Residence in cold overwintering habitats shapes seasonal space-use plasticity of loggerhead sea turtles in their largest Mediterranean neritic foraging area
Tracking study reveals dual overwintering strategies in Mediterranean loggerhead turtles, indicating greater thermal tolerance plasticity than previously recognized.
Key Points
To determine how seasonal sea surface temperature variation influences individual movement patterns and space-use strategies among loggerhead sea turtles in a northern neritic foraging area.
Tracked satellite-tagged loggerhead sea turtles (N=21), including 10 small juveniles with curved carapace length < 45 cm, in the Adriatic Sea.
Quantified individual movement trajectories and seasonal space-use dynamics relative to local sea surface temperature.
Identified two distinct overwintering strategies: year-round northern residency versus southward migration, with both groups maintaining an overwintering thermal range of 11–15 °C.
Documented minimal space use during the coldest (January–February) and warmest (July–October) periods, while extensive movement peaked during the cold-to-warm transition (March–April).