La  tortuga laúd (Dermochelys Coriacea) un gigante del pacífico de Panamá en peligro

Eric E. Flores Coiba; Daniel Murcia-Moreno; Joelbin De La Cruz

doi:10.48204/j.scientia.v35n1.a6661

Submitted January 3, 2025

Published 2025-01-06

Artículos

Vol. 35 No. 1 (2025): Scientia

The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea) a giant from pacific Panama in danger

Eric E. Flores Coiba ⁺⁻
Daniel Murcia-Moreno ⁺⁻
Joelbin De La Cruz ⁺⁻

DOI https://doi.org/10.48204/j.scientia.v35n1.a6661

PDF (Español (España))

References

DOI: 10.48204/j.scientia.v35n1.a6661

Published: 2025-01-06

How to Cite

Flores Coiba , E. E., Murcia-Moreno , D., & De La Cruz , J. (2025). The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea) a giant from pacific Panama in danger. Scientia, 35(1), ´113–124. https://doi.org/10.48204/j.scientia.v35n1.a6661

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The leatherback turtle is the largest sea turtle and is distinguished by its soft shell. Its main diet consists of jellyfish and zooplankton, which makes it vulnerable to plastic ingestion. Leatherback turtle populations face significant threats, especially in the Pacific, where illegal egg harvest and bycatch are serious problems. The Eastern Tropical Pacific subpopulation is critically endangered according to the IUCN, mainly due to the decrease in nesting sites and human and animal predation of nests. Despite conservation efforts, populations have declined dramatically in recent decades. Therefore, this essay gives an overview of the current situation of the leatherback turtle in the Panamanian Pacific. Currently, Panama plays a crucial role in the conservation of the species mainly on its Atlantic coasts, and to a lesser extent on the Pacific coast, including artificial nurseries and conservation networks. However, better coordination among institutions and greater enforcement of existing regulations is needed. Citizen science and ongoing monitoring are essential to identify and protect remaining nesting sites, while environmental education is crucial to engage local communities in long-term conservation. This scenario underscores the urgency of coordinated actions at regional and local levels to prevent the extinction of the Leatherback turtle by protecting its critical habitats and reducing human and environmental threats.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ábrego, M. E., Acuña-Perales, N., Alfaro-Shigueto, J., Azócar, J., Barragán Rocha, A. R., Baquero, A., Cotto, A., Darquea, J., de Paz, N., Donoso, M., Dutton, P. H., Fonseca, L., Gadea, V., García, D., Genovart, M., Jimenez, A., del Rosario Juárez, M., López Sánchez, K. C., Mangel, J. C., … Network, T. L. O. P. O. (2020). Enhanced, coordinated conservation efforts required to avoid extinction of critically endangered Eastern Pacific leatherback turtles. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 4772. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60581-7
Arauz, E. A., Pacheco, L., Binder, S., y de Icaza, R. (2017). Diagnóstico de la Situación de las Tortugas Marinas en Panamá y Plan de Acción Nacional paraConservación.http://marviva.net/sites/default/files/documentos/diagnostico_situacion_tortugas_marinas_panama_y_pan_conservacion_17-04.pdf
Avens, L., Goshe, L. R., Zug, G. R., Balazs, G. H., Benson, S. R., y Harris, H. (2019). Regional comparison of leatherback sea turtle maturation attributes and reproductive longevity. Marine Biology, 167(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-019-3617-y
Avens, L., Taylor, J. C., Goshe, L. R., Jones, T. T., y Hastings, M. (2009). Use of skeletochronological analysis to estimate the age of leatherback sea turtles Dermochelys coriacea in the western North Atlantic. Endangered Species Research, 8(3), 165–177. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00202
Bailey, H., Benson, S. R., Shillinger, G. L., Bograd, S. J., Dutton, P. H., Eckert, S. A., Morreale, S. J., Paladino, F. V, Eguchi, T., Foley, D. G., Block, B. A., Piedra, R., Hitipeuw, C., Tapilatu, R. F., y Spotila, J. R. (2012). Identification of distinct movement patterns in Pacific leatherback turtle populations influenced by ocean conditions. Ecological Applications, 22(3), 735–747. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1890/11-0633
Chacon-Chaverri, D. (1999). Anidación de la tortuga Dermochelys coriacea (Testudines: Dermochelyidae) en playa Gandoca, Costa Rica (1990 a 1997). Revista de Biologia Tropical, 47(1–2), 225–236.
Chacón-Chaverri, D., y Eckert, K. L. (2007). Leatherback Sea Turtle Nesting at Gandoca Beach in Caribbean Costa Rica: Management Recommendations from Fifteen Years of Conservation. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 6(1), 101–110.https://doi.org/10.2744/1071-8443(2007)6[101:LSTNAG]2.0.CO;2
Chen, I. H., Yang, W., y Meyers, M. A. (2015). Leatherback sea turtle shell: A tough and flexible biological design. Acta Biomaterialia, 28, 2–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2015.09.023
CIT. (2022). Resolución CIT-COP10-2022-R6. Conservación de la Tortuga Baula del Pacífico Oriental. http://www.iacseaturtle.org/docs/resolucionesCOP10CIT/CIT-COP10-2022-R6_ESP_Baula OPO_17.Junio.2022_ADOPTADA.pdf
CITES. (2019). Status, scope and trends of the legal and illegal international trade in marine turtles, its conservation impacts, management options and mitigation priorities. https://n9.cl/y04i5
CITES. (2024). Apéndices I, II y III. https://cites.org/sites/default/files/esp/app/2024/S-Appendices-2024-05-25.pdf
Dutton, P. H., Bowen, B. W., Owens, D. W., Barragan, A., y Davis, S. K. (1999). Global Phylogeography of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Journal of Zoology, 248, 397–409.
Eckert, K. L., Wallace, B. P., Frazier, J. G., Eckert, S. A., y Pritchard, P. C. (2012). Synopsis of the biological data on the leatherback sea turtle (dermochelys coriacea).
Evans, D. R., Valverde, R. A., Ordoñez, C., y Carthy, R. R. (2021). Identification of the Gulf of Mexico as an important high-use habitat for leatherback turtles from Central America. Ecosphere, 12(8), e03722. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3722
Flores, E. E. (2022). Recent observations of Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761), in the waters of Pacific Panama. Neotropical Biology and Conservation, 17(1), 103–110. https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.17.e81465
Flores, E. E., Cruz, J. D. La, Seminoff, J. A., y Ureña, L. (2021). Local ecological knowledge supports identification of sea turtle nesting beaches in Panama. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 16(2), 238–250.
Mrosovsky, N., Ryan, G. D., y James, M. C. (2009). Leatherback turtles: The menace of plastic. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58(2), 287–289. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.10.018
NMFS y USFWS. (2020). Endangered Species Act status review of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea).
OPO, R. L. (2023). Plan de acción para la recuperación de la tortuga laúd (Dermochelys coriacea) del Pacífico Oriental, 2022-2032. https://laudopo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PlanAccion_2022-2032_RedLaudOPO_18Marzo23.pdf
Ordoñez, C., Troëng, S., Meylan, A., Meylan, P., y Ruiz, A. (2007). Chiriqui Beach, Panama, the Most Important Leatherback Nesting Beach in Central America. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 6(1), 122–126. https://doi.org/10.2744/1071-8443(2007)6[122:CBPTMI]2.0.CO;2
Paladino, F. V, O’Connor, M. P., y Spotila, J. R. (1990). Metabolism of leatherback turtles, gigantothermy, and thermoregulation of dinosaurs. Nature, 344(6269), 858–860. https://doi.org/10.1038/344858a0
Patino-Martinez, J., Marco, A., Quiñones, L., y Godley, B. (2008). Globally significant nesting of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) on the Caribbean coast of Colombia and Panama. Biological Conservation, 141(8), 1982–1988. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2008.05.012
Pritchard, P. C. (1989). Status report of the leatherback turtle. In L. Ogren, F. Berry, K. A. Bjorndal, H. Kumpf, R. Mast, G. Medina, H. Reichart, & R. Witham (Eds.), Proceedings of the 2nd Western Atlantic Turtle Symposium (pp. 145–152). U.S. Department of Commerce & NOAA.
Pritchard, P. C. (1997). Evolution, phylogeny, and current status. In P. L. Lutz & J. A. Musick (Eds.), The Biology of Sea Turtles, volume I (pp. 1–28). CRC Press.
Rhodin, A. G. J., Ogden, J. A., y Conlogue, G. J. (1981). Chondro-osseous morphology of Dermochelys coriacea, a marine reptile with mammalian skeletal features. Nature, 290(5803), 244–246. https://doi.org/10.1038/290244a0
Ruiz, A., y Rodríguez, J. (2011). Caracterización de las playas de anidación de tortugas marinas en el Parque Nacional Coiba, provincia de Veraguas, Panamá.
Seminoff, J. A., y Wallace, B. P. (2012). Sea turtles of the eastern Pacific: Advances in research and conservation. University of Arizona Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv21hrddc
Shillinger, G. L., Palacios, D. M., Bailey, H., Bograd, S. J., Swithenbank, A. M., Gaspar, P., Wallace, B. P., Spotila, J. R., Paladino, F. V., Piedra, R., Eckert, S. A., y Block, B. A. (2008). Persistent leatherback turtle migrations present opportunities for conservation. PLoS Biology, 6(7), e171. https://doi.org/doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060171
Spotila, J. R., Reina, R. D., Steyermark, A. C., Plotkin, P. T., y Paladino, F. V. (2000). Pacific leatherback turtles face extinction. Nature, 405(6786), 529–530. https://doi.org/10.1038/35014729
Spotila, J. R., y Santidrián-Tomillo, P. (2015). The leatherback turtle: Biology and Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1353/book.42520
Wallace, B. P., DiMatteo, A. D., Bolten, A. B., Chaloupka, M. Y., Hutchinson, B. J., Abreu-Grobois, F. A., Mortimer, J. A., Seminoff, J. A., Amorocho, D., Bjorndal, K. A., Bourjea, J., Bowen, B. W., Dueñas, R., Casale, P., Choudhury, B. C., Costa, A., Dutton, P. H., Fallabrino, A., Finkbeiner, E. M., … Mast, R. B. (2011). Global conservation priorities for Marine turtles. PLoS ONE, 6(9), e24510. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024510
Wallace, B. P., DiMatteo, A. D., Hurley, B. J., Finkbeiner, E. M., Bolten, A. B., Chaloupka, M. Y., Hutchinson, B. J., Alberto Abreu-Grobois, F., Amorocho, D., Bjorndal, K. A., Bourjea, J., Bowen, B. W., Briseño Dueñas, R., Casale, P., Choudhury, B. C., Costa, A., Dutton, P. H., Fallabrino, A., Girard, A., … Mast, R. B. (2010). Regional management units for marine turtles: A novel framework for prioritizing conservation and research across multiple scales. PLoS ONE, 5(12), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015465
Wallace, B. P., Kot, C. Y., Dimatteo, A., Lee, T. S., Crowder, L. B., y Lewison, R. L. (2013). Impacts of fisheries bycatch on marine turtle populations worldwide: toward conservation and research priorities. Ecosphere, 4, 1–49. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:84074695