Final Project BIO 330

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Nicole Liggiero Final Project BIO 330 October 12, 2023

For my research paper, I am exploring the endangered species Harpia harpyja or Kemp’s ridley turtle. The smallest and most seriously endangered species of marine turtle is the Kemp's ridley. Adults are barely 70–100 pounds long and 2 feet long. Kemp's ridley sea turtles can be found in the Gulf of Mexico's nearshore seas, bays, and passes in Texas. They primarily eat crabs but also occasionally eat fish, sea jellies, and mollusks ( Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles , n.d.). The first secondary article I have found explains a plan to boost nesting at Padre Island National Seashore and establish a secondary nesting colony of this species there as a preventative measure against extinction. The Padre Island National Seashore is home to more Kemp's ridley nests than any other location in the United States, even though its primary breeding beach is in Mexico ( Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles , n.d.). The continuous growth of a secondary nesting colony would be ideal at Padre Island National Seashore, the nation's longest undeveloped barrier island beach. The most well-liked interpretive event held at the park, Padre Island National Seashore hosts 20 to 25 public releases of Kemp's ridley hatchlings every year. Each release attracts hundreds to more than 1,000 spectators ( Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles , n.d.). The second article I have found is Kemps Ridley Turtle, The article goes on to explain The species is named in honor of Key West, Florida, fisherman Richard M. Kemp, who submitted the specimen for diagnosis in 1906. Although they are mostly found in the Gulf of Mexico, juveniles can occasionally be discovered in the eastern North Atlantic and the Atlantic Ocean as far north as Nova Scotia (Fisheries, 2021). Tens of thousands of females used to nest at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, and there used to be an abundance of Kemp's ridley in the Gulf of Mexico. Several hundred females were the only ones nesting in the 1980s after the population plummeted in the middle of the twentieth century (Fisheries, 2021).

The first primary article I found on the Kemps ridley turtle explains a quantitative study. The Kemp's ridley sea turtle's historic nesting rates are being quantitatively evaluated in this study (Bevan et al., 2016). The findings of the current study show that Kemp's ridley population decreased by 99.4% from an estimated 121 517 nests per season in 1947 to 702 nests per season in 1985 (the lowest point in the fall of Kemp's ridley nesting). Although Kemp's ridley population has been increasing since the 1985 season, it has recently started to decrease and strayed from its exponential growth pattern (Bevan et al., 2016). 9.9% of the estimated total number of nests that were there in 1947 represents the current level of nesting, which is still quite low. Given current nesting patterns and several factors that can prevent this population's recovery, it is now unclear whether it will reach historic levels (Bevan et al., 2016). The second primary article I have found is Kemp's Ridley Riddle: A Look at Conserving the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Breiling, et al). Even though significant conservation efforts have been made to safeguard this feeble animal, Kemp's Ridley sea turtle is now considered to be severely endangered. The species is in a struggle for survival with several predators, including fishing gear, people, shorebirds, sharks, and feral hogs. In addition to seriously harming the population, pollution and climate change are still preventing species recovery (Breiling, et al). The third primary article I found focuses on the critically endangered status of Kemp's ridley sea turtles that have been established (Jones, 2022). Research that promotes the longevity and preservation of these species is therefore extremely valuable. Sea turtles can be found in carefully controlled environments including zoos, aquariums, and rehabilitation facilities. Better conservation methods may be put into place by the careful analysis of diets and nutrient characteristics in these regulated scenarios. Understanding typical blood fatty acid profiles within species is important for evaluating the efficacy of managed animals' diets since they may serve

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as markers for nutrient status, immunological function, and reproductive health. Blood spot card fatty acid profiles are a very new method of investigation, hence there is little prior study on the nutrition of wild and domesticated animals using this method (Jones, 2022). The fourth primary article I researched is called Network Analysis of Sea Turtle Movements and Connectivity: A Tool for Conservation Prioritization. The structure and functional connections of the sea turtles in our sample were discovered by network analysis at various scales (Kot, et al., 2022). The coordination of management techniques for widely dispersed animals across their geographic range may be aided by these network properties. The majority of networks featured complex architecture, which can increase robustness but may be more challenging to handle changes than simpler forms (Kot, et al., 2022). If area-based conservation efforts were focused on regions where proximity dominates network function, sea turtle populations would benefit. Network vulnerability would be reduced if links with high betweenness were encouraged to be connected to the ocean (Kot, et al., 2022). All sea turtles, including Kemp's ridleys, are marine reptiles and must surface to breathe. Sea turtles that have reached adulthood come ashore to lay their eggs in the sand. These navigators frequently go back to the same beach where they first emerged decades ago (Fisheries, 2021). One of the two sea turtle species, the Kemp's ridley, engages in "arribada" nesting, in which numerous females congregate offshore before descending simultaneously to the beach to lay their eggs (Fisheries, 2021). A defense against predators or a result of environmental conditions influencing nesting, big flocks of birds may nest together. The enormous number of hatchlings entering the ocean may serve to overwhelm predators and ensure that more hatchlings make it to open water to reduce predation because many turtles come ashore together and many nests subsequently hatch at the same time (Fisheries, 2021).

Hatchlings enter the ocean and swim quickly offshore after leaving the nest. Others may be swept by the Gulf Stream out of the Gulf, through Florida, and into the Atlantic Ocean (Fisheries, 2021). Some hatchlings remain in Gulf of Mexico currents. Young Kemp's ridleys make a connection with the floating Sargassum algae and use it as a shelter, a place to rest, and a source of plants and small animals for food. The turtle drifts through its developmental stage for one to two years, or until it reaches a length of about 8 inches (Fisheries, 2021). Kemp's ridleys migrate to nearshore regions of the Gulf of Mexico or northwest Atlantic Ocean following this oceanic phase. Crabs are their main meal after migrating to shallow coastal areas, also enjoy bycatch (Fisheries, 2021). The only sea turtle with a virtually round top shell is the Kemp's ridley turtle ( Kemp’s ridley sea turtle ). Kemp's ridleys are the only marine turtles that nest mostly during the daymarine turtles that nest mostly during the day are Kemp's ridleys. This tactic may make it more difficult for nocturnal predators, such as raccoons, to locate their eggs using their scent or traces ( Kemp’s ridley sea turtles ). According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the temperature at which the egg develops determines the gender of each young turtle; warmer temperatures result in females and lower temperatures in males. Despite sharing a nest and incubation, hatchlings from one nest rarely have the same gender ( Kemp’s ridley sea turtles ). In a typical nest, the metabolic heat produced by the surrounding eggs causes the eggs in the middle of the clutch to be warmer than the eggs at the outer edges. Hatchlings from eggs in the middle are more likely to be female, whereas male hatchlings are more likely to come from eggs on the margins. The numerous hazards Kemps Ridley turtles face on land and at sea have endangered Kemp's ridley turtles (Oceana, 2023). Bycatch, egg harvesting, climate change, and unintentional

capture in fishing gear are the main risks to the survival of Kemp's ridley turtles. Since egg collecting has historically been a concern for this species, Mexico's 1966 protection of nesting beaches allowed for small improvements in arribada size (Oceana, 2023). Up to 55,000 loggerheads and Kemp's ridley turtles were killed annually in shrimp trawls in the 1990s (Oceana, 2023). In order to address these threats through legal action and societal changes, we will need to collaborate with partners to guarantee commitment to legislation protecting sea turtles at the federal, state, and U.S. territory levels. Collaborating with international partners to put conservation measures into action and create agreements, such as worldwide sea turtle protection treaties (Fisheries, 2021). Employing large circle hooks in longline fisheries, designing and implementing adjustments to fishing gear practices, and putting temporal or geographical closures in place to prevent or reduce bycatch are all examples of gear modifications. Protecting and keeping an eye on Kemp's ridleys in the ocean and on beaches where they nest. Establishing conservation strategies that lessen threats and support recovery after researching threats. (Fisheries, 2021). These steps have been proven in the field to help the conservation of the Kemps Ridley turtle. Populations are being observed through aerial or marine surveys, genetic research, mark- recapture (flipper tagging) studies, satellite monitoring, and nesting beach studies (Fisheries, 2021). Understanding demographics, physiology, habitat use, and resource requirements through research on foraging and reproduction (Fisheries, 2021). Tracking people over time to learn crucial details about their life history, such as development and age at maturity. Analyzing life cycle and population health data from databases on stranding and bycatch in fisheries. Recognizing the effects of changing environmental and oceanic circumstances on the population,

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distribution, and abundance of sea turtles (Fisheries, 2021). All of these described can be seen as steps people can take to help this conservation effort. Gathering data on the biology and ecology of the species to better guide conservation management measures and gauge the recovery's success. Conducting and assisting in public education and outreach initiatives by spreading knowledge about risks to sea turtles, emphasizing the value of sea turtle conservation, and outlining ways that people may assist sea turtles (Fisheries, 2021). The decline of the Kemps Ridley turtle in the late 1980s has reversed tanks to different requirements meant for fishermen and boats. The introduction of turtle excluder devices by commercial shrimpers has been a game changer in the protection and recovery of Kemp's ridley and other sea turtle species in the Gulf of Mexico, even if mortality from commercial and recreational fisheries remains a threat ( Saving the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle , 2023). The smallest and most vulnerable species of marine turtle in the world is the Kemps ridley. Due to their limited habitat, they are threatened by things like fishing, pollution, climate change, and habitat loss. Human needs, on the other hand, serve as the motivation for people's behaviors and conduct. These include physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization, among others. They can also be categorized into distinct groups. Tens of thousands of females used to nest at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, and there used to be an abundance of Kemp's ridley in the Gulf of Mexico (Fisheries, 2021). By the middle of the 20th century, the population had plummeted, and by the 1980s, there were only a few hundred females nesting. On nesting beaches and through fisheries management, intensive conservation efforts were carried out (Fisheries, 2021). The major danger to Kemp's ridley sea turtles

continues to be bycatch in commercial and recreational fishing gear. To research, safeguard, and save this endangered species, we employ a number of cutting-edge procedures. As we create policies and recovery strategies that support the preservation and restoration of Kemp's ridleys and their habitats, we include our partners. Additionally, we provide funding for conservation, monitoring, and research initiatives to carry out recovery plans' top priorities (Fisheries, 2021).

References Oceana. (2023, May 18). Kemp’s Ridley Turtle - Oceana . https://oceana.org/marine-life/kemps-ridley-turtle/ Saving the Kemp’s Ridley Sea turtle | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service . (2023, May 12). FWS.gov. https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-05/saving-kemps-ridley-sea-turtle Secondary articles Fisheries, N. (2021, June 29). Kemp’s Ridley Turtle . NOAA. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/kemps-ridley-turtle Kemp’s ridley sea turtles - Padre Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) . (n.d.). https://www.nps.gov/pais/learn/nature/kridley.htm Primary articles BREILING, E., CARLISLE, K., JONES, S., O'CONNOR, A. B. I. G. A. I. L., & POULHAZAN, A. 20. Kemp's Ridley Riddle: A Look at Conserving the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle. Bio si , 296. Bevan, E., Wibbels, T., Najera, B. M. Z., Sarti, L., Martínez, F., Cuevas, J. M., Gallaway, B. J., Pena, L. J., & Burchfield, P. M. (2016). Estimating the historic size and current status of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle ( Lepidochelys kempii ) population. Ecosphere , 7 (3). https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1244

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Jones, H. S., Minter, L. J., Harms, C., Bibus, D., Koutsos, L., & Ange-van Heugten, K. (2022). Fatty acid profiles in managed care green and Kemp’s ridley turtles over time. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens , 3 (4), 545-554. Kot, C. Y., Åkesson, S., Alfaro‐Shigueto, J., Amorocho Llanos, D. F., Antonopoulou, M., Balazs, G. H., ... & Halpin, P. N. (2022). Network analysis of sea turtle movements and connectivity: A tool for conservation prioritization. Diversity and Distributions , 28 (4), 810-829. Chicago

Final Project BIO 330

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