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Genetic structure of the southeastern United States loggerhead turtle nesting aggregation: evidence of additional structure within the peninsular Florida recovery unit

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Abstract

The southeastern United States supports one of two large loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting aggregations worldwide and is therefore critical to global conservation and recovery efforts for the species. Previous studies have established the presence of four demographically distinct nesting populations (management units) corresponding to beaches from (1) North Carolina through northeastern Florida, (2) peninsular Florida, (3) the Dry Tortugas, and (4) northwest Florida. Temporal and geographic genetic structure of the nesting aggregation was examined utilizing partial mitochondrial control region haplotype frequencies from 834 samples collected over the 2002 through 2008 nesting seasons from 19 beaches as well as previously published haplotype data. Most rookeries did not exhibit interannual genetic variation. However, the interannual variation detected did significantly impact the interpretation of spatial genetic structure in northeastern Florida. Based on pairwise F ST comparisons, exact tests of population differentiation, and analysis of molecular variance, the present study upholds the distinctiveness of the four currently recognized management units and further supports recognition of discrete central eastern, southern (southeastern and southwestern), and central western Florida management units. Further subdivision may be warranted, but more intensive genetic sampling is required. In addition, tools such as telemetry and mark-recapture are needed to complement genetic data and overcome limitations of genetic markers in resolving loggerhead turtle rookery connectivity in the southeastern USA.

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Acknowledgments

In additional to the many students, interns, technicians, and volunteers associated with authors’ institutions, we thank individuals representing the following organizations for providing samples: Bald Head Island Conservancy, Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch, Ponte Vedra Turtle Patrol, Vilano Marine Turtle Patrol, Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Flagler-Volusia Turtle Patrol, Ecological Associates, Inc., John U. Lloyd State Park, National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, St. George Island Volunteer Turtlers, and T. H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. We thank D. Browning and S. Dawsey of Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, J. Stiner and C. Carter of Canaveral National Seashore, and P. Tritaik of Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge for permitting beach access and logistical assistance. D. Griffin from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and A. McKee of the University of Georgia assisted with sample collection on Cape Island. Thanks to M. Koperski and R. Trindell for assistance with Florida permitting, and G. Clark of the University of Florida sequencing core facility for haplotype assignments of the CSB samples. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s nest survey program is supported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. We gratefully acknowledge funding provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Protected Species Cooperative Conservation Grant Program, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The Environmental Resource Network, and the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. This research was funded in part by a grant awarded from the Sea Turtle Grants Program. The Sea Turtle Grants Program is funded from proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. Learn more at www.helpingseaturtles.org. We would also like to thank two anonymous reviewers for substantially increasing the quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Brian M. Shamblin & Campbell J. Nairn

  2. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 1 Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA, 31520, USA

    Mark G. Dodd

  3. Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Boulevard, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA

    Dean A. Bagley & Llewellyn M. Ehrhart

  4. Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL, 34236, USA

    Anton D. Tucker

  5. Loggerhead Marinelife Center, 14220 US Highway 1, Juno Beach, FL, 33408, USA

    Chris Johnson

  6. Florida Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110485, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Raymond R. Carthy, Russell A. Scarpino & Erin McMichael

  7. Conservancy of Southwest Florida, 1450 Merrihue Drive, Naples, FL, 34102, USA

    David S. Addison

  8. Caretta Research Project, P.O. Box 9841, Savannah, GA, 31412, USA

    Kristina L. Williams & Michael G. Frick

  9. Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania, FL, 33004, USA

    Stefanie Ouellette

  10. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue Southeast, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Anne B. Meylan

  11. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, 1507 Ann Street, Beaufort, NC, 28516, USA

    Matthew H. Godfrey

  12. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (retired), PO Box 136, Sheldon, SC, 29941, USA

    Sally R. Murphy

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  1. Brian M. Shamblin
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  2. Mark G. Dodd
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  3. Dean A. Bagley
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  14. Anne B. Meylan
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  17. Campbell J. Nairn
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Correspondence to Campbell J. Nairn.

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Communicated by M. I. Taylor.

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Shamblin, B.M., Dodd, M.G., Bagley, D.A. et al. Genetic structure of the southeastern United States loggerhead turtle nesting aggregation: evidence of additional structure within the peninsular Florida recovery unit. Mar Biol 158, 571–587 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1582-6

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