Marine turtles in the Turks and Caicos Islands: Remnant rookeries, regionally significant foraging stocks, and a major turtle fishery

Chelonian Conservation and Biology

Volumn 8, Issue 2, 2009, Pages 192-204

  Richardson, Peter B ^a,b   Bruford, Michael W ^c   Calosso, Marta C ^f   Campbell, Lisa M ^d   Clerveaux, Wesley ^e   Formia, Angela ^c   Godley, Brendan J ^b   Henderson, Aaron C ^f   McClellan, Kate ^f   Newman, Steven ^f   Parsons, Kristene ^f   Pepper, Martin ^f   Ranger, Susan ^a   Silver, Jennifer J ^g   Slade, Lorna ^e   Broderick, Annette C ^b  

^a MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF EXETER   (United Kingdom)

^c UNIVERSITY OF WALES   (United Kingdom)

^d DUKE UNIVERSITY MARINE LABORATORY   (United States)

^e Department of Environment and Coastal Resources   (Turks and Caicos Islands)

^f Center for Marine Resource Studies   (Turks and Caicos Islands)

^g SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

Caribbean; Chelonia mydas; Cheloniidae; Conservation; Eretmochelys imbricata; Green turtle; Harvest; Hawksbill turtle; Reptilia; Sea turtle; Status; Testudines; Use

Indexed keywords

CARETTA CARETTA; CHELONIA MYDAS; CHELONIIDAE; ERETMOCHELYS IMBRICATA; REPTILIA; TESTUDINES;

EID: 73949090336     PISSN: 10718443     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2744/CCB-0871.1     Document Type: Article

References (79)

1. ALLAN, C.J. 1998. Conched Out: A Review of the Trade in CITES Listed Species in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories in the Caribbean. Godalming: WWF-UK, 80 pp.
2. ALLARD, M.W., MIYAMOTO, M.M., BJORNDAL, K.A., BOLTEN, A.B., AND BOWEN, B.W. 1994. Support for natal homing in green turtles from mitochondrial DNA sequences. Copeia 1994:34-41.
3. ANONYMOUS. 1999. Partnership for Progress and Prosperity: Britain and the Overseas Territories. UK Government White Paper Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
4. BALAZS, G.H. 1999. Factors to consider in the tagging of sea turtles. In: Eckert, K.L., Bjorndal, K.A., Abreu-Grobois, F.A., and Donnelly, M. (Eds.). Research and Management Techniques for the Conservation of Sea Turtles. IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group Publication No. 4, pp. 101-109.
5. BASS, A.L. 1999. Genetic analysis to elucidate the natural history and behaviour of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the wider Caribbean: a review and reanalysis. Chelonian Conservation Biology 3:195-199.
6. BASS, A.L. AND WITZELL, W.N. 2000. Demographic composition of immature green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from the east central Florida coast: evidence from mtDNA markers. Herpetologica 56:357-367.
7. BEGGS, J.A., HORROCKS, J.A., AND KRUEGER, B.H. 2007. Increase in hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata nesting in Barbados, West Indies. Endangered Species Research 3:159-168.
8. BELL, C.D., BLUMENTHAL, J.M., AUSTIN, T.J., EBANKS-PETRIE, G., BRODERICK, A.C., AND GODLEY, B.J. 2009. Harnessing recreational divers for the collection of sea turtle data around the Cayman Islands. Tourism in Marine Environments 5(4): 245-257.
9. BELL, C.D., BLUMENTHAL, J.M., AUSTIN, T.J., SOLOMON, J.L., EBANKS-PETRIE, G., BRODERICK, A.C., AND GODLEY, B.J. 2006. Traditional Caymanian fishery may impede local marine turtle population recovery. Endangered Species Research 2: 63-69.
10. BELL, C., SOLOMON, J.L., BLUMENTHAL, J.M., AUSTIN, T.J., EBANKS-PETRIE, G., BRODERICK, A.C., AND GODLEY, B.J. 2007. Monitoring and conservation of critically reduced marine turtle nesting populations: lessons from the Cayman Islands. Animal Conservation 10:39-47.
11. BJORNDAL, K.A., BOLTEN, A.B., AND CHALOUPKA, M.Y. 2005. Evaluating trends in abundance of immature green turtles, Chelonia mydas, in the Greater Caribbean. Ecological Applications 15:304-314.
12. BJORNDAL, K.A., CARR, A., MEYLAN, A.B., AND MORTIMER, J.A. 1985. Reproductive biology of the hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, with notes on the ecology of the species in the Caribbean. Biological Conservation 34:353-368.
13. BLUMENTHAL, J.M., AUSTIN, T.J., BELL, C.D., BOTHWELL, J.B., BRODERICK, A.C., EBANKS-PETRIE, G., GIBB, J.A., LUKE, K.E., OLYNIK, J.R., ORR, M.F., SOLOMON, J.L., AND GODLEY, B.J. 2009a. Ecology of hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata in a western Caribbean foraging area. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 8:1-10.
14. BLUMENTHAL, J.M., AUSTIN, T.J., BOTHWELL, J.B., BRODERICK, A.C., EBANKS-PETRIE, G., OLYNIK, J.R., ORR, M.F., SOLOMON, J.L., WITT, M.J., AND GODLEY, B.J. 2009b. Diving behaviour and movements of juvenile hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata on a Caribbean coral reef. Coral Reefs 28:55-65.
15. BOLTEN, A. 1999. Techniques for measuring sea turtles. In: Eckert, K.L., Bjorndal, K.A., Abreu-Grobois, F.A., and Donnelly, M. (Eds.). Research and Management Techniques for the Conservation of Sea Turtles, IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group Publication No. 4, pp. 110-114.
16. BOULON, R.H. 1994. Growth rates of wild juvenile hawksbill turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Copeia 1994:811-814.
17. BOWEN, B.W., GRANT, S.W., HILLIS-STARR, Z., SHAVER, D.J., BJORNDAL, K.A., BOLTEN, A., AND BASS, A.L. 2007. Mixedstock analysis reveals the migrations of juvenile hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Caribbean Sea. Molecular Ecology 16:49-60.
18. BOWEN, D. 2003. Peas 'n' Grits & "Penn On": True Turks and Caicos Cuisine. The Times of the Islands Fall 2003:27-32.
19. BRODERICK, A.C., FRAUENSTEIN, R., GEORGE, T., GLEN, F., HAYS, G.C., JACKSON, A.D., RUXTON, G.R., AND GODLEY, B.J. 2006. Are green turtles globally endangered? Global Ecology and Biogeography 15:21-26.
20. CAMPBELL, L.M. 2002. Science and sustainable use: views of marine turtle conservation experts. Ecological Applications 12:1229-1246.
21. CAMPBELL, L.M., GODFREY, M.H., AND DRIF, O. 2002. Community-based conservation via global legislation? Limitations of the Inter-American Convention for the Conservation of Sea Turtles. Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy 5: 121-143.
22. CAMPBELL, L.M., SILVER, J.J., GRAY, N.J., RANGER, S., BRODERICK, A.C., FISHER, T., GODFREY, M.H., GORE, S., HODGE, K.V.D., JEFFERS, J., MARTIN, C.S., MCGOWAN, A., RICHARDSON, P.B., SASSO, C., SLADE, L., AND GODLEY, B.J. 2009. Co-management of sea turtle fisheries: biogeography versus geopolitics. Marine Policy 33:137-145.
23. CARILLO, E., WEBB, G.J.W., AND MANOLIS, S.C. 1999. Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in Cuba: an assessment of the historical harvest and its impacts. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3:264-280.
24. CARLSON, B. 2000. Grand Turk: Its bones are the key to an unexpected past. The Times of the Islands 4:54-57.
25. CARR, A., MEYLAN, A.B., MORTIMER, J., BJORNDAL, K.A., AND CARR, T. 1982. Survey of sea turtle populations and habitats in the Western Atlantic. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC 91.
26. CHALOUPKA, M. AND BALAZS, G.H. 2007. Using Bayesian statespace modelling to assess the recovery and harvest potential of the Hawaiian green sea turtle stock. Ecological Modelling 205:93-109.
27. CROUSE, D.T. 1999. Population modelling and implications for Caribbean hawksbill sea turtle management. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3:185-188.
28. CROUSE, D.T., CROWDER, L.B., AND CASWELL, H. 1987. A stagebased population model for loggerhead sea turtles and implications for conservation. Ecology 68:1412-1423.
29. DIEZ, C.E. AND VAN DAM, R.P. 2003. Sex ratio of immature hawksbill sea turtle aggregation at Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Journal of Herpetology 37:533-537.
30. DIEZ, C.E. AND VAN DAM, R.P. 2007. Mona and Monito Island-Puerto Rico hawksbill turtle research project: Research Report for 2006. Unpublished technical report prepared by the Mona Island Hawksbill Research Group in collaboration with Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales de Puerto Rico, Chelonia, Inc., and Universidad de Puerto Ricorecinto de Rio Piedras.
31. DIAZ-FERNANDEZ, R., OKAYAMA, T., UCHIYAMA, T., CARRILLO, E., ESPINOSA, G., MARQUEZ, R., DIEZ, C., AND KOIKE, H. 1999. Genetic sourcing for the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, in the northern Caribbean region. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3:296-300.
32. DUTTON, P.H. 1996. Methods for the collection and preservation of samples for sea turtle genetic studies. In: Bowen, B.W. and Witzell, W.N. (Eds.). Proceedings of the International Symposium on Sea Turtle Conservation Genetics. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-396, p. 173.
33. EHRHART, L.M. 1989. Status report of the loggerhead turtle. In: Ogren, L., Berry, F., Bjorndal, K., Kumpf, H., Mast, R., Medina, G., Reichart, H., and Witham, R. (Eds.). Proceedings of the Second Western Atlantic Turtle Symposium. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC-226, pp. 122-139.
34. FLEMING, E.H. 2001. Swimming against the tide. Report for TRAFFIC, North America, pp. 133-138.
35. FLETEMEYER, J.R. 1984. The national report for the country of Turks and Caicos Islands. In: Bacon, P., Berry, F., Bjorndal, K., Hirth, H., Ogren, L., and Weber, M. (Eds.). Proceedings of the Western Atlantic Turtle Symposium. Miami, FL: University of Miami Press, pp. 409-422.
36. FORMIA, A., GODLEY, B.J., AND BRUFORD, M.W. 2006. Mitochondrial DNA diversity and phylogeography of endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas) population in Africa. Conservation Genetics 7:353-369.
37. FRAZIER, J. 2003. Prehistoric and ancient historic interactions between humans and marine turtles. In: Lutz, P., Musick, J.A., and Wyneken, J. (Eds.). The Biology of Sea Turtles, Volume 2. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, pp. 1-38.
38. GARDUÑO-ANDRADE, M., GUZMAN, V., MIRANDA, E., BRISENODUENAS, R., AND ABREU-GROBOIS, F.A. 1999. Increases in hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, 1977-1996: data in support of successful conservation? Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3:286-295.
39. GAUDIAN, G. AND MEDLEY, P. 2000. The Turks and Caicos Islands. In: Sheppard, C. (Ed.). Seas at the Millennium: An Environmental Evaluation, Volume 1, Regional Chapters: Europe, the Americas & West Africa. New York: Pergamon, pp. 587-594.
40. GODFREY, M.H. AND GODLEY, B.J. 2008. As we see it: Seeing past the red: flawed IUCN global listings for sea turtles. Endangered Species Research 6:155-159.
41. GODFREY, M.H., WEBB, G.J.W., MANOLIS, C., AND MROSOVSKY, N. 2007. Hawksbill sea turtles: can phylogenetics inform harvesting? Molecular Ecology 16:3511-3513.
42. GODLEY, B.J., BRODERICK, A.C., CAMPBELL, L.M., RANGER, S., AND RICHARDSON, P.B. 2004. An assessment of the status and exploitation of marine turtles in the UK Overseas Territories in the Wider Caribbean. Final Project Report to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 253 pp.
43. GRAZETTE, S., HORROCKS, J.A., PHILLIP, P.E., AND CRAFTON, J.I. 2007. An assessment of the marine turtle fishery in Grenada, West Indies. Oryx 41:330-336.
44. HERBST, L.H. 1994. Fibropapillomatosis of marine turtles. Annual Review of Fish Diseases 4:389-425.
45. INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE. 2002. Hawksbill turtles in the Caribbean region: basic biological characteristics and population status. Consolidated paper presented to the CITES Secretariat as part of the Hawksbill Range States Dialogue Process, 52 pp.
46. INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE. 2007. 2006 IUCN Red List of threatened species. www.iucnredlist. org (10 October 2007).
47. JACKSON, J.B.C. 1997. Reefs since Columbus. Coral Reefs 16(Suppl):S23-S32.
48. JACOBSON, E.R., MANSELL, R.B., SUNDBERG, J.P., HAJAR, L., REICHMANN, M.E., EHRHART, L.M., WALSH, M., AND MURRU, F. 1989. Cutaneous fibropapillomas of green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Journal of Comparative Pathology 101:39-52.
49. LEON, Y.M. AND DIEZ, C.E. 1999. Population structure of hawksbill turtles on a foraging ground in the Dominican Republic. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3:230-236.
50. LUKE, K., HORROCKS, J.A., LEROUX, R.A., AND DUTTON, P.H. 2004. Origins of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) feeding aggregations around Barbados, West Indies. Marine Biology 144:799-805.
51. MARTE, A.C., FERREIRAS, E., AND VANDERHORST, P. 2003. Preliminary study of the tortoiseshell trade in the Dominican Republic. In: Seminoff, J.A. (Comp.). Proceedings of the Twenty Second Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFSSEFSC-503, 308 pp.
52. MARTIN, C.S., JEFFERS, J., AND GODLEY, B.J. 2005. The status of marine turtles in Montserrat (eastern Caribbean). Animal Biodiversity and Conservation 28:159-168.
53. MASUDA, M. 2002. User's Manual for Bayes: Bayesian Stock Mixture Analysis Program. Juneau: National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay Laboratory.
54. MCCLENACHAN, L., JACKSON, J.B.C., AND NEWMAN, M.J.H. 2006. Conservation implications of historic sea turtle nesting beach loss. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 4: 290-296.
55. MCGOWAN, A., BRODERICK, A.C., FRETT, G., GORE, S., HASTINGS, M., PICKERING, A., WHEATLEY, D., WHITE, J., WITT, M.J., AND GODLEY, B.J. 2008. Down but not out: marine turtles of the British Virgin Islands. Animal Conservation 11:92-103.
56. MEYLAN, A.B. 1999. Status of the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Caribbean region. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3:177-184.
57. MEYLAN, A.B., AND DONNELLY, M. 1999. Status justification for listing the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) as Critically Endangered on the 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3(2):200-224.
58. MONCADA, F., CARRILLO, E., SAENZ, A., AND NODARSE, G. 1999. Reproduction and nesting of the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, in the Cuban Archipelago. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3:257-263.
59. MORTIMER, J.A., MEYLAN, P.A., AND DONNELLY, M. 2007. Whose turtles are they anyway? Molecular Ecology 16:17-18.
60. MROSOVSKY, N. 2000. Sustainable Use of Hawksbill Turtles: Contemporary Issues in Conservation. Issues in Wildlife Management No. 1. Darwin: Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management, 107 pp.
61. MROSOVSKY, N., BASS, A., CORLISS, L.A., RICHARDSON, J.I., AND RICHARDSON, T.H. 1992. Pivotal and beach temperatures for hawksbill turtles nesting in Antigua. Canadian Journal of Zoology 70:1920-1925.
62. PARDEE, M. 2005. DECR announces the birth of 101 baby loggerhead turtles. The Times of the Islands Fall 2007:47.
63. PELLA, J. AND MASUDA, M. 2001. Bayesian methods for analysis of stock mixtures from genetic characters. Fishery Bulletin 99:151-167.
64. PROCTOR, D. AND FLEMING, L.V. (Eds.). 1999. Biodiversity: The UK Overseas Territories. Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 131 pp.
65. RICHARDSON, J.I., HALL, D.B., MASON, P.A., ANDREWS, K.M., BJORKLAND, R., CAI, Y., AND BELL, R. 2006. Eighteen years of saturation tagging data reveal a significant increase in nesting hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) on Long Island, Antigua. Animal Conservation 9:302-307.
66. RICHARDSON, P. 2000. Obstacles to objectivity: first impressions of a CITES CoP. Marine Turtle Newsletter 89:1-4.
67. RICHARDSON, P.B., BRODERICK, A.C., CAMPBELL, L.M., GODLEY, B.J., AND RANGER, S. 2006. Marine turtle fisheries in the UK Overseas Territories of the Caribbean: domestic legislation and the requirements of multilateral agreements. Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy 9:223-246.
68. ROBINSON, C.B. AND FULFORD, M. 1997. Grace Bay revisited, Providenciales. In: Cambers, G. (Ed.). Managing beach resources in the smaller Caribbean Islands. Papers presented at a UNESCO-University of Puerto Rico Workshop, 21-25 October 1996, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Coastal region and Small Island papers, No.1, UPR/SGCP-UNESCO, Mayaguez, 262 pp.
69. RUDD, M.A. 2003. Fisheries landings and trade in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Fisheries Centre Research Reports 11:149-161.
70. SADLER, H.E. 1997. Turks Islands Landfall. Grand Turk: Marjorie E Sadler, 151 pp.
71. SCHROEDER, B. AND MURPHY, S. 1999. Population surveys (ground and aerial) on nesting beaches. In: Eckert, K.L., Bjorndal, K.A., Abreu-Grobois, F.A., and Donnelly, M. (Eds.). Research and Management Techniques for the Conservation of Sea Turtles, IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group Publication No. 4, pp. 45-55.
72. SEMINOFF, J. 2004. Green turtle Red List assessment. www. iucn-mtsg.org. (01 May 2009).
73. SILVER, J.J. AND CAMPBELL, L.M. 2005. Fisher participation in research: dilemmas with the use of fisher knowledge. Ocean & Coastal Management 48:721-741.
74. TEWFIK, A. AND BENE, C. 2004. "The Big Grab": noncompliance with regulations, skewed fishing effort allocation and implications for a spiny lobster fishery. Fisheries Research 69:21-33.
75. TROËNG, S., DUTTON, P.H., AND EVANS, D. 2005. Migration of hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata from Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Ecography 28:394-402. (Pubitemid 40809907)
76. TROËNG, S. AND RANKIN, E. 2005. Long-term conservation efforts contribute to positive green turtle Chelonia mydas nesting trend at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Biological Conservation 121:111-116.
77. VAN DAM, R.P., DIEZ, C.E., BALAZS, G.H., COLÓN COLÓN, L.A., MCMILLAN, W.O., AND SCHROEDER, B. 2008. Sex-specific migration patterns of hawksbill turtles breeding at Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Endangered Species Research 4:85-94.
78. VELEZ-ZUAZO, X., RAMOS, W.D., VAN DAM, R.P., DIEZ, C.E., ABREU-GROBOIS, A., AND MCmILLAN, W.O. 2008. Dispersal, recruitment and migratory behaviour in a hawksbill sea turtle aggregation. Molecular Ecology 17:839-853.
79. WILLIAMS, E.H., BUNKLEY-WILLIAMS, L., PETERS, E.C., PINTORODRIGUEZ, B., MATOS-MORALES, R., MIGNUCCI-GIANNONI, A.A., HALL, K.V., RUEDA-ALMONACID, J.V., SYBESMA, J., DE CALVENTI, I.B., AND BOULON, R.H. 1994. An epizootic of cutaneous fibropapillomas in green turtles Chelonia mydas of the Caribbean: part of a panzootic? Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 6:70-78.