title: Nano-tags for neonates and ocean-mediated swimming behaviours linked to rapid dispersal of hatchling sea turtles.
abstract: Dispersal during juvenile life stages drives the life-history evolution and dynamics of many marine vertebrate populations. However, the movements of juvenile organisms, too small to track using conventional satellite telemetry devices, remain enigmatic. For sea turtles, this led to the paradigm of the 'lost years' since hatchlings disperse widely with ocean currents. Recently, advances in the miniaturization of tracking technology have permitted the application of nano-tags to track cryptic organisms. Here, the novel use of acoustic nano-tags on neonate loggerhead turtle hatchlings enabled us to witness first-hand their dispersal and behaviour during their first day at sea. We tracked hatchlings distances of up to 15 km and documented their rapid transport (up to 60 m min(-1)) with surface current flows passing their natal areas. Tracking was complemented with laboratory observations to monitor swimming behaviours over longer periods which highlighted (i) a positive correlation between swimming activity levels and body size and (ii) population-specific swimming behaviours (e.g. nocturnal inactivity) suggesting local oceanic conditions drive the evolution of innate swimming behaviours. Knowledge of the swimming behaviours of small organisms is crucial to improve the accuracy of ocean model simulations used to predict the fate of these organisms and determine resultant population-level implications into adulthood.
authors.affiliation: GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Düsternbrookerweg 20, Kiel 24105, Germany beckyscott130@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Düsternbrookerweg 20, Kiel 24105, Germany.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biastoch
authors.affiliation: Turtle Foundation, Sal Rei, Boavista, Cape Verde.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roder
authors.affiliation: GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Düsternbrookerweg 20, Kiel 24105, Germany.
authors.forename: Victor A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Stiebens
authors.affiliation: GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Düsternbrookerweg 20, Kiel 24105, Germany School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E14NS, UK.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eizaguirre
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D013550:Swimming; D013686:Telemetry; D014426:Turtles / Q000502:physiology*; D014872:Water Movements
keywords: NEMO; acoustic tracking; biotelemetry; hatchling swimming frenzy; marine dispersal; surface ocean currents