Understanding the surfacing behavior of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) is crucial for advancing our knowledge of their behavioral ecology. Loggerhead sea turtles, commonly occurring in the Azores archipelago, spend significant time at the surface for breathing, foraging, and maintaining thermoregulation through basking. Classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, they face ongoing threats from bycatch, entanglement, plastic ingestion, and boat strikes. This study aims to investigate and comprehend the surface behavior of loggerhead sea turtles in the Azores, an important habitat for them. Research indicates that loggerheads spend more time at the surface during the day and warmer seasons. Understanding these patterns is essential for addressing availability bias in abundance estimates derived from visual surveys. Therefore, our study seeks to quantify the relationship between oceanic stage juvenile loggerhead sea turtles' surface behavior with temporal and environmental variables, including time of day, daytime segments, season, sea surface temperature (SST), cloud cover, Beaufort, and moon phase.
By deepening our understanding of these behaviors, we aim to enhance statistical models for abundance estimation and support more effective conservation strategies and management in the Azores.
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