Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T13:22:00.841Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Nesting ecology and reproductive biology of the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, at Kish Island, Persian Gulf

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2015

M. Askari Hesni ,
M. Tabib  and
A. Hadi Ramaki
M. Askari Hesni*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
M. Tabib
Affiliation:
Department of Environment, Kish Free Zone Organization, Kish, Iran
A. Hadi Ramaki
Affiliation:
Department of Environment, Kish Free Zone Organization, Kish, Iran
*
Correspondence should be addressed to:M. Askari Hesni, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The ecology and reproductive biology of the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata were studied in Kish Island, Persian Gulf. The studied parameters include: environmental factors such as air temperature and humidity, soil types in different habitats during the breeding season; parameters related to the females' body and hatchlings biometrics i.e. weight, curved carapace length (CCL), straight carapace length (SCL), curved carapace width (CCW) and straight carapace width (SCW); and parameters related to reproductive biology, i.e. breeding time during diurnal, total eggs laid, the numbers of normal and abnormal eggs, weight and diameter of the eggs, incubation period and hatching success (HS). The temperature, humidity and soil size in different nest sites were 18.5–31°C, 70 to 88% and 0.063 to 4 mm, respectively. Means of weight, CCL, SCL, CCW and SCW of the females were 39.8 kg, 71.6, 65.1, 65.2 and 51.8 cm, respectively. The average of total egg numbers, normal and abnormal eggs by each individual female were 92.9, 75.2 and 17.7 respectively. Diameter and weight of every egg measured 38.4 mm and 33.6 g. Average of incubation period and HS were 60.9 days and 75.8%. According to the positive and significant correlation between CCL and CCW with weight took exponential regression models.

Keywords

Eretmochelys imbricatamarine turtlesnesting factorsreproductive biology
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 96 , Issue 7 , November 2016 , pp. 1373 - 1378
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Al-Ghais, M.S. (2006) Conservation and management needs of two turtle species of the Persian Gulf. 23th International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 17–21 March 2006, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 283 pp.Google Scholar
Beggs, J.A., Horrocks, J.A. and Krueger, B.H. (2007) Increase in hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata nesting in Barbados, West Indies. Endangered Species Research 3, 159–168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bjorndal, K.A., Carr, A., Meylan, A.B. and Mortimer, J.A. (1985) Reproductive biology of the hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, with notes on the ecology of the species in the Caribbean. Biological Conservation 34, 353–368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowen, B.W. and Karl, S.A. (2007) Population genetics and phylogeography of sea turtles. Molecular Ecology 16, 4886–4907.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chaloupka, M.Y. and Musick, J.A. (1997) Age, growth and population dynamics. In Lutz, P.L. and Musick, J.A. (eds) The biology of sea turtles. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Marine Science Series, CRC Press Inc., pp. 233–276.Google Scholar
Chan, E.H. and Liew, H.C. (1999) Hawksbill turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, nesting on Redang Island, Terengganu, Malaysia, from 1993 to 1997. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3, 326–329.Google Scholar
Dehghani, H., Keshavarz, M., Kamrani, E., Mehvari, A. and Asadi, M. (2012) Study on nesting biology considerations of hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Linnaeus, 1766 in the Hormoz Island, Persian Gulf. Journal of Oceanography 3, 1–8. [In Farsi, English Abstract.]Google Scholar
Dobbs, K.A., Miller, J.D., Limpus, C.J. and Landry, J.R. (1999) Hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, nesting at Milman Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3, 344–361.Google Scholar
Eckert, K.L., Bjorndal, K.A., AbreuGrobois, F.A. and Donnelly, M. (eds) (1999) Research and management techniques for the conservation of sea turtles. Washington, DC: IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group Publication, No. 4.Google Scholar
Fischer, W. and Bianchi, G. (1984) FAO species 1984 identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean (Fishing Area 51). Prepared and printed with the support of the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization, Vol. 5, 7 pp.Google Scholar
Frazer, J. (1986) Observation of sea turtles in Aldobra. Philosophical Royal Society of London Biological Sciences 260, 273.Google Scholar
Garduno-Andrade, M. (1999) Nesting of the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, in Rio Lagartos, Yucatan, Mexico, 1990–1997. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3, 281–285.Google Scholar
Garnett, M.C. (1978) The breeding biology of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) on Cousin Island, Seychelles. London: ICBP.Google Scholar
Glen, F., Broderick, A.C. and Hays, G.C. (2003) Incubation environment affects phenotype of naturally incubated green turtle hatchings. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 83, 1183–1186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hays, G.C. (2001) Implications of adult's morphology for clutch size in the flatback turtle (Natator depressa). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 81, 1063–1064.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hays, G.C., Adams, G. and Speakman, J.R. (1993) Reproductive investment by green turtles nesting on Ascension Island. Canadian Journal of Zoology 71, 1098–1103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henderson, A.C. and Nash, M. (2013) Confirmation of recent hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata nesting activity on South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands. Marine Biodiversity Records 6, 1–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillis, Z.M. (1990) Buck Island Reef National Monument Sea Turtle Research Program. In Richardson, T.H., Richardson, J.I. and Donnelly, M. (eds) Proceedings of the 10th annual workshop on sea turtle biology and conservation, Hilton Head, SC. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC-278, pp. 15–20.Google Scholar
Hitchins, P.M., Bourquin, O. and Piper, S.E. (2004) Biometric data on hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting at Cousin Island, Seychelles. Journal of Zoology 264, 371–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horrocks, J.A. and Scott, N.M. (1991) Nest site location and nest success in the Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), in Barbados, West Indies. Marine Ecological Progress Series 69, 1–8 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IUCN (2015) The IUCN red list of threatened species. Version 2014.3. http:// www.iucnredlist.org (Downloaded 06 January 2015).Google Scholar
Kamel, S.J. and Delcroix, E. (2009) Nesting ecology of the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, in Guadeloupe, French West Indies from 2000–07. Journal of Herpetology 43, 367–376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kinunen, W. and Walczak, P.S. (1971) Persian Gulf sea turtle nesting surveys. Job Completion Report, Division of Research Development, F-7-50.Google Scholar
Liles, M.J., Jandres, M.V., Lopez, W.A., Mariona, G.I., Hasbun, C.R. and Seminoff, J.A. (2011) Hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata in El Salvador nesting distribution and mortality at the largest remaining nesting aggregation in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Endangered Species Research 14, 23–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loghmani, M., Savari, A., Mobaraki, A. and Sadegi, P. (2011) Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting in Hormoz Island coasts. Iranian Journal of Biology 23, 884–892. [In Farsi, English Abstract.]Google Scholar
Marcovaldi, M.A. and Laurent, A. (1996) A six season study of marine turtle nesting at Praia do forte Bahaia, Brazil, with implications for conservation and management. Chelonian Conservation Biology 2, 55–59.Google Scholar
Marquez, M.R. (1990) FAO species catalogue. Vol. 11: Sea turtles of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of sea turtle species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization, 81 pp.Google Scholar
McIntosh, I., Goodman, K. and Parrish-Ballentine, A. (2003) Tagging and nesting research on hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) at Jumby Bay, Long Island, Antigua, and West Indies . Athens, GA: Annual Report, Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia.Google Scholar
Mobaraki, A. (2004) Nesting of the hawksbill turtle at Shidvar Island, Hormozgan Province, Iran. Marine Turtle Newsletter 103, 13–14.Google Scholar
Mobaraki, A. and Elmi, A.M. (2005) First sea turtle tagging program in Iran. Marine Turtle Newsletter 110, 6–7.Google Scholar
Moghimi, M. (2001) Conservation of sea turtle habitats and population in Iranian coastal areas. Final Thesis of Master of Sciencein Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Management, the Netherlands, 79 pp.Google Scholar
Moghimi, M., Naghash, H., Ale-Khorshid, M.R., Choy, R.S. and Ghasemi, S. (2009) Study on the habitats and biometrical parameters of the sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the coastal wetlands of Persian Gulf, Nakhielo Island, Bushehr Province. Journal of Wetland Ecobiology 2, 14–25. [In Farsi, English Abstract.]Google Scholar
Moncada, F. and Nodarse, G. (1994) Length composition and size of sexual maturation of Hawksbill turtle in the Cuba platform. In Study of the hawksbill turtle in Cuba (I). Havana: Ministry of fishing Industries, pp. 19–25.Google Scholar
Mortimer, J.A. (2007) Factors influencing beach selection by nesting sea turtles. In Bjorndal, K.A. (ed.) Biology and conservation of sea turtles. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 45–51.Google Scholar
Pilcher, N.J., Antonopoulou, M., Perry, L., Abdel-Moati, M.A., Al Abdessalaam, T.Z., Albeldawi, M., Al Ansi, M., Al-Mohannadi, S.F., Al Zahlawi, N., Baldwin, R., Chikhi, A., Das, H.S., Hamza, S., Kerr, O.J., Al Kiyumi, A., Mobaraki, A., Al Suwaidi, H.S., Al Suweidi, A.S., Sawaf, M., Tourenq, C., Williams, J. and Willson, A. (2014a) Identification of Important Sea Turtle Areas (ITAs) for hawksbill turtles in the Arabian Region. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 460, 89–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pilcher, N.J., Perry, L., Antonopoulou, M., Abdel-Moati, M.A., Al Abdessalaam, T.Z., Albeldawi, M., Al Ansi, M., Al-Mohannadi, S.F., Baldwin, R., Chikhi, A., Das, H.S., Hamza, S., Kerr, O.J., Al Kiyumi, A., Mobaraki, A., Al Suwaidi, H.S., Al Suwaidi, A.S., Sawaf, M., Tourenq, C., Williams, J. and Willson, A. (2014b) Short-term behavioural responses to thermal stress by hawksbill turtles in the Arabian region. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 457, 190–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prichard, P.C.H. (1997) Evolution, phylogeny and current status of sea turtles. Marine Biology 78, 53–64.Google Scholar
Redford, D. and Cannon, A.C. (1996) Diving behavior of immature hawksbills, Eretmochelys imbricata, in a Caribbean cliff-well habitat. Oceanographic Literature Review 44, 1168–1170.Google Scholar
Ross, J.P. (1981) Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Sultanate of Oman. Biological Conservation 19, 99–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saeedpour, B., Savari, A. and Ahmadi, M.R. (2003) The investigation of sea of biological aspects of sea turtles in Hormoz and Hengam Islands. Journal of Pajouhesh and Sazandegi 16, 76–80. [In Farsi, English Abstract.]Google Scholar
Shanker, K., Pandav, B. and Andrews, H.V. (2003) Sea turtle conservation research and management techniques. Tamil Nadu: A GOI-UNDP Project Manual, Centre for Herpetology, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust.Google Scholar
Tabib, M., Frootan, F. and Askari Hesni, M. (2014) Genetic diversity and phylogeography of hawksbill turtle in the Persian Gulf. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences 4, 51–57.Google Scholar
Tabib, M., Zolgharnein, H., Mohammadi, M., Salari-Aliabadi, M.A., Qasemi, A., Roshani, S., Rajabi-Maham, H. and Frootan, F. (2011) mtDNA variation of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting on Iranian islands of the Persian Gulf. Genetics and Molecular Research 10, 1499–1503.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tayab, M.R. and Quiton, P. (2003) Marine turtle conservation at Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. Marine Turtle Newsletter 99, 14–16.Google Scholar
U. A. E. Fish & Wildlife (2001) Endangered species program; sea turtles. Abu Dhabi: Environment Agency, United Arab Emirates.Google Scholar
Valavi, H. (1993) Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting in Mond Protected Islands. Environmental Journal 25, 2–8. [In Farsi, English Abstract.]Google Scholar
Van Dam, R.P., Diez, C.E., Balazs, G.H., Colon, L.A., McMillan, W.O. and Schroeder, B. (2008) Sex-specific migration patterns of hawksbill turtles breeding at Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Endangered Species Research 4, 85–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weber, S.B., Weber, N., Godley, B.J., Pelembe, T., Stroud, S., Williams, N. and Broderick, A.C. (2014) Ascension Island as a mid-Atlantic developmental habitat for juvenile hawksbill turtles. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 10, 1–8.Google Scholar
Wood, D.W. and Bjorndal, K.A. (2001) Relation temperature, moisture, salting and slope to nest site selection in loggerhead sea turtles. Copeia 16, 119–128.Google Scholar
Zare, R., Nabavi, S.M., Fadakar, S. and Eftekhar-Vaghefi, M. (2009) Nesting activity of the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) at Shidvar Island, Hormozgan Province. Journal of Animal Biology 1, 47–54. [In Farsi, English Abstract.]Google Scholar
Zolgharnein, H., Salari-Aliabadi, M.A., Forougmand, A.M. and Roshani, S. (2011) Genetic population structure of hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricta) using microsatellite analysis. Iranian Journal of Biotechnology 9, 56–62.Google Scholar