Marine turtle threats in Uruguayan waters: insights from 12 years of stranding data

作者：Velez Rubio Gabriela M^*; Estrades Andres; Fallabrino Alejandro; Tomas Jesus

来源：Marine Biology, 2013, 160(11): 2797-2811.

DOI：10.1007/s00227-013-2272-y

We present the first study conducted in a wide spatio-temporal scale on marine turtles strandings (N = 1,107) over a 12-year period (1999-2010) in Uruguay. Five species were recorded Chelonia mydas (N = 643; 58.1 %), Caretta caretta (N = 329; 29.7 %), Dermochelys coriacea (N = 131; 11.8 %), Eretmochelys imbricata (N = 3; 0.3 %), and Lepidochelys olivacea (N = 1; 0.1 %). The first three species stranded throughout the Uruguayan coast, but differences in distribution patterns were detected among species. Although occurring year round, stranding records show a clear seasonal pattern with variation in monthly distribution among species, but with a peak of records in austral summer. Strandings provide indirect evidence of threats to marine turtles in Uruguayan and surrounding waters, particularly fisheries and marine debris. Our results demonstrate that Uruguayan coastal waters likely serve as a foraging or development area for at least three endangered marine turtle species in temperate waters.

• 出版日期2013-11