Australian hawksbill turtle population dynamics project

Abstract

Cheloniid turtles are characterised by a complicated life history: their eggs are laid on warm beaches; hatchling sex is determined temperature dependent sex determination during embryonic development; lack of parental care; hatchlings are imprinted to the natal area; hatchlings disperse to feed on plankton in the pelagic environments followed by inshore recruitment to feed on benthic organisms; immature turtles have slow growth and delayed maturation; adults migrate to breed in their respective natal area; they lay multiple clutches in a breeding season but dot normally breed annually; adults display high fidelity to both their respective breeding and the feeding areas and have an extended adult life (Hirth. 1997).