Abstract
In species presenting long intervals between reproductive seasons, atmospheric-oceanic phenomena can affect the yearly number of individuals that become reproductively active. Sea turtles take multiyear intervals between reproductive seasons, which are influenced by environmental processes affecting their nutrition. Atmospheric-oceanic phenomena affect the reproductive output of different sea turtle species and populations. The population of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) nesting at Tortuguero-10.4489° N, 83.5069° W-, Costa Rica, is the largest in the Atlantic Basin and one of the most comprehensively studied. Nevertheless, only one study analyzed the effects of sea surface temperature on the reproductive output of Tortuguero green turtles. We analyzed three decades of data that revealed two likely scenarios: (1) more green turtle clutches were laid at Tortuguero after warm sea surface temperature anomalies during boreal winters and (2) fewer green turtle clutches were laid at Tortuguero 2 years after El Niño and more green turtle clutches were laid 2 years after La Niña events. Atmospheric-oceanic phenomena affect green turtle reproductive output likely through disrupting nutritional pathways, which alters the number of female green turtles that become reproductively active each year. Tortuguero green turtles are herbivorous feeding mostly on seagrass meadows off Nicaragua. As primary consumers, green turtles are tightly constrained by environmental conditions, and if the productivity of seagrass meadows decreased due to elevated sea surface temperature in the Caribbean basin or the altered hydric regime following El Niño events, fewer females would be able to accrue energy for reproduction.
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Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the Sea Turtle Conservancy but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under the authorization for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data are, however, available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank the community and national park rangers of Tortuguero, Costa Rica, for their support. This project was funded by the Sea Turtle Conservancy, Southeastern Louisiana University, American Museum of Natural History, Sigma-Xi Society, Idea Wild, and National Geographic Society. Additionally, we thank Costa Rica Green Path and Varcli Piñares S.A. for the collaboration in our project. The author thanks all STC research assistants and staff and all the personnel from ASVO and ASOPROTOMA Tortuguero. Finally, the authors would like to thank Dr. Karen Bjorndal for the invaluable advice provided and revision of an earlier version of this manuscript.
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National research permits were obtained from the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment and renewed annually by the Sea Turtle Conservancy. The methodology described in this study did not include collecting data directly on animals. All procedures were carried out in situ and no samples had to be collected. This study was funded the Sea Turtle Conservancy, Southeastern Louisiana University, American Museum of Natural History, Sigma-Xi Society, Idea Wild, and National Geographic Society. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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Saragoça Bruno, R., Restrepo, J.A. & Valverde, R.A. Effects of El Niño Southern Oscillation and local ocean temperature on the reproductive output of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) nesting at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Mar Biol 167, 128 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-03749-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-03749-z