Age, Growth, and Population Dynamics

This chapter reviews in broad terms a wide range of studies on age, somatic growth, and the population dynamics of sea turtle stocks. It presents an overview of some of the major methodological issues relevant to understanding sea turtle growth and population modeling. The chapter also reviews critically a compilation of sea turtle growth studies arranged in a classification table providing a framework for grouping similar approaches. It discusses the complementary approaches of comparative life history analysis and comparative demography as a precursor to population dynamics. The chapter shows critically all known studies on sea turtle population dynamics, also arranged in a classification table. It concludes with a brief overview of the review focusing on recurrent methodological issues. Ecological studies are based on many presuppositions including two key sampling design issues — the stock is distinguishable over time and space and the demographic processes of that stock are time invariant.