Éditeur(s) : Springer
Résumé : We investigated the habitat use in green turtles exploiting a 13-ha multispecific seagrass meadow at Mayotte Island, south-western Indian Ocean. A phytoecological survey shows the occurrence of eight seagrass species, dominated by Halodule uninervis and Syringodium isoetifolium, distributed according to four distinct seagrass communities along the depth gradient. Direct underwater censuses show that green turtles occurred all over the meadow. Yet when community relative surface area was taken into account green turtles preferentially frequented the most seaward, biomass-richer S. isoetifolium-dominated community, suggesting that green turtles compensate for their intrinsically nutrient-poor herbivorous diet. Additionally, smaller (80 cm standard curved carapace length, SCCL) individuals also preferentially occurred in the most shoreward H. univervis-dominated community where no larger ([80 cm SCCL) individuals were sighted, suggesting habitat use is indicative of diet selection and may reflect size-specific food requirements and physiology.
Marine Biology (0025-3162) (Springer), 2010-12 , Vol. 157 , N. 12 , P. 2581-2590

Droits : 2010 Springer
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00018/12918/10201.pdf
DOI:10.1007/s00227-010-1520-7
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00018/12918/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Sharks International
Durban, South Africa

hal-01487162
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01487162

Éditeur(s) : EDP Sciences
Résumé : Monitoring the abundance of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) is necessary to assess population trends and risks of collapse. This note presents a study aimed at comparing three techniques for the direct estimation of green turtle numbers in their foraging habitats (seagrass beds and reef flats). The experiment was carried out at Mayotte Island, Western Indian Ocean. The techniques involved were surveys by snorkel, and aerial surveys using a microlight aircraft and a paramotor. Each technique had shortcomings and advantages. While each technique provided estimations of turtle numbers only surveys by snorkel permitted identification of species and sex, whenever visibility and turtle behaviour permitted. Along the shorelines, and over foraging areas, the paramotor was found to be most suitable for direct estimations of turtle numbers. The major advantage of this technique lied in its capability to obtain a synoptic snapshot of turtle distribution over foraging areas. Linear surveys from a microlight aircraft are better suited to monitor foraging areas located further away from the shore.
Le suivi de l'abondance de tortues vertes (Chelonia mydas) est nécessaire pour évaluer l'évolution et éventuellement, le risque d'extinction des populations. L'objectif de cette expérience est de comparer trois techniques d'observation permettant l'évaluation directe de l'abondance totale de tortues vertes sur les aires d'alimentation (herbiers et platiers récifaux). L'étude a été conduite à l'île de Mayotte (ouest de l'océan Indien). Les techniques testées sont le comptage sous-marin et les comptages aériens à partir d'un ultra léger motorisé (ULM) et d'un paramoteur. Les limites de chaque technique utilisée ont été mises en évidence. L'abondance totale des tortues a été estimée par les trois techniques. Seuls, les comptages sous-marins ont permis de préciser des caractéristiques biologiques tels que l'espèce et le sexe, lorsque les conditions de visibilité et le comportement des tortues le permettaient. Le paramoteur paraît le plus adapté pour une estimation directe de l'abondance sur les aires d'alimentation situées à proximité immédiate de la côte. Cette technique permet de disposer d'un état de la répartition des tortues sur les aires d'alimentation à un moment donné. Pour les zones d'alimentation plus éloignées de la côte, l'usage de l'ULM est nécessaire pour réaliser les comptages à partir de transects linéaires.
Aquatic Living Resources (0990-7440) (EDP Sciences), 2005-04 , Vol. 18 , N. 2 , P. 193-198

Droits : EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2005
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2005/publication-432.pdf
DOI:10.1051/alr:2005021
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/432/

Résumé : Bycatch of marine turtles, vulnerable or endangered species, is a growing issue of all fisheries, including Oceanic purse-seine fishery. The present paper seeks to assess marine turtle bycatch at a spatial and temporal level in the European purse seine fishery operating in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The study was based on data collected through French and Spanish observer programs from 1995 to 2011, a period where more than 230 000 fishing sets were realized by the UE fleets in both Oceans. A total of 15 913 fishing sets were observed, including 6 515 on drifting Fish Aggregate Devices (FAD) and 9 398 on Free Swimming Schools (FSC). Over the study period, 597 turtles were caught, 86% being released alive at sea. At the same time, from 2003 to 2011, 14 124 specific observations were carried out on floating objects whether they ended in a set or not. 354 marine turtles were observed upon which 80% were already free or entangled alive and therefore released alive. At the temporal and spatial level, data were organized and analysed by Ocean, fishing mode (FAD vs. FSC) as well as by year, quarter and statistical square of 1°. In order to evaluate the impact if this fishery in both Oceans, bycatch distribution was compared to the total fishing effort of the UE fleet, as well as to the known marine turtle post nesting migration routes, nesting population abundances and known feeding areas. The species composition, the size and sex structure of bycatch are also discussed here. At last, an attempt to raise the data to the total fishing effort was carried out. Based on observation of marine turtle by-catches on sets, we estimated that, globally, 3500 marine turtles were accidentally captured by the EU-PS fleet in the Atlantic Ocean from 1995 to 2010, and around 2000 in the Indian Ocean from 2003 to 2010, with a corresponding annual bycatch rate of 218 (SD=150; survival rate =91%) and 250 (SD=157; survival rate =77%) respectively in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. However, because of important uncertainties mainly due to the low observation coverage and the scarcity of marine turtle bycatch events, it was impossible to produce solid and reliable global estimates of marine turtle bycatch and mortality due to PS activity.

Droits : 2012 IOTC
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00149/25991/24087.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00149/25991/

Éditeur(s) : Inter-Research
Résumé : Situated in the north of the Mozambique Channel, Mayotte is the easternmost island of the Comoros Archipelago. From 1998 to 2005, Grande Saziley beach was monitored daily for green turtle Chelonia mydas nesting activity. Track surveys were monitored daily on 5 other adjacent beaches. Although nesting occurs throughout the year, nesting seasonality begins at the end of the wet season and intensifies during the dry season to reach an average nesting peak in June. In order to estimate the number of females nesting in the Saziley site and population trends over the study period, incubation success and number of nests per female and per season were estimated at 0.77 (±0.05 SD) and 3.03 (±0.37) respectively. With an average of 1545 nesting turtles per year (±439), the change in nesting numbers over the study period was so small that the population can be regarded as stable, with an estimated annual mean growth rate of 0.912, confirmation that this population is both stable and in good health. Added support for this argument is demonstrated by the fact that the annual carapace size distribution of nesting females is stable, meaning that the nesting green turtle population of Mayotte is not ageing or rejuvenating. After due consideration of data on other nesting sites in the southwest Indian Ocean, the data from Mayotte emphasizes the fact that the green turtle is not an endangered species in this region. Even if it is still illegally exploited and alterations occur in their different habitats, the green turtle populations of this region seem to have successfully survived all threats during the past century.
Endangered Species Research (1613-4796) (Inter-Research), 2007-10-10 , Vol. 3 , P. 273-282

Droits : 2007 Inter-Research
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00018/12916/9873.pdf
DOI:10.3354/esr00053
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00018/12916/

Éditeur(s) : Inter-Research
Résumé : The green turtle Chelonia mydas is classified as endangered because of global declines over the past few centuries due to human exploitation and habitat destruction, particularly the loss of nesting areas. We used the number of tracks as an indicator of breeding female abundance at their nesting sites to study the seasonality and trends of turtles breeding at 3 islands in the SW Indian Ocean: Europa, Tromelin and Grande Glorieuse, over 20 yr. On Tromelin, tracks were counted along the entire nesting beach, but on Europa and Grande Glorieuse counts were limited to a proportion of the island. Europa and Tromelin exhibited similar seasonal patterns, with a well-defined peak during the wet season (November–February), compared to a dry season peak for Grande Glorieuse (March–June). The main season was significantly longer on Grande Glorieuse (288 ± 43 d) than on Europa (218 ± 60 d), with Tromelin intermediate (252 ± 43 d). There was greater variation in the start of a season compared to the median and end at all sites throughout the study. Approximately 7178 ± 3053 (n = 19) tracks were recorded annually on the entire nesting beach on Tromelin, compared with 1480 ± 666 (n = 19) on 16% of nesting beaches on Grande Glorieuse and 1361 ± 903 (n = 23) on 26% of beaches on Europa. The number of tracks has increased significantly on Europa (3% yr–1) and Grande Glorieuse (6% yr–1). The increasing number of nesting turtles illustrates the effectiveness of conservation measures on sites formerly exploited by humans.
Endangered Species Research (1613-4796) (Inter-Research), 2007-08-15 , Vol. 3 , P. 217-227

Droits : 2007 Inter-Research
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00018/12917/9874.pdf
DOI:10.3354/esr003217
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00018/12917/

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : The ability of captive-reared turtles to survive in the wild is not precisely known, nor are movements of immature turtles in the open ocean. To provide information on these issues, a satellite tracking experiment was conducted in the western Indian Ocean to monitor oceanic movements of immature green turtles. Two wild turtles and four captive-reared individuals were tracked. The latter had been displaced after birth from nesting sites to a distant rearing site. Wild turtles survived after release, but did not move far away from release site. We hypothesize that this resident behaviour may be explained by stage-specific habitat requirements. Captive-reared turtles survived after release and migrated over thousands of kilometres. Among these, the oldest immature turtles retrieved the foraging sites of their native population, with movement patterns similar to those displayed by adults. Observed movements may be linked to hydrographic conditions such as general oceanic circulation, sea temperature and thermal fronts. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS and Ifremer/IRD/Inra/Cemagref. All rights reserved.
Aquatic Living Resources (0990-7440) (Elsevier), 2003 , Vol. 16 , N. 1 , P. 35-41

Droits : 2003 Ifremer/IRD/Inra/Cemagref. Published by Elsevier, Paris
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2003/publication-573.pdf
DOI:10.1016/S0990-7440(03)00005-6
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/573/

Éditeur(s) : Public Library Science
Résumé : Changes in phenology, the timing of seasonal activities, are among the most frequently observed responses to environmental disturbances and in marine species are known to occur in response to climate changes that directly affects ocean temperature, biogeochemical composition and sea level. We examined nesting seasonality data from long-term studies at 8 green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookeries that include 21 specific nesting sites in the South-West Indian Ocean (SWIO). We demonstrated that temperature drives patterns of nesting seasonality at the regional scale. We found a significant correlation between mean annual Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and dates of peak nesting with rookeries exposed to higher SST having a delayed nesting peak. This supports the hypothesis that temperature is the main factor determining peak nesting dates. We also demonstrated a spatial synchrony in nesting activity amongst multiple rookeries in the northern part of the SWIO (Aldabra, Glorieuses, Mohéli, Mayotte) but not with the eastern and southern rookeries (Europa, Tromelin), differences which could be attributed to females with sharply different adult foraging conditions. However, we did not detect a temporal trend in the nesting peak date over the study period or an inter-annual relation between nesting peak date and SST. The findings of our study provide a better understanding of the processes that drive marine species phenology. The findings will also help to predict their ability to cope with climate change and other environmental perturbations. Despite demonstrating this spatial shift in nesting phenology, no trend in the alteration of nesting dates over more than 20 years was found.
Plos One (1932-6203) (Public Library Science), 2012-10 , Vol. 7 , N. 10 , P. 1-13

Droits : 2012 Dalleau et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00098/20940/18558.pdf
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0046920
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00098/20940/

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier Sci Ltd
Résumé : Bycatch of endangered marine turtles is a growing issue for the management of all fisheries, including the oceanic purse-seine fishery. The aim of this study was to assess the spatial and temporal variation in bycatch rates of these species in the entire European purse-seine fishery operating in the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The study was based on data collected through observer programs from 1995 to 2011. During that period, a total of 15 913 fishing sets were observed, including 6 515 on Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (DFADs) and 9 398 on free swimming schools, representing a global coverage of 10.3% and 5.1% of the total fishing activity in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, respectively. Moreover, from 2003 to 2011, 14 124 specific observations were carried out on DFADs to check turtle entanglement in the net covering DFADs. We found that the purse-seine fishery has a very low impact on marine turtles. We estimated that the annual number of individuals incidentally captured was 218 (SD = 150) and 250 (SD = 157) in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, respectively, with more than 75% being released alive. The present study also investigated the impact of DFADs; which is considered a key conservation issue for this fishery. Drifting objects may play a key role in aggregating juveniles of marine turtles, implying the need for improving their construction to avoid entanglement (e.g. avoiding nets in the structure); however, based on our study it is not the main source of incidental captures of marine turtles in this fishery.
Biological Conservation (0006-3207) (Elsevier Sci Ltd), 2014-10 , Vol. 178 , P. 74-87

Droits : 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00206/31760/30632.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2014.06.020
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00206/31760/