Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A model of area fidelity, nomadism, and distribution patterns of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sea turtle tagging carried out in Italy in the period 1981–2006 resulted in 125 re-encounters of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) after a mean of 2.5 years, from different marine areas in the Mediterranean. At first finding, turtles ranged 25–83 cm of curved carapace length. Data were analyzed according to size, area, habitat type, season, in order to provide indication of movement patterns. When integrated with other information, results indicate that: (1) a part of turtles in the oceanic stage show a nomad behavior with movements among different oceanic areas; (2) another part show fidelity to an oceanic area; (3) turtles in the neritic stage show fidelity to neritic areas, and once settled to one area, change to other neritic areas is unlikely; (4) nomad oceanic turtles are significantly larger than sedentary ones, and also larger than turtles found in neritic areas; it is hypothesized that these could be Atlantic turtles that eventually leave the Mediterranean; (5) ecological transition from oceanic to neritic habitats occurs at a wide range of sizes, and some turtles may have a very brief oceanic stage; (6) turtles in the oceanic stage are more likely to recruit to neritic areas close to their oceanic areas than to distant ones; (7) part of turtles from some Mediterranean nesting beaches might frequent a relatively limited area range, including both oceanic and neritic areas; (8) in most of the Mediterranean, latitudinal seasonal migrations are unlikely. A general model of movement patterns of loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean is proposed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abbate G, Casale P, Freggi D, Rocco M, Argano R (2007) Diet and ecological transition of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the central Mediterranean. In: Frick M, Panagopoulou A, Rees AF, Williams K (eds) Book of abstracts, 27th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Miami

  • Argano R, Basso R, Cocco M, Gerosa G (1992) New data on loggerhead (Caretta caretta) movements within the Mediterranean. Boll Mus Ist Biol Univ Genova 56–57:137–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Avens L, Lohman K (2000) Homing behavior in juvenile loggerheads (Caretta caretta) from Core Sound, North Carolina, USA. In: Kalb HJ, Wibbels T (eds) Proceedings of the 19th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. U.S. Dept. Commerce. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-SEFSC-443, pp 147–148

  • Bentivegna F (2002) Intra-Mediterranean migrations of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) monitored by satellite telemetry. Mar Biol 141:795–800

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjorndal KA (1997) Foraging ecology and nutrition of sea turtles. In: Lutz PL, Musick JA (eds) The biology of sea turtles. CRC, Boca Raton, FL, pp 199–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjorndal K, Bolten AB, Martins HR (2000) Somatic growth model of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta: duration of pelagic stage. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 202:265–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolten AB (1999) Techniques for measuring sea turtles. In: Eckert KL, Bjorndal KA, Abreu-Grobois FA, Donnelly M (eds) Research and management techniques for the conservation of sea turtles. IUCN/SSC Mar Turtle Spec Group Publication 4, pp 110–114

  • Bolten AB (2003) Active swimmers—passive drifters: the oceanic juvenile stage of loggerheads in the Atlantic system. In: Bolten AB, Witherington BE (eds) Loggerhead sea turtles. Smithsonian Books, Washington, DC, pp 63–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen BW, Avise JC, Richardson JI, Meylan AB, Margaritoulis D, Hopkins-Murphy S (1993) Population structure of the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta in the northwest Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Conserv Biol 37(4):834–844

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caminas JA, De La Serna JM (1995) The loggerhead distribution in the western Mediterranean Sea as deduced from captures by the Spanish long line fishery. In: Llorente GA, Montori A, Santos X, Carretero MA (eds) Scientia Herpetologica, Barcellona, pp 316–323

  • Caminas JA, Baez JC, Valeiras X, Real R (2006) Differential loggerhead by-catch and direct mortality due to surface longlines according to boat strata and gear type. Sci Mar 70(4):661–665

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cardona L, Revelles M, Carreras C, Sanfelix M, Gazo M, Aguilar A (2005) Western Mediterranean immature loggerhead turtles: habitat use in spring and summer assessed through satellite tracking and aerial surveys. Mar Biol 147:583–591

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carreras C, Cardona L, Marco A, Pascual M, Aguilar A, Margaritoulis D, Rees A, Castillo JJ, Tomás J, Raga JA, Fernández G, SanFelix M, Turkozan O, Levy Y, Gasith A, Aureggi M, Khalil M, Rico C, Roques S (2006a) Degree of isolation of the Mediterranean nesting populations of the loggerhead sea turtle using nuclear markers. In: Frick M, Panagopoulou A, Rees AF, Williams K (eds) Book of abstracts, 26th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Athens

  • Carreras C, Pont S, Maffucci F, Pascual M, Barcelo A, Bentivegna F, Cardona L, Alegre F, SanFelix M, Fernandez G, Aguilar A (2006b) Genetic structuring of immature loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea reflects water circulation patterns. Mar Biol 149(5):1269–1279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casale P, Laurent L, De Metrio G (2004) Incidental capture of marine turtles by the Italian trawl fishery in the north Adriatic Sea. Biol Conserv 119:287–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casale P, Freggi D, Basso R, Argano R (2005a) Size at male maturity, sexing methods and adult sex ratio in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from Italian waters investigated through tail measurements. Herpetol J 15:145–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Casale P, Freggi D, Basso R, Argano R (2005b) Oceanic habitats for loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Turtle Newsl 107:10–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Casale P, Mazaris AD, Freggi D, Basso R, Pino d’Astore P, Argano R (2007a) Growth rates and age-at-size of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea, estimated through length frequency data. In: Frick M, Panagopoulou A, Rees AF, Williams K (eds) Book of abstracts, 27th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Miami

  • Casale P, Cattarino L, Freggi D, Rocco M, Argano R (2007b) Incidental catch of marine turtles by Italian trawlers and longliners in the central Mediterranean. Aquat Conserv (in press)

  • Dodd CK Jr (1988) Synopsis of the biological data on the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus 1758). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report, 88(14):110

  • Eckert SA (2006) High-use oceanic areas for Atlantic leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) as identified using satellite telemetered location and dive information. Mar Biol 149(5):1257–1267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godley BJ, Broderick AC, Glen F, Hays GC (2003a) Post-nesting movements and submergence patterns of loggerhead marine turtles in the Mediterranean assessed by satellite tracking. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 287:119–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godley BJ, Lima EHSM, Åkesson S, Broderick AC, Glen F, Godfrey MH, Luschi P, Hays GC (2003b) Movement patterns of green turtles in Brazilian coastal waters described by satellite tracking and flipper tagging. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 253:279–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez de Segura A, Tomas J, Pedraza SN, Crespo EA, Raga JA (2006) Abundance and distribution of the endangered loggerhead turtle in Spanish Mediterranean waters and the conservation implications. Anim Conserv 9:199–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gramentz D (1991) Migrationen von Caretta caretta im Mittelmeer. Herpetofauna 13(72):20–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Hays GC, Broderick AC, Godley BJ, Luschi P, Nichols WJ (2003) Satellite telemetry suggests high levels of fishing-induced mortality in marine turtles. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 262:305–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hays GC, Marsh R (1997) Estimating the age of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles in the North Atlantic. Can J Zool 75(1):40–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendrickson JR (1958) The green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas (Linn.) in Malaya and Sarawak. Proc Zool Soc Lond 130:455–535

    Google Scholar 

  • Hochscheid S, Bentivegna F, Hays GC (2005) First records of dive durations for a hibernating sea turtle. Biol Lett 1:82–86

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hochscheid S, Bentivegna F, Bradai MN, Hays GC (2007) Overwintering behaviour in marine turtles: dormancy is optional. Mar Ecol Prog Ser (in press)

  • Laurent L, Casale P, Bradai MN, Godley BJ, Gerosa G, Broderick AC, Schroth W, Schierwater B, Levy AM, Freggi D, Abd El-Mawla EM, Hadoud DA, Gomati HE, Domingo M, Hadjichristophorou M, Kornaraky L, Demirayak F, Gautier Ch (1998) Molecular resolution of marine turtle stock composition in fishery bycatch: a case study in the Mediterranean. Mol Ecol 7:1529–1542

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lazar B, Borboroglu PG, Tvrtkovic N, Ziza V (2003) Temporal and spatial distribution of the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, in the eastern Adriatic Sea: a seasonal migration pathway? In: Seminoff JA (eds) Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-503, pp 283–284

  • Lazar B, Tvrtkovic N (2003) Corroboration of the critical habitat hypothesis for the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta in the eastern Adriatic Sea. In: Margaritoulis D, Demetropoulos A (eds) Proceedings of the first Mediterranean conference on marine turtles. Barcelona Convention—Bern Convention—Bonn Convention (CMS). Nicosia, Cyprus, pp 165–169

  • Lazar B, Margaritoulis D, Tvrtkovic N (2004) Tag recoveries of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta in the eastern Adriatic Sea: implications for conservation. J Mar Biol Ass UK 84:475–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lazar B, Gracan R, Zavodnik D, Tvrtkovic N (2007) Feeding ecology of “pelagic” loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, in the northern Adriatic Sea: proof of an early ontogenetic habitat shift. In: Proceedings of the 25th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation (in press)

  • Limpus CJ (1994) The loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, in Queensland: feeding ground selection following her first nesting season. In: Bjorndal KA, Bolten AB, Johnson DA, Eliazar PJ (eds) Proceedings of the 14th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-351, pp 78–81

  • Limpus CJ, Limpus DJ (2001) The loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, in Queensland: breeding migrations and fidelity to a warm temperate feeding area. Chel Conserv Biol 4(1):142–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Limpus CJ, Limpus DJ (2003) Biology of the loggerhead turtle in Western South Pacific Ocean foraging areas. In: Bolten AB, Witherington BE (eds) Loggerhead sea turtles. Smithsonian Books, Washington, DC, pp 93–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Luschi P, Akesson S, Broderick AC, Glen F, Godley BJ, Papi F, Hays GC (2001) Testing the navigational abilities of ocean migrants: displacement experiments on green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 50(6):528–534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maffucci F, Kooistra WHCF, Bentivegna F (2006) Natal origin of loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, in the neritic habitat off the Italian coasts, Central Mediterranean. Biol Conserv 127:183–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malanotte-Rizzoli P, Manca BB, Ribera D’Alcala M, Theocharis A, Bergamasco A, Bregant D, Budillon G, Civitarese G, Georgopoulos D, Michelato A, Sansone E, Scarazzato P, Souvermezoglou E (1997) A synthesis of the Ionian Sea hydrography, circulation and water mass pathways during POEM Phase I. Prog Oceanogr 39(3):153–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Margaritoulis D (1988) Post-nesting movements of loggerhead sea turtles tagged in Greece. Rapp Comm int Mer Médit 31(2):284

    Google Scholar 

  • Margaritoulis D, Argano R, Baran I, Bentivegna F, Bradai MN, Caminas JA, Casale P, De Metrio G, Demetropoulos A, Gerosa G, Godley B, Houghton J, Laurent L, Lazar B (2003) Loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean Sea: present knowledge and conservation perspectives. In: Bolten AB, Witherington B (eds) Loggerhead sea turtles. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA, pp 175–198

    Google Scholar 

  • McMahon CR, Hays GC (2006) Thermal niche, large-scale movements and implications of climate change for a critically endangered marine vertebrate. Global Change Biol 12:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meylan AB, Bjorndal KA, Turner BJ (1983) Sea turtle nesting at Melbourne Beach, Florida. II. Post-nesting movements of Caretta caretta. Biol Conserv 26:79–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millot C, Taupier-Letage I (2004) Circulation in the Mediterranean Sea. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, Vol 1 (The Natural Environment and the Biological Cycles), Springer-Verlag, Berlin

  • Musick JA, Limpus CJ (1997) Habitat utilization and migration in juvenile sea turtles. In: Lutz PL, Musick JA (eds) The biology of sea turtles. CRC, Boca Raton, FL, pp 137–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Papi F, Luschi P, Crosio E, Hughes GR (1997) Satellite tracking experiments on the navigational ability and migratory behavior of the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta. Mar Biol 129(2):215–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polovina JJ, Kobayashi DR, Parker DM, Seki MP, Balazs GH (2000) Turtles on the edge: movement of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) along oceanic fronts, spanning longline fishing grounds in the central North Pacific, 1997–1998. Fish Oceanogr 9(1):71–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renaud ML, Carpenter JA (1994) Movements and submergence patterns of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Gulf of Mexico determined through satellite telemetry. Bull Mar Sci 55(1):1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Schroeder BA, Foley AM, Bagley DA (2003) Nesting patterns, reproductive migrations, and adult foraging areas of loggerhead turtles. In: Bolten AB, Witherington BE (eds) Loggerhead sea turtles. Smithsonian Books, Washington, DC, pp 114–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Seminoff JA, Resendiz A, Resendiz B, Nichols WJ (2004) Occurrence of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Gulf of California, Mexico: evidence of life- history variation in the Pacific Ocean. Herp Rev 35(1):24–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomas J, Dominici A, Nannarelli S, Forni L, Badillo FJ, Raga JA (2001) From hook to hook: the odyssey of a loggerhead sea turtle in the Mediterranean. Mar Turtle Newsl 92:13–14

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was possible thanks to the invaluable efforts of many individuals. All the fishermen who collaborated to the project; the students and volunteers who helped in the field work; the central and local authorities; and WWF-Italy. In particular, we thank: G. Gerosa (Chelon); M. Cocco, C. Jacomini, G. Cantoro, B. Cristo, C. Focarelli, G. Guerrasio, G. Paolillo, A. Piras, G. Rallo, D. Ricciardi, F. Sottile, V. Spica, M. Spoto, A. Vanadia (WWF-Italy); A. Di Natale (Acquario di Genova); P. Meschini (Acquario di Livorno); C. Froglia (CNR Ancona); A.L. Stanzani (Fondazione Cetacea); A. Dominici and S. Nannarelli (Hydrosphera); G. Marzano (Museo di Storia Naturale del Salento di Calimera); V. Olivieri (Museo Ittico di Pescara); F. Bentivegna and S. Bocchetti (Stazione Zoologica di Napoli); A. Donato (Università di Messina); M. Passarella. Maps were prepared with the Maptool program (SEATURTLE.ORG, www.seaturtle.org). An earlier version of the manuscript was greatly improved, thanks to valuable comments by two anonymous referees.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell’Uomo, Università “La Sapienza”, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Paolo Casale & Roberto Argano

  2. Sea Turtle Rescue Centre WWF Italy, 92010, Lampedusa, Italy

    Daniela Freggi

  3. Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Jesolo, Via Bafile 172, 30017, Jesolo Lido, Italy

    Roberto Basso

  4. A.R.C.H.E’, via Mulinetto, 40/A, 44100, Ferrara, Italy

    Carola Vallini

Authors
  1. Paolo Casale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniela Freggi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Roberto Basso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Carola Vallini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Roberto Argano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paolo Casale.

Additional information

Communicated by R. Cattaneo-Vietti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Casale, P., Freggi, D., Basso, R. et al. A model of area fidelity, nomadism, and distribution patterns of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Biol 152, 1039–1049 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0752-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0752-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation