REMOTE SENSING ANALYSIS OF OCEANOGRAPHIC FACTORS INFLUENCING THE AT-SEA BEHAVIOUR OF SEA TURTLES: A SATELLITE TRACKING INTER-SPECIFIC STUDY

The present study investigates the influence of the oceanographic conditions on the ecology and behaviour of three migrating sea turtle species (Demochelys coriacea, Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas). The integration of satellite-derived data on the turtles’ movements and diving activity with remote-sensing information on the main oceanographic parameters in the oceanic areas crossed by tracked turtles constitutes the core of this research and has shown to be an essential tool for the interpretation of the at-sea turtles’ behaviour. I focused on investigating whether and to which extent the observed variations in turtle migration and diving patterns were linked to the variability of the oceanographic conditions. A comparative evaluation of the way each species deals with the experienced environmental conditions allowed us to highlight different adaptative strategies employed by migrating turtles that are mainly linked to the particular migratory habits and feeding ecology of these animals, which spend all their life moving in a movable medium