Abstract
Animals can synchronize their reproductive behavior patterns with biological rhythms and environmental conditions. Understanding these patterns is particularly critical for conserving endangered species like sea turtles. This study analyzed the relationship between the nesting behavior of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and lunar luminosity, lunar phases, and sea surface temperature (SST) in the Atol das Rocas Biological Reserve, Brazil. Field data were obtained through nightly monitoring during the breeding seasons from 2018 to 2020. Although lunar luminosity and lunar phases did not exhibit a statistically significant effect, the highest number of nesting occurrences was observed during the full moon and new moon, which may be related to the spring tide. The SST was the only variable showing a statistically significant relationship with complete oviposition, incomplete oviposition, and false crawl occurrences, indicating the preference of turtles to come ashore at higher temperatures (around 29.5 °C). Furthermore, while lunar luminosity and lunar phases may have some influence on the nesting pattern of the green turtle, they do not limit it, as turtles come ashore under different observed environmental conditions.
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Data Availability
The data sets generated and/or analyzed during this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge Maurizélia de Brito Silva, coordinator of the Atol das Rocas Biological Reserve, for the logistic support during the fieldwork and for the entire team collaborating with the conservation of the Rocas Atoll. We also thank the Laboratory of Coastal Biogeochemistry (UFC) for logistic support during the data analysis. Finally, we thank the financial support of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPQ), Brazil; the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio), Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica and FUNBIO/World Bank (GEFMAR project), who support the campaigns in Rocas Atoll. We thank Dr. Marcelo Davi Santos, Dr. Jober Condé Evangelista Freitas and Raul Agra de Moura Pereira for their support in the statistical analysis of this paper.
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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and welfare of animals were followed. The sampling of green turtles on Rocas Atoll was authorized by the Brazilian Government by Biodiversity Authorization and Information System (SISBIO) through the sampling license number 59809.
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Mendonça, D.M., de Lacerda, L.D., Agostinho, K.F.F. et al. Influence of lunar phases and oceanographic parameters on green turtle nesting in Rocas Atoll. Biologia (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-024-01695-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-024-01695-5