NOTES AND FIELD REPORTS 277

Programas de Conservacio´n de Tortugas Marinas, Penı´nsula ROSS, J.P., BEAVERS, S., MUNDELL, D., AND AIRTH-KINDREE,M. de Yucata´n. Universidad Auto´noma de Yucata´n, pp. 77–90. 1989. The status of Kemp’s Ridley. Center for Marine GUZMA´ N-H., V. 1996. Resen˜a de la temporada de anidacio´n en Conservation. Washington, DC, 51 pp. , Me´xico, durante 1996. Doc. Te´c. del Centro Reg. US- PROGRAM. 2004. Report on the Mexico/United States de Invest. Pesquera de Cd. del Carmen. No 3. Unpublished of America population restoration project for the Kemp’s report to Programa Nacional de Tortugas Marinas, INP, 9 pp. Ridley turtle, Lepidochelys kempii, on the coast of GUZMA´ N, V. 1997. Informe te´cnico del Programa de Investigacio´n and , Me´xico, 2004. US Fish & Wildlife Service- y Proteccio´n de Tortugas Marinas en Isla Aguada, Campeche. Gladys Porter Zoo-SEMARNAT-SEDUE, 13 pp. Temporada 1997. Doc. Te´c. del Centro Reg. de Invest. ZUG, G.R., KALB, H., AND LUZAR, S.J. 1997. Age and growth in Pesquera de Cd. del Carmen. No 5. Unpublished report to wild Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles Lepidochelys kempi from Programa Nacional de Tortugas Marinas, INP, 8 pp. skeletochronological data. Biological Conservation. 80: GUZMA´ N, V. 2000. Evaluacio´n de las poblaciones de tortugas 261–268. marinas de Campeche. Avance y Perspectivas. Informe Received: 4 January 2005 Te´cnico de Investigacio´n 2000/11/ SEMARNAP/INP/ Revised and Accepted: 23 June 2006 DGIPDS/CRIP Carmen. Unpublished report to Instituto Nacional de la Pesca, 23 pp. GUZMA´ N, V. 2001. Evaluacio´n de las poblaciones de tortugas

marinas de Campeche. Sinopsis de la proteccio´n e inves- Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 2007, 6(2): 277–282 tigacio´n 1977–2001, con reporte de investigacio´n 2001/INE/ Ó 2007 Chelonian Research Foundation DGVS/TM-007-Camp. Informe Te´cnico de Investigacio´n 2001/12/ SAGARPA/INP/DGIPDS/ PNTM/CRIP Carmen, Unpublished report to Instituto Nacional de la Pesca, 37 pp. Nesting Ecology and Postnesting Migration GUZMA´ N, V. 2002. Resen˜a de la temporada de anidacio´n de of Sea Turtles on Taipin Tao, tortugas marinas en Campeche, Me´xico; durante el 2002. Con Nansha Archipelago, South China Sea reporte del campamento tortuguero de Isla Aguada en 2002. INE/DGVS/TM-007-Camp. DGVS/SEMARNAT/Delegacio´n 1 Federal en Campeche. Unpublished report to Programa I-JIUNN CHENG Nacional de Tortugas Marinas, 19 pp. GUZMA´ N, V. 2004. Temporada de anidacio´n 2003 de tortugas 1Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, marinas en Isla Aguada, Campeche, Me´xico; y panorama Keelung, Taiwan, 202-24, Republic of China estatal. INE/DGVS/TM-007-Camp. SEMARNAT/DGVS/ [[email protected]] Delegacio´n Federal en Campeche. Unpublished report to Programa Nacional de Tortugas Marinas, 24 pp. ABSTRACT. – The South China Sea is one of the most GUZMA´ N, V., REJO´ N, P.J.C, GO´ MEZ, G.R., AND SILVA, J. 1994. important areas for sea turtles in China. Taipin Tao is Informe final del programa de investigacio´n y proteccio´n de las tortugas marinas del estado de Campeche, Me´xico., the largest island in the Nansha Archipelago and is a Temporada 1993. Panorama regional. Unpublished report to nesting site for green and, possibly hawksbill, turtles. INP-CRIP Carmen, 49 pp. Satellite telemetry studies from the year 2000 till 2003 GUZMA´ N, V., REJO´ N, P.J.C., GO´ MEZ, G.R., AND SILVA, J. 1995. demonstrated that the green turtles nesting at Taipin Informe final del programa de investigacio´n y proteccio´n de Tao are a shared natural resource among the nations las tortugas marinas del estado de Campeche, Me´xico. in the southern South China Sea. Regional and Temporada 1994. Situacio´n actual. Unpublished report to international cooperation overseen by international CRIP Carmen I.N.P.-SEPESCA. Bol. Te´c. No 1/95, 32 pp. GUZMA´ N, V., SA´ NCHEZ-P., J.M., GO´ MEZ, G.R., REJO´ N, P.J.C., AND organizations is desperately needed for the effective SILVA, J. 1993. Informe final del programa tortugas marinas de protection of the green turtles nesting at Taipin Tao. Isla Aguada Carmen, Campeche. Temporada 1992. Una perspectiva regional. Unpublished report to INP-CRIP-Car- men, 82 pp. The South China Sea is host to more than 90% of the HILDEBRAND, H. 1981. A Historical review of the status of sea sea turtle populations in China (Liang et al. 1990). An turtle populations in the Western . In: Bjorndal, understanding of the nesting environment and status of the K. (Ed.). Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles. Wash- nesting population is crucial to the conservation and ington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 447–453. management of sea turtles in the region. However, political ´ MARQUEZ-M., R. 1978. Natural reserves for the conservation of instability in the South China Sea, especially the Spratly marine turtle of Mexico. Proc. Fla. Interreg. Conf. on Sea Turtles, July 24:25. Fla. Mar. Pub., 33: 56 p. (Nansha) Archipelagos, complicates the surveys and MA´ RQUEZ-M., R. 1994. Sinopsis de datos biolo´gicos sobre la conservation measures of the sea turtle (Cheng 2000a). tortuga Lora, Lepidochelys kempi (Garman, 1880). FAO The military presence on most islands further prevents Sinopsis sobre la Pesca, No. 152. INP/S152, SAST-Tortuga surveys of the sea turtles, both on the beaches and in the Lora 5.31(07)016.02. Me´xico, 104 pp. sea. Thus, little is known about their present status. MA´ RQUEZ-M., R. 1996. Las tortugas marinas y nuestro tiempo. Taipin Tao has been occupied by the Marines from Fondo de Cultura Econo´mica/ Secretarı´a de Educacio´n Pu´blica/ the Republic of China for more than 50 years. Surprisingly Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologı´a. Me´xico DF, 197 pp. PRITCHARD, P.C.H. AND MA´ RQUEZ, M. 1973. Kemp’s Ridley or the little was known about the ecology of this island and the Atlantic Ridley,Lepidochelys kempi. IUCN Monographs, nearshore waters. In 1994, a 5-day comprehensive Marine Turtle Series, 230 pp. ecological survey was carried out to investigate the coral 278 CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY, Volume 6, Number 2 — 2007

Figure 1. The map of Taipin Tao, Nansha Archipelago, and the spatial distribution of the emergences on different sections of the beaches on the island from both 1995 interviews and 2000–2002 field records. The fringe outskirts are coral reefs. Letters denote the beach section where the survey was carried out. reefs, fishes, macrobenthos, macroalgae, planktons, ceta- ranges from 24.28Cto328C, with a yearly average of ceans, water quality, terrestrial plants, and birds of this 28.18C. The yearly total precipitation is more than 1800 island (Fang and Li 1994). However, nothing is known mm (Naval Weather Center 1996, and this study). about the sea turtles, except for a few underwater The researchers were allowed to remain on the island photographs. Information from the navy, as well as from for 5 days in 1995 (Cheng 2000a) and for 36 hours on each soldiers residing on the island strongly suggested that this of the consecutive trips. Because of these limitations, the island may host a large nesting population. With the nesting ecology of sea turtles on the island was surveyed support of the Defense Department and the Council of mainly by means of questionnaire interviews of the Agriculture, Republic of China (R.O.C.), a preliminary soldiers on the island in 1995 and by daily records of survey was carried out in 1995 (Cheng 1996, 2000a), the patrol team, which walked the beaches around the follow-up surveys were carried out from 2000 to 2003 to island once every 3 hours from 1900 to 0500 hours and study the nesting population and conduct research by from the guards on the watch posts by the beaches each using satellite transmitters on the postnesting sea turtles to night (2000 to 2002). The beach was divided into 9 determine their migration corridors. The purpose of this sections, based on the location of the watch posts where study was to provide updated information on the nesting the patrollers started their field surveys every night (Fig. ecology of sea turtles on Taipin Tao and on potential 1). The records include the date, species, site, emergence foraging sites of green turtles that nest on the island. phase (crawling, digging, nesting, or descending), size Recommendations for conservation measures are pro- (curved carapace length; CCL), health status, and fate of vided. these turtles. Methods. — The Nansha Archipelago (Spratly To determine the sex ratio of the hatchlings on the Islands) is composed of 102 coralline island, atolls, and island, 3 temperature loggers (Onset Optic StowAway shoals. Taipin Tao (108220N, 1148220E) is located near the Logger) were buried in the nesting beaches around the middle of the northern archipelago, which was 1365 m island at a depth of ;70 cm in April 2002. The loggers long and 360 m wide, with an area of 0.48 km2. The island were set to record sand temperatures every 1 hour 12 is forested with lowland tropical rainforest and reaches an minutes. Thus, 22 sand temperature records were recorded average topographic height of 3.8 m (Fang and Li 1994). each day, with a total of 7428 measurements over 372 The sand particles are mainly shell debris and fine coral days. Daily air temperature and precipitation were fragments. Coral reefs fringe the island and extend obtained from the Naval Weather Forecast Center, Taiwan, 100200 m offshore. The monthly average air temperature R.O.C. NOTES AND FIELD REPORTS 279

determined by the turtle stayed in the vicinity of one site over a month. Results and Discussion. — Both the questionnaire interviews in 1995 and the field daily records from 2000 to 2002 suggest that the nesting includes both green and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). Whereas, soldiers interviewed in 1995 suggested that about 10% of the nesting females were hawksbills (Cheng 1996), the field daily records by coast guard personnel suggest that only 5% were hawksbills. Results of the patrol records showed that the CCL of the nesting green turtles ranged from 83 to 117 cm (mean ¼ 98.5 6 7cm,n ¼ 106). Turtles initially recorded as hawksbills ranged from 87 to 104 cm; however, these values exceed the size of local Figure 2. Monthly variation of the emergences on different hawksbills (i.e., 66–86 cm) and are considered to be sections of the beaches around Taipin Tao, Nansha Archipelago, misidentified green turtles (Eckert 1993). It, therefore, is from both 1995 interviews and 2000–2002 field records. not possible to determine if species other than green turtles nest on Taipin Tao. Of the 127 records, about 37% were in the nesting To study postnesting movements of green turtles, I phase, 36% were in the crawling phase, 1% had nested, 4% attached satellite transmitters in 2000, 2001, and 2003 were in the digging phase, 9% were trapped in the defense (n 2 each year). The Argos-linked satellite transmitters ¼ trenches, 2% were dead, and another 11% were either not (ST-14; Telonics, Mesa, AZ) were attached following recorded or observed from a distance. Thus, about 42% of Balazs et al. (1996), later described in Cheng (2000b). The the turtles were found engaged in nesting activities. set-up of the parameters on transmitters and the criteria for Among the live turtles, 88% were healthy and 12% were data acceptance followed those of Cheng (2000b). Briefly, wounded. Wounds were caused largely by the barbed-wire 7 different location classes (LC) are used by Argos. LC 3s barricades as turtles crawled beneath them during the are the most accurate location class and have an estimated nesting attempts. To improve the nesting environment, the accuracy of , 150 m. LC 2 is relatively less accurate, with coast guard removed all the barricades in recent years. an estimated accuracy range of 150 m to , 350 m, and Based on daily records from 2000 to 2002, approx- LC 1 has an estimated accuracy of 350 m to , 1000 m. imately 106 nesting emergences occur per year; interviews LC 0 is given an estimated accuracy of . 1000 m. LC A suggest that approximately 55 emergences occurred in and B have no estimated location accuracy, and LC Z has 1995. Daily field records from 2000 to 2002 indicate that an unknown accuracy. To ensure a reasonable level of the turtles nested all around the island (Fig. 1). The main integrity for our data, only LC B or better, which provide a nesting sites were on sections C and E to G. These sections reasonable estimation of the migration path, were were away from developed areas on the island (close to accepted, i.e., when positioning was near LC 1, 2, or 3, sections C to A and I), as has been found in other studies and the distance between the 2 points reasonably reflected (Carr and Carr 1972; Wang and Cheng 1999; Cheng the swimming speed of a turtle; the location was not on 2000a). Records also showed that nesting occurs year land. Such positions were considered accurate and round (Fig. 2). This is true for many tropical sites, such as acceptable for the purpose of this study. Travel rate was Sarawak (Chaloupka 2001), Antigua Island, Suriname calculated by dividing total travel distance (in km) on each (Glen and Mrosovsky 2004), Nacional Marino Las Baulas trip by the total travel period (h). The end of migration was of Costa Rica (Reina et al. 2002). The peak season

Table 1. Size, tagged and release date, postnesting migration distance, traveling duration, and travel rate of the green turtles tagged with the platform terminal transmitter attached to green turtles nesting at Taipin Tao, Nansha Archipelago, between 2000 and 2003.

Tagged/release date Turtle Ref. No. SCL (cm)a CCL (cm)a Year Date (m/d) Distance (km) Duration (d) Speed (km h1) NS1-00 89.5 93.5 2000 4/19 672 22 1.27 NS2-00 97.5 103 2000 4/19 1569 40 1.63 NS3-01 93 95 2001 4/27 780 20 1.63 NS4-01 86 91 2001 4/27 351 10 1.46 NS5-03 95 95.5 2003 4/11 627 16 1.01 NS6-03 89 91 2003 4/11 327 9 1.51 a SCL ¼ straight carapace length; CCL ¼ curved carapace length. 280 CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY, Volume 6, Number 2 — 2007

Figure 3. Track of Turtle NS1-00 to NS6-03. Taipin Tao denoted as the black circle. The track with the solid line and point in star denoted as NS1-00. The track with solid line and point in circle denoted as NS2-00. The track with long dash line and point in circle denoted as NS3-01. The track with long dash line and point in diamond denoted as NS4-01. The track with dot line and point in square denoted as NS5-03. The track with dot line and point in inverse triangle denoted as NS6-03.

occurred from summer (July) to fall (November) and ranged from 91 to 103 cm CCL, 86 to 97.5 cm straight lowest from April to June. carapace length (Table 1). All turtles were tagged in April, Research using satellite transmitters is a powerful tool and they stayed in the coastal waters of Taipin Tao from 1 for studying the migration of animals, such as the sea turtles day to 7 weeks before initiating their postnesting (e.g., Hughes et al., 1998; Bentivegna 2002; Hays et al. migrations. The turtles swam 9 to 40 days, with the travel 2002; Luschi et al. 2003; Craig et al. 2004). It provides not distance that ranged from 327 to 1569 km. The travel rate only the location of the resting/foraging sites of the turtle ranged from 1.01 to 1.63 km h1. These values fall within but also the migration behavior (e.g., Cheng 2000b; the range of the other studies (e.g., Keinath and Musick Polovina et al. 2000, 2004; Hays et al. 2002; Luschi et al. 1993; Luschi et al. 1996; Cheng 2000b; Hays et al. 2001; 2003). The research using satellite transmitters from 2000 Godley et al. 2004; Craig et al. 2004). The migration to 2003 showed that the size of the turtles used in this study behaviors were found to be mostly unaffected by ocean NOTES AND FIELD REPORTS 281 currents in the region (Cai Y.R., pers. comm.). Most turtles Memorandum of Understanding) is needed for Taipin swam directly to their coastal foraging sites, although 2 Tao (MTSG 1995). For example, in response to the turtles showed biphasal migration in which the turtles construction of a runway on the island by the Defense migrated along the coast for a portion of their movements Department for the national security, the Kaoshiung City before moving into deep waters of offshore Taipin Tao (i.e., government, which exercises jurisdiction over Taipin Tao, NS1-00 and NS2-00; Fig. 3). These results were similar to has announced that the nesting beaches and surrounding the studies on Wan-an Island (Cheng 2000b) and consistent 12 nautical miles of Taipin Tao is a ‘‘Green Sea Turtle with movements of turtles reviewed by Luschi et al. (2003). Reproductive Site’’ (effective on 3 March 2007). Despite the longer migration distance, green turtles nesting at Ascension Island also moved directly to their foraging Acknowledgments. — The author would like to thanks grounds off Brazil after nesting (Luschi et al. 2003). Green J.-S. Huang, Y.-T. Shieh, P.-Y. Hung, and M.-D. Chang turtles feed on seagrass and macroalgae, however, these for their assistance in the field. All the maps were available food sources are not available in the open ocean, which may through the Maptool Program at http://www.seaturtle.org. result in the direct migrations to the coastal foraging sites. Two anonymous reviewers are deeply appreciated for their The end point of the migrations included Palawan Island, helpful review and comments on the manuscript. This Philippines; northeast coast of Luzon, Philippines; East project is supported by grants from the Council of Sabah, Malaysia facing the Sulu Sea; and north Borneo, Agriculture, R.O.C. (Grant no. 92 Conserv. Foundation- near Labuan, Malaysia (Fig. 3). These results suggest that 13.1. (1.16), and 93 Agricult.-3.14-F-05), and by a grant southern Palawan Island, Philippines, is one of the foraging from Quanta Culture and Education Foundation. sites for green turtles nesting at Taipin Tao. This region is also the foraging site for green turtles nesting in Malaysia LITERATURE CITED (Liew et al. 1995). BALAZS, G.H., MIYA, R.K., AND BEAVER, S.C. 1996. Procedures to Conservation Implications. — The South China Sea attach a satellite transmitter to the carapace of an adult green likely hosts the majority of sea turtle population in China. turtle, Chelonia mydas. in Keianth. In: Barnard, D.E., Musick, However, political instability, occupation of the land by J.A., and Bell, B.A. (Compilers). Proceedings of 15th Annual the military, intentional capture of nesting and foraging Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA areas, habitat loss or degradation, incidental captures in National Marine Fisheries Service Technological Memordium marine fisheries gear; marine pollution; and illegal, Department of Commence-SEFSC-387, pp. 39–40. uncontrolled, and unreported fishing are well-known and BENTIVEGNA, F. 2002. Intra-Mediterranean migrations of logger- serious threats to the marine biodiversity in the South head sea turtles (Caretta caretta) monitored by satellite telemetry. Marine Biology 141:795–800. China Sea (Liang et al. 1990; Nishemura 1990; Cheng CARR,A.AND CARR, M.H. 1972. Site fixity in the Caribbean green 2000a). These, in turn, exert an extremely detrimental turtle. Ecology 53:425–429. impact upon the already endangered sea turtle populations. CHALOUPKA, M. 2001. Historical trends, seasonality and synchro- Nesting islands, such as Taipin Tao, therefore, are crucial ny in green sea turtle egg production. Biological Conservation to the survival of the sea turtle population in the region. 101:263–279. The coast guard on the island should be encouraged to CHENG, I.-J. 1996. Sea turtles at Taipin Tao, South China Sea. actively protect sea turtle populations, both on the land and Marine Turtle Newsletter 75:6–8. in the sea. In addition, more ecological studies on sea turtle CHENG, I.-J. 2000a. Sea turtles at Dongsha Tao (Pratas Island) and Taipin Tao (Spratly Islands), South China Sea. In: Pilcher, N. nesting should be carried out, such as nesting frequency and Ismail, G. (Eds.). Sea Turtles of the Indo-Pacific, Research studies and satellite telemetry, to provide valuable Management and Conservation. London: ASEAN Academic information on the population dynamics and dispersal of Press, pp. 59–69. sea turtles from Taipin Tao. Research using satellite CHENG, I.-J. 2000b. Post-nesting migrations of green turtles transmitters clearly demonstrated that the green turtles (Chelonia mydas) at Wan-an Island, Penghu Archipelago, nesting at Taipin Tao are a shared natural resource among Taiwan. Marine Biology 137:747–754. the countries in the region. The overlapping of the CRAIG, P., PARKER, D., BRAINARD, R., RICE, M., AND BALAZS, G.H. 2004. Migrations of green turtles in the Central South Pacific. foraging sites in the coastal waters of southern Palawan Biological Conservation 116:433–438. Island with other nesting populations further suggests that ECKERT, K.L. 1993. The biology and population status of marine this area is a key foraging site for green turtles from the turtles in the north Pacific Ocean. NOAA-TM-NMFS- South China Sea. Furthermore, the widespread dispersal SWFSC-186, 380 pp. over the southwest region of the South China Sea suggests FANG, L.-S. AND LI, J.-C. 1994. Report on the ecological that, as at Wan-an Island in the Penghu Archipelago of environment of South China Sea. Council of Agriculture Taiwan (Cheng 2000b), the conservation of the marine Technological Memordium 83-Sci-2.15-Fish-13, 510 pp. habitat is as important to the survival of sea turtle GLEN,F.AND MROSOVSKY, N. 2004. Antigua revisited: the impact of climate change on sand and nesting temperatures at populations as is nesting beach protection. Thus, a regional hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting beach. program and strategy under the umbrella of international Global Change Biology 10:2036–2045. organizations, such as the Association of Southeast Asian GODLEY, B.J., RICHARDSON, S., BRODERICK, A.C., COYNE, M.S., Nations and the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asian GLEN, F., AND HAYS, G.C. 2002. Long-term satellite telemetry 282 CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY, Volume 6, Number 2 — 2007

of the movements and habitat utilization by green turtles in Mediterranean. Ecography 15:352–362. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 2007, 6(2): 282–285 Ó 2007 Chelonian Research Foundation HAYS, G.C., BRODERICK, A.C., GLEN, F., GODLEY, B.J., AND NICHOLS, W.J. 2001, The movements and submergences behaviour of male green turtles at Ascension Island. Marine First Documented Record of Nesting by Biology 139:395–399. the Olive Ridley Turtle HAYS, G. C., BRODERICK, A.C., GODLEY, B.J., LOVELL, P., MARTIN, C., MCCONNELL, B.J., AND RICHARDSON, S. 2002. Biphasal (Lepidochelys olivacea) in Ecuador long-distance migration in green turtles. Animal Behavior 6: 1 2 895–898. JUAN JOSE ALAVA ,PETER PRITCHARD , HUGHES, G.R., LUSCHI, P., MENCACCI, R., AND PAPI, F. 1998. The 3 4 7000-km oceanic journey of a leatherback turtle tracked by JEANETTE WYNEKEN , AND HAROLD VALVERDE satellite. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 229:209–217. 1School of Resource and Environmental Management, KEINATH, J.A. AND MUSICK, J.A. 1993. Movements and diving Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, behavior of a leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea. Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada [[email protected]]; Copeia 1993:1010–1017. 2Chelonian Research Institute, 401 South Central Avenue, LIANG, W.-L., DAI, J.-L., LIU, C.-W., WEIN, J.-S., SUNG, H.-J., Oviedo, Florida 32765 USA [[email protected]]; 3 CHEN, T.-T., CHEN, I.-Z., SHU, Y.-K., LU, S.-J., CHANG, C.-Z., Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, AND LIN, J.-Z. 1990. The investigation of sea turtle resources in Building 12, Room 414, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida the South China Sea, and the development of the artificial 33431 USA [[email protected]]; hatching techniques for sea turtles. Report on the Conservation 4Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, PO Box 13-05-009, Situations of South Sea Turtle Resources, Guangdong Manta, Ecuador and Grupo Ecolo´gico Manta Verde, Province, China, P.R.O.C., 78 pp. Colegio Cinco de Junio, Manta, Ecuador [[email protected]] LIEW, H.C., CHAN, E.H., LUSCHI, P., AND PAPI, F. 1995. Satellite tracking data on Malaysian green turtle migration. Atti Della ABSTRACT. – We report on the first confirmed occurrence Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei-Classe Scienze Fisiche- of Lepidochelys olivacea nesting in Ecuador based on the Matematiche & Naturali 6:239–246. presence of eggshells and the identification of a late- LUSCHI, P., HAYS, G.C., AND PAPI, F. 2003. A review of long- stage embryo at a beach located in Manta (lat 0.948S, distance movements by marine turtles, and the possible role of long 80.78W), Manabı´ Province, Ecuador, in October ocean currents. Oikos 103:293–302. 2004. This is the second-most-southerly record of olive LUSCHI, P., PAPI, F., LIEW, H.C., CHAN, E.H., AND BONADONNA,F. 1996. Long-distance migration and homing after displacement ridley nesting on the Pacific coast of South America. in the green turtle (Chelonia mydas): a satellite tracking study. Journal of Comparative Physiology 178A:447–452. Olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) occur in MTSG (MARINE TURTLE SPECIALIST GROUP). 1995. A Global the 3 tropical oceans with the major nesting grounds and Strategy for the Conservation of Marine Turtles. Cambridge, England: IUCN Publication Service Unit, 85 pp. arribadas on mainland shores of the East Pacific and NAVAL WEATHER CENTER. 1996. Weather data of Taipin Tao northeastern India. Arribadas occur at Nancite and Ostional, Station, Nansha Archipelago. Costa Rica (Central America); Escobilla, Oaxaca, Mexico; NISHEMURA, W. 1990. Incident capture of sea turtles by Japanese and along the Orissa coast of India, originally at the research and training vessels: results of questionnaire. Marine Gahirmatha and Devi river mouths and subsequently at the Turtle Newsletter 51:1–4. ROC Navy. Rushikulya River mouth in the Indian Ocean (Pritchard POLOVINA, J.J., BALAZS, G.H., HOWELL, E.A., PARKER, D.M., SEKI, 1997, 2003; World Wildlife Fund 2004). Lesser nesting M.P., AND DUTTON, P.H. 2004. Forage and migration habitat of sites occur throughout the Pacific coast of Central and North loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and olive Ridley (Lepidochelys America from Panama to Mexico as well as on tropical olivacea) sea turtles in the central North Pacific Ocean. Fisheries Oceanography 13:31–51. beaches throughout Southeast Asia (Pritchard 1997). POLOVINA, J.J., KABAYOSHI, D.R., PARKER, D.M., AND BALAZS, The US Endangered Species Act and The World G.H. 2000. Turtles on the edge: movement of loggerhead Conservation Union (IUCN) categorize L. olivacea as turtles (Caretta caretta) along oceanic fronts, spanning endangered (IUCN 2006), and it is listed in Appendix I of longline fishing grounds in the central North Pacific, 1997– the Convention on International Trade in Endangered 1998. Fisheries Oceanography 9:71–82. Species of Flora and Fauna (Pritchard 1997). This species REINA, R.D., MAYOR, P.A., SPOTILA, J.R., PIEDRA,R.,AND is one of the 4 or 5 species of sea turtles found in marine PALADINO, F.V. 2002. Nesting ecology of the leatherback waters of Ecuador. Although nesting activity by leather- turtle, Dermochelys coriacea Nacional Marino Las Baulas, Costa Rica: 1988–1989 to 1999–2000. Copeia 2002:653–664. back turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), East Pacific green or WANG, H.-C. AND CHENG, I.-J. 1999. Breeding biology of the black turtles (Chelonia mydas; also known as Chelonia green turtle, Chelonia mydas, (Reptilia: Cheloniidae) on Wan- agassizii), and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) An island PengHu Archipelago, Taiwan. II nest site selection. occurs along the continental Ecuadorian coast (Green and Marine Biology 133:603–609. Ortiz-Crespo 1982) and, particularly for black turtles, in the Received: 8 July 2005 Gala´pagos Islands (Green and Ortiz-Crespo 1982; Hurtado Revised and Accepted: 11 October 2006 1984; Za´rate 2002; Za´rate et al. 2006), olive ridleys have not been observed nesting either in mainland Ecuador or on