A5080336336- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Diatoms and Algae Research
- Marine and fisheries research
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Marine animal studies overview
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
Nelson Mandela University
2015-2024
University of Washington
2024
International Union for Conservation of Nature (United States)
2010-2011
University of Cape Town
2001
Background Resolving threats to widely distributed marine megafauna requires definition of the geographic distributions both as well population unit(s) interest. In turn, because individual can operate on varying spatial scales, their impacts affect different segments a same species. Therefore, integration multiple tools and techniques — including site-based monitoring, genetic analyses, mark-recapture studies telemetry facilitate robust definitions at biological scales address management...
Where conservation resources are limited and targets diverse, robust yet flexible priority-setting frameworks vital. Priority-setting is especially important for geographically widespread species with distinct populations subject to multiple threats that operate on different spatial temporal scales. Marine turtles widely distributed exhibit intra-specific variations in population sizes trends, as well reproduction morphology. However, current global extinction risk assessment do not assess...
Previous genetic studies have demonstrated that natal homing shapes the stock structure of marine turtle nesting populations. However, widespread sharing common haplotypes based on short segments mitochondrial control region often limits resolution demographic connectivity Recent employing longer sequences to resolve haplotype focused regional assessments and phylogeography. Here we synthesize available for loggerhead turtles from Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic, western Indian Ocean basins....
Delineating spatial boundaries that accurately encompass complex, often cryptic, life histories of highly migratory marine megafauna can be a significant conservation challenge. For example, turtles range across vast ocean basins and coastal areas, thus complicating the evaluation relative impacts multiple overlapping threats creation coherent strategies. To address these challenges, spatially explicit ‘regional management units’ (RMUs) were developed in 2010 for all turtle species,...
Abstract Sea turtles are vulnerable to climate change since their reproductive output is influenced by incubating temperatures, with warmer temperatures causing lower hatching success and increased feminization of embryos. Their ability cope projected increases in ambient will depend on capacity adapt shifts climatic regimes. Here, we assessed the extent which phenological could mitigate impacts from (from 1.5 3°C air 1.4 2.3°C sea surface 2100 at our sites) four species turtles, under a...
Abstract Aim Spatially‐explicit trends in species richness and endemism on sandy shores are quantified to assess representation of beach ecosystems existing reserve networks. Also, the relative importance different drivers distributions compared through distribution modelling. Location The South African beaches among best‐studied world, providing sufficient biological data for analyses. There is also a well‐established coastal protected‐area network that putatively provides moderate...
Coastal ecosystems are highly vulnerable to human-mediated drivers of global change because they located at the land–ocean interface and often host centres urbanisation development. The South African coastline comprises several distinct coastal ecoregions that support a wide range (inshore) ecosystems, including rocky, sandy mixed shores, kelp beds, estuaries seagrass communities. A growing body evidence indicates local air sea temperatures, wind patterns, ocean current speed upwelling...
Sea turtles are highly migratory and usually dispersed, but aggregate off beaches during the nesting season, rendering them vulnerable to coastal threats. Consequently, Marine Protection Areas (MPAs) have been used facilitate recovery of turtle populations, effectiveness these programs is uncertain as most operating for less than a single generation (or<20 yr). South Africa, however, hosts one longest running conservation programs, protecting loggerhead (Caretta caretta) leatherback...
The most recent climate change projections show a global increase in temperatures along with precipitation changes throughout the 21(st) century. However, regional do not always match and species distributions may exhibit varying susceptibility to change. Here we effect of local climatic conditions on hatchling output leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) at four nesting sites encompassing Pacific, Atlantic Indian Oceans. We found heterogeneous climate. Hatchling increased long-term...
The macro-epibiotic communities of sea turtles have been subject to growing interest in recent years, yet their micro-epibiotic counterparts are almost entirely unknown. Here, we provide the first evidence that diatoms epibionts for all seven extant species turtle. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy, inspected superficial carapace or skin samples from a single representative each turtle species. We distinguished 18 diatom taxa these individuals, with hosting at least two taxa. recommend...
Summary Scenario planning can be useful to guide decision‐making under uncertainty. While systematic conservation create protected‐area networks for multiple and complex reserve–design scenarios, planners rarely compare different reserve explicitly, or quantify trade‐offs among scenarios. We demonstrate the use of multivariate statistics traditionally applied in community ecology reserves designed using beaches South Africa as an example. Twelve scenarios were run Marxan a hierarchical...
Previous studies have shown that the world's largest reptile - leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea conducts flexible foraging migrations can cover thousands of kilometres between nesting sites and distant areas. The vast distances may be travelled by migrating turtles greatly complicated conservation efforts for this species worldwide. However, we demonstrate, using a combination satellite telemetry stable isotope analysis, approximately half leatherbacks from an important rookery in...