Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
Swim speed and movement patterns of gravid leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) at St Croix, US Virgin Islands.
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Eckert, Scott A. |
| Copyright Year | 2002 |
| Abstract | Swim speed, dive behavior and movements were recorded for seven female leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea Vandelli 1761) during a single internesting interval near St Croix in the US Virgin Islands. Modal speeds ranged from 0.56 to 0.84 m s(-1), maximum speed range 1.9-2.8 m s(-1). Turtles swam continuously throughout the day and night. There were two swim-speed patterns; the most common was slightly U-shaped, with high speeds at the initiation and conclusion of the dive, and the less common was continuous high-speed swimming. The U-shaped speed patterns were coincident with vertical diving by the turtles, while the second pattern occurred most frequently during the daytime, with the turtle swimming within 2 m of the surface. This latter swim behavior appeared to be designed to maximize efficiency for long-distance travel. The hypothesis that leatherbacks rest or bask at midday during their internesting interval is refuted by this study. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| PubMed reference number | 12409495 |
| Journal | Medline |
| Volume Number | 205 |
| Part | 23 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://jeb.biologists.org/content/jexbio/205/23/3689.full.pdf |
| Journal | The Journal of experimental biology |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
