Endangered species Where leatherback turtles meet fisheries

• Published in: Nature Vol. 429; no. 6991; pp. 521 - 522
• Main Authors: Georges, Jean-Yves, Ferraroli, Sandra, Gaspar, Philippe, Maho, Yvon Le
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 03-06-2004
• Subjects: Animal Migration; Animals; Atlantic Ocean; Biodiversity; Conservation of Natural Resources; Conservation of Natural Resources - methods; Dermochelys coriacea; Fisheries; Life Sciences; Marine; Pacific Ocean; Population Dynamics; Populations and Evolution; Swimming; Turtles; Turtles - physiology; Water Movements; Atlantic Ocean; Pacific Ocean; AN, North Atlantic; Animals; Atlantic Ocean; Turtles/physiology; Animal Migration; Fisheries; Pacific Ocean; Swimming; Biodiversity; Water Movements; Conservation of Natural Resources/methods; Population Dynamics
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/429521a

The dramatic worldwide decline in populations of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is largely due to the high mortality associated with their interaction with fisheries, so a reduction of this overlap is critical to their survival. The discovery of narrow migration corridors used by the leatherbacks in the Pacific Ocean raised the possibility of protecting the turtles by restricting fishing in these key areas. Here we use satellite tracking to show that there is no equivalent of these corridors in the North Atlantic Ocean, because the turtles disperse actively over the whole area. But we are able to identify a few 'hot spots' where leatherbacks meet fisheries and where conservation efforts should be focused.