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Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to observe loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) behavior on foraging grounds off the mid-Atlantic United States.
- Source :
-
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology . Oct2015, Vol. 471, p84-91. 8p. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- This study represents the first documented use of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to actively track sea turtles in situ. From 2008 to 2014, an ROV was deployed to track the at-sea behavior of loggerhead turtles in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Seventy turtles were tracked, totaling 44.7 h of direct turtle footage. For all attempts, usable video with a turtle retained in view for a minimum of 30 s, was produced at a rate of 43.5% of effort. Turtles were first spotted from the boat, and then when the turtle was within ~ 50 m of the boat, the ROV was deployed to track the turtle for as long as possible. Tracking durations reached up to 426.1 min. Tracked turtles often remained within ~ 10 m of the surface; however loggerheads were tracked to the seafloor on 12 occasions. Turtles were filmed foraging both pelagically and benthically, even though bottom temperatures reached as low as 7.1 °C. A range of inter- and intra-species interactions were also captured. Several varieties of fish remained associated with individual turtles for extended periods of time, even during benthic foraging dives. Additionally, a variety of social interactions between loggerheads were documented. Generally these interactions were filmed occurring near the ocean surface. Overall, using the ROV provided great insight into loggerhead at-sea behavior, otherwise unattainable using previously established techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *REMOTE submersibles
*LOGGERHEAD turtle
*FORAGING behavior
*SPECIES diversity
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00220981
- Volume :
- 471
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 109104110
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2015.05.016