Is the Geographic Distribution of Nesting in the Kemp's Ridley Turtle Shaped by the Migratory Needs of Offspring?

Abstract

Across the geographic area that a species uses for reproduction, the density of breeding individuals is typically highest in locations where ecological factors promote reproductive success. For migratory animals, fitness depends, in part, on producing offspring that migrate successfully to habitats suitable for the next life-history stage. Thus, natural selection might favor reproduction in locations with conditions that facilitate the migration of offspring. To investigate this concept, we studied the Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) to determine whether coastal areas with the highest levels of nesting have particularly favorable conditions for hatchling migration. We modeled the passive drift of young Kemp's ridley turtles from seven nesting regions within the Gulf of Mexico to foraging grounds using the particle-tracking program ICHTHYOP and surface-current output from HYCOM (HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model). Results revealed that geographic regions with conditions that facilitate successful migration to foraging grounds typically have higher abundance of nests than do regions where oceanographic conditions are less favorable and successful migration is difficult for hatchlings. Thus, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that, for the Kemp's ridley turtle and perhaps for other migrants, patterns of abundance across the breeding range are shaped in part by conditions that promote or impede the successful migration of offspring.