Browsing by Author "Fuentes, MMPB"

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Open Access
Are we working towards global research priorities for management and conservation of sea turtles?
(Endangered Species Research, 2016-12-30) Rees, AF; Alfaro-Shigueto, J; Barata, PCR; Bjorndal, KA; Bolten, AB; Bourjea, J; Broderick, AC; Campbell, LM; Cardona, L; Carreras, C; Casale, P; Ceriani, SA; Dutton, PH; Eguchi, T; Formia, A; Fuentes, MMPB; Fuller, WJ; Girondot, M; Godfrey, MH; Hamann, M; Hart, KM; Hays, GC; Hochscheid, S; Kaska, Y; Jensen, MP; Mangel, JC; Mortimer, JA; Naro-Maciel, E; Ng, CKY; Nichols, WJ; Phillott, AD; Reina, RD; Revuelta, O; Schofield, G; Seminoff, JA; Shanker, K; Tomás, J; van de Merwe, JP; Van Houtan, KS; Vander Zanden, HB; Wallace, BP; Wedemeyer-Strombel, KR; Work, TM; Godley, BJ
© The authors 2016. In 2010, an international group of 35 sea turtle researchers refined an initial list of more than 200 research questions into 20 metaquestions that were considered key for management and conservation of sea turtles. These were classified under 5 categories: reproductive biology, biogeography, population ecology, threats and conservation strategies. To obtain a picture of how research is being focused towards these key questions, we undertook a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature (2014 and 2015) attributing papers to the original 20 questions. In total, we reviewed 605 articles in full and from these 355 (59%) were judged to substantively address the 20 key questions, with others focusing on basic science and monitoring. Progress to answering the 20 questions was not uniform, and there were biases regarding focal turtle species, geographic scope and publication outlet. Whilst it offers some meaningful indications as to effort, quantifying peer-reviewed literature output is ob viously not the only, and possibly not the best, metric for understanding progress towards informing key conservation and management goals. Along with the literature review, an international group based on the original project consortium was assigned to critically summarise recent progress towards answering each of the 20 questions. We found that significant research is being expended towards global priorities for management and conservation of sea turtles. Although highly variable, there has been significant progress in all the key questions identified in 2010. Undertaking this critical review has highlighted that it may be timely to undertake one or more new prioritizing exercises. For this to have maximal benefit we make a range of recommendations for its execution. These include a far greater engagement with social sciences, widening the pool of contributors and focussing the questions, perhaps disaggregating ecology and conservation.
Open Access
Exposure of marine turtle nesting grounds to named storms along the continental USA
(Remote Sensing, 2019-12-01) Fuentes, MMPB; Godfrey, MH; Shaver, D; Ceriani, S; Gredzens, C; Boettcher, R; Ingram, D; Ware, M; Wildermann, N
© 2019 by the authors. Named storms can cause substantial impacts on the habitat and reproductive output of threatened species, such as marine turtles. To determine the impacts of named storms on marine turtles and inform management, it is necessary to determine the exposure of marine turtle nesting grounds to recent storm activities. To address this, remote sensing information of named storm tracks coupled with nesting ground data were used to investigate the temporal and spatial overlap between nesting grounds for four species of marine turtles in the continental United States of America. All species of marine turtles were exposed to named storms, with variation in exposure driven by the spatial distribution of each population's nesting ground, the temporal overlap between the storms and reproductive events, and nest placement on the beach. Loggerhead turtles were the most exposed species to named storms, with the northern management unit having significantly higher exposure levels than all other loggerhead management units. Kemp's ridley turtles, in contrast, were found to be the least exposed species to named storms. This study establishes a valuable current baseline against which to measure and compare future impacts that result as climate change progresses and storms become more frequent and intense. Importantly, cumulative and synergetic effects from other climatic processes and anthropogenic stressors should be considered in future analysis.
Open Access
Informing research priorities for immature sea turtles through expert elicitation
(Endangered Species Research, 2018-01-01) Wildermann, NE; Gredzens, C; Avens, L; BarriosGarrido, HA; Bell, I; Blumenthal, J; Bolten, AB; McNeill, JB; Casale, P; Di Domenico, M; Domit, C; Epperly, SP; Godfrey, MH; Godley, BJ; González-Carman, V; Hamann, M; Hart, KM; Ishihara, T; Mansfield, KL; Metz, TL; Miller, JD; Pilcher, NJ; Read, MA; Sasso, C; Seminoff, JA; Seney, EE; Williard, AS; Tomás, J; Vélez-Rubio, GM; Ware, M; Williams, JL; Wyneken, J; Fuentes, MMPB
© The authors 2018. Although sea turtles have received substantial focus worldwide, research on the immature life stages is still relatively limited. The latter is of particular importance, given that a large proportion of sea turtle populations comprises immature individuals. We set out to identify knowledge gaps and identify the main barriers hindering research in this field. We analyzed the perceptions of sea turtle experts through an online survey which gathered their opinions on the current state of affairs on immature sea turtle research, including species and regions in need of further study, priority research questions, and barriers that have interfered with the advancement of research. Our gap analysis indicates that studies on immature leatherback Dermochelys coriacea and hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata turtles are lacking, as are studies on all species based in the Indian, South Pacific, and South Atlantic Oceans. Experts also perceived that studies in population ecology, namely on survivorship and demography, and habitat use/behavior, are needed to advance the state of knowledge on immature sea turtles. Our survey findings indicate the need for more interdisciplinary research, collaborative efforts (e.g. data-sharing, joint field activities), and improved communication among researchers, funding bodies, stakeholders, and decision-makers.
Open Access
Network analysis of sea turtle movements and connectivity: A tool for conservation prioritization
(Diversity and Distributions, 2022-04-01) Kot, CY; Åkesson, S; Alfaro-Shigueto, J; Amorocho Llanos, DF; Antonopoulou, M; Balazs, GH; Baverstock, WR; Blumenthal, JM; Broderick, AC; Bruno, I; Canbolat, AF; Casale, P; Cejudo, D; Coyne, MS; Curtice, C; DeLand, S; DiMatteo, A; Dodge, K; Dunn, DC; Esteban, N; Formia, A; Fuentes, MMPB; Fujioka, E; Garnier, J; Godfrey, MH; Godley, BJ; González Carman, V; Harrison, AL; Hart, CE; Hawkes, LA; Hays, GC; Hill, N; Hochscheid, S; Kaska, Y; Levy, Y; Ley-Quiñónez, CP; Lockhart, GG; López-Mendilaharsu, M; Luschi, P; Mangel, JC; Margaritoulis, D; Maxwell, SM; McClellan, CM; Metcalfe, K; Mingozzi, A; Moncada, FG; Nichols, WJ; Parker, DM; Patel, SH; Pilcher, NJ; Poulin, S; Read, AJ; Rees, AF; Robinson, DP; Robinson, NJ; Sandoval-Lugo, AG; Schofield, G; Seminoff, JA; Seney, EE; Snape, RTE; Sözbilen, D; Tomás, J; Varo-Cruz, N; Wallace, BP; Wildermann, NE; Witt, MJ; Zavala-Norzagaray, AA; Halpin, PN
Aim: Understanding the spatial ecology of animal movements is a critical element in conserving long-lived, highly mobile marine species. Analyzing networks developed from movements of six sea turtle species reveals marine connectivity and can help prioritize conservation efforts. Location: Global. Methods: We collated telemetry data from 1235 individuals and reviewed the literature to determine our dataset's representativeness. We used the telemetry data to develop spatial networks at different scales to examine areas, connections, and their geographic arrangement. We used graph theory metrics to compare networks across regions and species and to identify the role of important areas and connections. Results: Relevant literature and citations for data used in this study had very little overlap. Network analysis showed that sampling effort influenced network structure, and the arrangement of areas and connections for most networks was complex. However, important areas and connections identified by graph theory metrics can be different than areas of high data density. For the global network, marine regions in the Mediterranean had high closeness, while links with high betweenness among marine regions in the South Atlantic were critical for maintaining connectivity. Comparisons among species-specific networks showed that functional connectivity was related to movement ecology, resulting in networks composed of different areas and links. Main conclusions: Network analysis identified the structure and functional connectivity of the sea turtles in our sample at multiple scales. These network characteristics could help guide the coordination of management strategies for wide-ranging animals throughout their geographic extent. Most networks had complex structures that can contribute to greater robustness but may be more difficult to manage changes when compared to simpler forms. Area-based conservation measures would benefit sea turtle populations when directed toward areas with high closeness dominating network function. Promoting seascape connectivity of links with high betweenness would decrease network vulnerability.