NSU Marine Turtle Tracking: What we know so far about the post-nesting movements of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles nesting in Broward County, FL

While there are many challenges in managing threatened populations of highly-migratory marine species, a primary issue is understanding their movements and home ranges. Post-nesting movements of marine turtles can be investigated with satellite telemetry. From 2016 to 2021, we deployed satellite transmitters on 26 female loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting on Broward County beaches. We used state-space modeling, asymptotic evaluation, and kernel density estimation to characterize their internesting, migratory, and foraging movements. Of the 20 turtles successfully tracked to foraging grounds, only six remained in US waters, while 14 individuals (70%) moved to international waters. Two of the 14 returned to Campeche Bay, Mexico and the other 12 settled in foraging areas throughout the Bahamas. Migratory distances and durations, as well as total area of foraging home ranges, varied between and within foraging regions. This study represents the first in-depth investigation into post-nesting movements of female loggerhead turtles nesting in Southeast Florida. The highly international nature of these movements highlights the need for regional collaboration to appropriately manage this population.