Mitochondrial DNA reveals regional and interregional importance of the central Mediterranean African shelf for loggerhead sea turtles (<em>Caretta caretta</em>)

Paolo Casale; Daniela Freggi; Paolo Gratton; Roberto Argano; Marco Oliverio

doi:10.3989/scimar.2008.72n3541

Autores/as

Paolo Casale Department of Animal and Human Biology, University of Rome 1 ‘La Sapienza’
Daniela Freggi Sea Turtle Rescue Centre WWF Italy
Paolo Gratton Department of Biology, University of Rome 2 ‘Tor Vergata’
Roberto Argano Department of Animal and Human Biology, University of Rome 1 ‘La Sapienza’
Marco Oliverio Department of Animal and Human Biology, University of Rome 1 ‘La Sapienza’

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.2008.72n3541

Palabras clave:

Caretta caretta, mtDNA, análisis de stock mezclados, conservación, Mediterráneo

Resumen

La amplia plataforma continental africana en el Mediterráneo se reconoce como una de las pocas áreas importantes en la cuenca para la tortuga boba en su estadio nerítico. Para evaluar el origen de estas tortugas se obtuvieron secuencias de mtDNA de la región control de 70 tortugas capturadas en el área por arrastreros y se compararon con las conocidas de localidades de anidación en el Mediterráneo y el Atlántico. Se identificaron cinco haplotipos (diversidad de haplotipos = 0.262; diversidad de nucleótidos = 5.4×10^-3). Los haplotipos específicos indican contribución de localidades alejadas como Turquía y el Atlántico, mostrando que las tortugas atlánticas que entran en el Mediterráneo en la fase oceánica usan, al menos, una plataforma continental mediterránea como territorio de anidación y alimentación. Un nuevo haplotipo y otro más, previamente encontrado sólo en áreas de alimentación, destacan el vacío de información genética de los sitios de anidación, lo que socava el poder de los análisis de stocks mixtos. A pesar de estas limitaciones, los resultados revelan la importancia regional del área de estudio como área de alimentación para las tortugas de, probablemente, la mayor parte de los agregados de anidación mediterráneos. Por tanto, la reducción de la mortalidad de tortugas debida al alto esfuerzo de pesca en el área debería ser considerado clave para la conservación de la tortuga mediterránea y, posiblemente, importante también para la poblaciones atlánticas.

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Citas

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