The Leatherback Turtle: Biology and Conservation

by James R. Spotila (Editor), Pilar Santidrián Tomillo (Editor)

Overview

The most comprehensive book ever written on leatherback sea turtles.

Weighing as much as 2,000 pounds and reaching lengths of over seven feet, leatherback turtles are the world’s largest reptile. These unusual sea turtles have a thick, pliable shell that helps them to withstand great depths—they can swim more than one thousand meters below the surface in search of food. And what food source sustains these goliaths? Their diet consists almost exclusively of jellyfish, a meal they crisscross the oceans to find.

Leatherbacks have been declining in recent decades, and some predict they will be gone by the end of this century. Why? Because of two primary factors: human redevelopment of nesting beaches and commercial fishing. There are only twenty-nine index beaches in the world where these turtles nest, and there is immense pressure to develop most of them into homes or resorts. At the same time, longline and gill net fisheries continue to overwhelm waters frequented by leatherbacks.

In The Leatherback Turtle, James R. Spotila and Pilar Santidrián Tomillo bring together the world’s leading experts to produce a volume that reveals the biology of the leatherback while putting a spotlight on the conservation problems and solutions related to the species. The book leaves us with options: embark on the conservation strategy laid out within its pages and save one of nature’s most splendid creations, or watch yet another magnificent species disappear.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421417080
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	10/30/2015
Pages:	246
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James R. Spotila is the L. Drew Betz Chair Professor of Environmental Science at Drexel University and director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation. The founding president of the International Sea Turtle Society and chairman of the board of The Leatherback Trust, he is the author of Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation and Saving Sea Turtles: Extraordinary Stories from the Battle against Extinction.

Pilar Santidrián Tomillo is a Marie Curie Fellow at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies and the research director of The Leatherback Trust.

Table of Contents

List of Contributors ix

Preface xi

Part I Biology

1 Introduction: Phylogeny and Evolutionary Biology of the Leatherback Turtle Peter G. H. Pritchard 3

2 Phylogeny, Phylogeography, and Populations of the Leatherback Turtle Peter H. Dutton Kartik Shanker 8

3 Diving Behavior and Physiology of the Leatherback Turtle Nathan J. Robinson Frank V. Paladino 21

4 Anatomy of the Leatherback Turtle Jeanette Wyneken 32

Part II Life History and Reproduction

5 Reproductive Biology of the Leatherback Turtle David C. Rostal 51

6 Nesting Ecology and Reproductive Investment of the Leatherback Turtle Karen L. Eckert Bryan C. Wallace James R. Spotila Barbara A. Bell 63

7 Egg Development and Hatchling Output of the Leatherback Turtle Pilar Santidrián Tomillo Jennifer Swiggs 74

8 Sex Determination and Hatchling Sex Ratios of the Leatherback Turtle Christopher A. Binckley James R. Spotila 84

Part III Population Status and Trends

9 Leatherback Turtle Populations in the Atlantic Ocean Marc Girondot 97

10 Leatherback Turtle Populations in the Pacific Ocean Scott R. Benson Ricardo F. Tapilatu Nicolas Pilcher Pilar Santidrián Tomillo Laura Sarti Martínez 110

11 Leatherback Turtle Populations in the Indian Ocean Ronel Nel Kartik Shanker George Hughes 123

Part IV From Egg to Adulthood

12 Leatherback Turtle Eggs and Nests, and Their Effects on Embryonic Development Paul R. Sotherland Bryan P. Wallace James R. Spotila 135

13 Leatherback Turtle Physiological Ecology: Implications for Bioenergetics and Population Dynamics Bryan P. Wallace T. Todd Jones 149

14 Movements and Behavior of Adult and Juvenile Leatherback Turtles George L. Shillinger Helen Bailey 162

15 Relation of Marine Primary Productivity to Leatherback Turtle Biology and Behavior Vincent S. Saba Charles A. Stock John P. Dunne 173

Part V The Future of the Leatherback Turtle

16 Warming Climate: A New Threat to the Leatherback Turtle James R. Spotila Vincent S. Saba Samir H. Patel Pilar Santidrián Tomillo 185

17 Impacts of Fisheries on the Leatherback Turtle Rebecca L. Lewison Bryan P. Wallace Sara M. Maxwell 196

18 Conclusion: Problems and Solutions James R. Spotila Pilar Santidrián Tomillo 199

Index 213

What People are Saying About This

Carl Safina

The massive, magical leatherback remains the last ancient survivor of an otherwise now-extinct family of sea turtles. They survive as Earth’s heaviest reptile and a warm-blooded one to boot. They have been called ‘the largest wild animal you can walk right up to with no fear of being attacked.’ In this excellent volume, the people who have spent their lives learning more, first-hand, about leatherback turtles than anyone in history, share centuries worth of field-knowledge and deep thought. If this book was available when I was writing Voyage of the Turtle, I’d have written a much better book!

From the Publisher

The massive, magical leatherback remains the last ancient survivor of an otherwise now-extinct family of sea turtles. They survive as Earth’s heaviest reptile and a warm-blooded one to boot. They have been called ‘the largest wild animal you can walk right up to with no fear of being attacked.’ In this excellent volume, the people who have spent their lives learning more, first-hand, about leatherback turtles than anyone in history, share centuries worth of field-knowledge and deep thought. If this book was available when I was writing Voyage of the Turtle, I’d have written a much better book!
—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel

Editorial Reviews

Despite the dire issues facing the Leatherback, the book shows tremendous respect for its subject and a genuine, educated commitment to save the remarkable Leatherback.
—American Reference Books Annual

The Leatherback Turtle provides a global reference for a globally distributed species and fills any number of data gaps for biologists, managers and citizen-scientists, especially in places such as the southeastern United States that are documenting an increasing trend in leatherback nesting.
—Herpetological Review

From the Publisher

The Leatherback Turtle provides a global reference for a globally distributed species and fills any number of data gaps for biologists, managers and citizen-scientists, especially in places such as the southeastern United States that are documenting an increasing trend in leatherback nesting.

Herpetological Review

Despite the dire issues facing the Leatherback, the book shows tremendous respect for its subject and a genuine, educated commitment to save the remarkable Leatherback.

American Reference Books Annual