Enhancing the TurtleWatch product for
leatherback sea turtles, a dynamic habitat model for ecosystem-based management published in the January 2015 Fisheries
Oceanography Journal by EVAN A. HOWELL, AIMEE HOOVER, SCOTT R. BENSON, HELEN
BAILEY, JEFFREY J. POLOVINA, JEFFREY A. SEMINOFF5 AND PETER H. DUTTON
Research Description
TurtleWatch is a
project started by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2006
to study loggerhead sea turtles. Methods used include shallow-set longline gear
that limits the rates of interaction between researchers and turtle
populations. Information gathered can then be used to make dynamic management
decisions to reduce the rate of accidently catching sea turtles during fishing
operations. The need for a dynamic approach to managing information on these
species stems from the intrinsically large and ever changing habitat of sea
turtles.
This study
expands the TurtleWatch program to include data on leatherback sea turtles, an
endangered species. TurtleWatch combines information from the fisheries with
bycatch and satellite tracking data to analyze sea surface temperature
relationships that can be used to identify sea turtle hotspots.
This particular
study identified two hotspots that intersected with fishing areas of the
Hawaii-based swordfish fishery. This information can be used to make real-time
management decisions to minimize the risk of accidental interaction with loggerhead
and leaetherback sea turtles.
Enhanced Understanding
Although we have
talked a lot about herps in class, conservation has not been a big issue, as
most of the herps I am familiar with in South Carolina are not endangered. This
article brings up an interesting conundrum when it comes to sea turtle
conservation—unlike many herps that we study sea turtles have a HUGE habitat
that they move throughout. They are in danger from fishing operations and it
has been hard to manage them with older technologies. Sea turtles are some of
the most loveable herps and conservation efforts are a high priority. I also had never thought of how difficult it was to track such a far-reaching species for science.
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| Leatherback sea turtles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherback_sea_turtle |
Why is this work interesting or valuable?
This work is
interesting because leatherback sea turtles are the coolest of all reptiles.
The work is valuable because it expands the idea of conservation to a dynamic
management approach. In order to properly manage sea turtle population and keep
them from coming into unfortunate contact with fisheries it’s important to have
a system in place that can be continuously updated.
Article
can be accessed through The College of Charleston Libraries through this link:
http://nuncio.cofc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.399147710&site=eds-live&scope=site
Howell,
E. A., Hoover, A., Benson, S. R., Bailey, H., Polovina, J. J., Seminoff, J. A.,
& Dutton, P. H. (2015). Enhancing the TurtleWatch product for leatherback
sea turtles, a dynamic habitat model for ecosystem-based management. Fisheries
Oceanography, (1), 57. doi:10.1111/fog.12092/abstract
3 comments:
Great article! How does a 'dynamic' management approach differ from traditional approaches?
Great topic Chelsea! I had never thought about how vast sea turtles’ habitat as a barrier to sea turtle conservation. It is amazing how far science has come and that using satellites can help us find sea turtle hotspots. Based on the hot spots discovered in Hawaii, what are the real-time management decisions being made to minimize the interaction between fishermen and sea turtles? It would take a lot to convince fishermen to change locations when their livelihood is based on fishing in that certain area.
I wondered the same thing, Catey. From looking at the article, it seems that if too many turtles are taken, the entire fishery can be shut down for a time, so there's a very strong incentive for fishers to avoid turtles.
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