Nesting phenologies of two sympatric sea turtle species related to sea surface temperatures

摘要: As ectotherms, sea turtles are particularly sensitive to ambient temperature. Because of their charismatic megafauna and imperiled status, there is considerable interest as how species in this taxon have responded recent ocean warming may respond predicted trends. The fact that they wide-ranging evolutionarily ancient organisms suggests marine tur- tles withstood changing climatic conditions the past. To test if thermal cues relate dynamic nesting behaviours loggerheads Caretta caretta green Chelonia mydas, we examined 20 yr (1989-2008) data sets beach monitoring surveys satellite-derived surface temperature (SST) from an important site east central Florida, USA, adjacent Atlantic waters, respectively. For both species, median dates became significantly earlier with higher May SSTs. However, standard deviation nest distributions, used analog for sea- son length, decreased and, contrast, increased a aver- age daily SST. This differential response between reflect changes reproductive physiology (e.g. internesting interval times clutch numbers) could bearing on future population dynamics 2 species.