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Informing marine protected areas in Bimini, Bahamas by considering hotspots for green turtles (Chelonia mydas)

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Abstract

Knowledge on the spatial distribution, habitat use and processes of site selection by marine turtles is fundamental to identify key habitats, critical resources, and discrete foraging aggregations for protection. This is particularly important for regions of known importance for marine turtles and where widespread habitat degradation is taking place. The waters surrounding Bimini, Bahamas, provide important foraging areas for threatened juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) however, these habitats are being severely degraded by coastal development. To inform managers on the design of planned future no-take marine protected areas (MPA) in Bimini, we used a spatial planning approach and incorporated diverse methodologies (e.g., visual surveys, capture events, passive acoustic telemetry) to identify areas of high use by juvenile green turtles. We also assessed forage items to understand habitat use by green turtles. This information was compared with how various stakeholders use the local waters to identify priority areas for protection within Bimini to maximize conservation of green turtles, while minimizing impact to society, and to meet the conservation target previously stipulated by government officials. Two regions within Bimini (South Flats in south Bimini and Bonefish Hole on the north Island) were identified as important areas for protection and suggestions are made on their considerations for MPA implementation.

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Acknowledgements

All the necessary permits for field work, turtle handling and sampling were obtained, which include: Bahamian research permits (MAF/LIA/22 to the Bimini Biological Field Station), Florida State University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee permit (Protocol #1521). Funding for this project was provided by the National Geographic (CS 230_16) and Save our Seas Foundation. We are grateful for the assistance provided by Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Camila Domit and Christian Gredzens with field work and the deployment of acoustic tags as well as for the help provided by Bimini Biological Field Station staff and volunteers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes, Anthony J. Gillis & Natalie Wildermann

  2. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Saint Petersburg, FL, USA

    Simona A. Ceriani

  3. Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    Simona A. Ceriani

  4. Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation, Bimini, Bahamas

    Tristan L. Guttridge, Maurits P. M. Van Zinnicq Bergmann, Matthew Smukall & Samuel H. Gruber

  5. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Maurits P. M. Van Zinnicq Bergmann

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  1. Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes
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  2. Anthony J. Gillis
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  3. Simona A. Ceriani
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  4. Tristan L. Guttridge
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  8. Natalie Wildermann
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Correspondence to Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes.

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Communicated by Angus Jackson.

This article belongs to the Topical Collection: Coastal and marine biodiversity.

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Fuentes, M.M.P.B., Gillis, A.J., Ceriani, S.A. et al. Informing marine protected areas in Bimini, Bahamas by considering hotspots for green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Biodivers Conserv 28, 197–211 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-018-1647-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-018-1647-2

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