Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Movement in Relation to Oceanographic Parameters in India

Abstract

The movement of Olive Ridley sea turtle in coastal region and their nesting behavior in India were studied with relation to oceanographic parameters during 2003 to 2007.The impact of oceanographic parameters including the potential environmental influences on the movements and nesting; we compared in west and east coast with remotely sensed variables including sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface current(SSC), surface chlorophyll concentration (Chl-a), sea surface height (SSH) and mixed layer depth (MLD). The movement at west and east coast observed, including the oceanic migration for pelagic and nesting mass that increased gradually from west coast to southward and then towards to northward directionwith mass nesting in east coast of Orissa. The movement results due to potential mean surface Chl-a concentration of 3 mg m-3 with threshold limitation of mean surface temperature at ≤ 25 0 C at east coast of Orissa. Although the mean surface Chl-a and SST maintained in west coast there was distinctlyvariation in MLD, WSC with SSH characteristics. In contrast present study revealed the favorable oceanographic condition for mass nesting of Olive Ridleyat east coast of Orissa.However the anthropogenic impact has declined the nesting population in later during 2006 and 2007.