The Biology Of Sea Turtles

The success of the first volume of The Biology of Sea Turtles revealed a need for broad but comprehensive reviews of major recent advances in sea turtle biology. Biology of Sea Turtles, Volume II emphasizes practical aspects of biology that relate to sea turtle management and to changes in marine and coastal ecosystems. These topics i

Since the first volume of The Biology of Sea Turtles was published in 1997, the field has grown and matured in ways few of the authors would have predicted-particularly in the areas of physiology, behavior, genetics, and health. Volume III presents timely coverage of emerging areas as well as the integration of approaches and information that did n

Marine biologist James R. Spotila has spent much of his life unraveling the mysteries of these graceful creatures and working to ensure their survival. In "Sea Turtles," he offers a comprehensive and compelling account of their history and life cycle based on the most recent scientific data and suggests what we can be done to save them. Illustrated with stunning, full-color photographs. 0-808-8007-6$24.95 / Johns Hopkins University Press

Sea turtles have existed for millions of years, making them fascinating subjects of study. In the last 20 years, the science of sea turtle biology has expanded at an exponential rate, leading to major advances in many areas. This book synthesizes the results of these advances and focuses on how these endangered marine reptiles operate in, adapt to, and are dependent upon particular features of their marine environment. New technology in data gathering, such as DNA analyses, remote sensing, and physiological monitoring techniques, has led to a much greater understanding of the biology of the sea turtle at all stages of their life history.

Written by two of the Southeast's foremost authorities on sea turtle conservation, this is an accessible, fully illustrated guide to the species that frequent the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. No one who encounters a sea turtle soon forgets it. The leatherback, for instance, can grow to huge proportions, commonly approaching eight feet in length and more than half a ton in weight. Powerful swimmers, they are also among the deepest divers of all air-breathing sea creatures. Despite these assets, the survival of the leatherback, like that of all sea turtle species, is under constant threat from commercial fishing operations, overdevelopment of nesting grounds, pollution, and predation by introduced species. The guide opens with comprehensive coverage of the sea turtle's evolution, juvenile and adult life cycles, nesting, diet and feeding, disease and parasites, predators, and conservation issues. Each subsequent chapter is dedicated to a particular turtle species: loggerhead, leatherback, Kemp's ridley, green sea turtle, hawksbill, and olive ridley. The account of each species describes distribution, habitats, general appearance, life history and behavior, and conservation. For each species, photographs of hatchlings and adults and a map showing distribution and migration provide further information. Sea turtles have been swimming the seas for one hundred million years. Yet all of the species in this book—indeed, all sea turtles worldwide—are on U.S. and international endangered lists. Biologists Carol Ruckdeschel and C. Robert Shoop have dedicated their careers to learning about sea turtles—and to ensuring that we understand that we are stakeholders in the fate of these ancient creatures. With this guide in hand, readers will be better equipped to understand sea turtle biology and support sea turtle conservation efforts.

Here Plotkin and her colleagues reveal the nature of these species and the steps needed to make sure they remain a permanent part of the marine environment.

Sea turtles have existed for millions of years, making them fascinating subjects of study. In the last 20 years, the science of sea turtle biology has expanded at an exponential rate, leading to major advances in many areas. This book synthesizes the results of these advances and focuses on how these endangered marine reptiles operate in, adapt to, and are dependent upon particular features of their marine environment. New technology in data gathering, such as DNA analyses, remote sensing, and physiological monitoring techniques, has led to a much greater understanding of the biology of the sea turtle at all stages of their life history.

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.