Impacts of recreational diving on hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) behaviour in a marine protected area

ABSTRACT

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered species encountered by recreational divers in marine protected areas (MPAs) circumtropically. Few studies, however, have examined the impacts of recreational diving on hawksbill behaviours. In 2014, we collected turtle sightings surveys and dive logs from 14 dive operations, and conducted in-water observations of 61 juvenile hawksbill turtles in Roatán, Honduras, to determine if differences in dive site use and diver behaviours affected sea turtle behaviours in the Roatán Marine Park. Sightings distributions did not vary with diving pressure during an 82-day study period. We found the amount of time turtles spent eating, investigating and breathing decreased when approached by divers. Our results suggest diver interactions may negatively impact sea turtle behaviours, however it is unknown if recreational diving has a cumulative effect on turtles over time. We recommend that MPA managers should implement monitoring programmes that assess the impacts of tourism on natural resources. We have established monitoring of hawksbills as representatives of the marine habitat in an MPA, which has the potential to be heavily impacted by dive tourism, and provide recommendations for continued monitoring of the resource.

休闲潜水对海洋保护区玳瑁行为的影响

本研究于2014年在洪都拉斯罗丹岛收集目击玳瑁的信息及水下观测以确定不同潜水点使用频率和潜水者行为会否影响海洋公园中玳瑁的行为。研究期间目击地区分布没有随使用频率变化，而玳瑁在潜水者接近时，进食、探查和呼吸的总时间减少。潜水者的交互可能消极地影响玳瑁行为，但未知该影响会否随时间累积。建议海洋保护区管理者实施检查程序以评估旅客对自然资源的影响。作为可能会被严重影响的海洋生物代表，玳瑁的监控已经建立。

KEYWORDS:

• Marine ecotourism
• behavioural studies
• scuba diving
• tourism impacts
• in-water observations
• coral reefs

关键词:

• 海洋生态旅游
• 行为研究
• 轻便潜水
• 旅游影响
• 水中观察
• 珊瑚

Acknowledgments

We thank the Roatán Marine Park for their collaboration in conducting this study and for providing logistical support. For thoughtful reviews of the manuscript, we thank the Marine Research Group (LLU), Elizabeth Dossett and three anonymous reviewers whose comments helped strengthen and clarify various aspects of the paper. We also thank Khaled Bahjri and Briana Wells for help with statistical analysis, Ed Santos and Lance PompevMeerddervoort for ArcGis™ support, and Lidia Salinas for help with logistics and in securing permits in Honduras. We thank DIGEPESCA and SAG for research permits, Jimmy Miller for transportation, and Splash Inn, Coconut Tree Divers, and West End Divers for providing us with dives. We also thank research assistants Marsha Wright and Linda Baeza, and the many divemasters, boat captains and volunteers who helped us with data collection. We thank ProTECTOR Inc. and Loma Linda University for their generous financial support. This study was conducted under approval from DIGEPESCA (SAG-No-36-2012) and Loma Linda University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) (Protocol #89029). This is Contribution No. 26 of the Marine Research Group (LLU), and Contribution No. 12 of ProTECTOR Inc.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Christian T. Hayes

Christian T. Hayes is a Master of Science graduate from Loma Linda University, CA, studying hawksbill sea turtles in Roatán, Honduras. He has worked on various projects related to human impacts on aquatic and marine ecosystems.

Dustin S. Baumbach

Dustin D. Baumbach is a doctoral student from Loma Linda University, CA, studying hawksbill sea turtles in Roatán, Honduras. He has worked on various projects related to identifying sea turtle foraging behaviour.

David Juma

David Juma is consulting coordinator and senior consultant in the Research Consulting Group at Loma Linda University.

Stephen G. Dunbar

Stephen G. Dunbar is professor of Biology and the Graduate Biology Program director in the Department of Earth and Biological Sciences at Loma Linda University. He is also the founder and president of ProTECTOR Inc.