging.

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“…Many sea turtles will prey on jellyfish during some stage of their lives, and the leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea is an obligate jellyfish predator, with individuals potentially eating hundreds of kilograms of jellyfish in a single day (Duron-Dufrenne 1987; Heaslip et al 2012). As the leatherback turtle is critically endangered, fishing for jellyfish in waters deemed critical habitat could be subject to restrictions in some jurisdictions.…”

Section: Ecological Impacts Of Fishing For Jellyfishmentioning

confidence: 99%

Jellyfish fisheries in the Americas: origin, state of the art, and perspectives on new fishing grounds

Brotz

Schiariti

López‐Martínez³

et al. 2016

Rev Fish Biol Fisheries

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Jellyfish (primarily scyphomedusae) fisheries have a long history in Asia, where jellyfish have been caught and processed as food for centuries. More recently, jellyfish fisheries have expanded to the Western Hemisphere, often driven by demand from Asian buyers and collapses of more traditional local fish stocks. Jellyfish fisheries have been attempted in numerous countries in North, Central, and South America, with varying degrees of success. Here, we chronicle the arrival of jellyfish fisheries in the Americas and summarize relevant information on jellyfish fishing, processing, and management. Processing technology for edible jellyfish has not advanced, and presents major concerns for environmental and human health. The development of alternative processing technologies would help to eliminate these concerns and may open up new opportunities for markets and species. We also examine the biodiversity of jellyfish species that are targeted for fisheries in the Americas. Establishment of new jellyfish fisheries appears possible, but requires a specific combination of factors including high 123Rev Fish Biol Fisheries DOI 10.1007/s11160-016-9445-y abundances of particular species, processing knowledge dictated by the target market, and either inexpensive labor or industrialized processing facilities. More often than not, these factors are not altogether evaluated prior to attempting a new jellyfish fishery. As such, jellyfish fisheries are currently expanding much more rapidly than research on the subject, thereby putting ecosystems and stakeholders' livelihoods at risk.

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Jellyfish Support High Energy Intake of Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea): Video Evidence from Animal-Borne Cameras

Cited by 89 publications

References 49 publications

Fine-scale foraging ecology of leatherback turtles

Fine-scale foraging ecology of leatherback turtles

Water mass characteristics and solar illumination influence leatherback turtle dive patterns at high latitudes

Jellyfish fisheries in the Americas: origin, state of the art, and perspectives on new fishing grounds

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