Movements of marine and estuarine turtles during Hurricane Michael
Scientific Reports
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Abstract
Natural disturbances are an important driver of population dynamics. Because it is difficult to observe wildlife during these events, our understanding of the strategies that species use to survive these disturbances is limited. On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall on Florida’s northwest coast. Using satellite and acoustic telemetry, we documented movements of 6 individual turtles: one loggerhead sea turtle, one Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, three green sea turtles and one diamondback terrapin, in a coastal bay located less than 30 km from hurricane landfall. Post-storm survival was confirmed for all but the Kemp’s ridley; the final condition of that individual remains unknown. No obvious movements were observed for the remaining turtles however the loggerhead used a larger home range in the week after the storm. This study highlights the resiliency of turtles in response to extreme weather conditions. However, long-term impacts to these species from habitat changes post-hurricane are unknown.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Movements of marine and estuarine turtles during Hurricane Michael |
| Series title | Scientific Reports |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41598-021-81234-3 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Year Published | 2021 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| Contributing office(s) | Wetland and Aquatic Research Center |
| Description | 1577, 11 p. |
| First page | 1 |
| Last page | 11 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| Other Geospatial | Gulf of Mexico |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |