Original provider: Samir Patel, Drexel University and Coonamessett Farm Foundation
Dataset credits: Samir Patel, Drexel University and Coonamessett Farm Foundation
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the at-sea behavior of loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean Sea through the use of satellite telemetry.
During the 2010 and 2011 nesting seasons in Rethymno, Crete, Greece, 21 satellite tags were deployed on post-reproductive loggerhead turtles, 20 females and 1 male. One tag failed, while the remaining 20 transmitted data during the migration period, with most tags continuing to transmit after the individual had reached a site of residency. The female turtles exhibited three distinct strategies, either migrating north into the Aegean Sea, southwest towards the Libyan or Tunisian coasts or remaining resident within the waters of Crete. Females migrated after completing nesting for the season starting in early July. The male turtle exhibited a different behavior migrating away from the nesting beach in mid-June and traveling into the Western Mediterranean basin.