1st Edition

The Biology of Sea Turtles, Volume III

    475 Pages 98 Color Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Since the first volume of The Biology of Sea Turtles was published in 1997, the field has grown and matured in ways few of the authors would have predicted—particularly in the areas of physiology, behavior, genetics, and health. Volume III presents timely coverage of emerging areas as well as the integration of approaches and information that did not exist even a decade ago. The book assembles the foremost experts in each topic to provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive book on sea turtles available today.

    New areas covered include in vivo imaging of structure, spatial distributions of marine turtles at sea, epibiosis, imprinting, parasitology, and climatic effects. Life history is explored in three chapters covering age determination, predator-prey interactions, and mortality from bycatch.

    The Biology of Sea Turtles, Volume III will inspire scientists and students to explore and expand their understanding of these intriguing animals. The book provides clear baseline summaries, thoughtful syntheses, and effective presentation of the most fundamental topics spanning form and function, health, distributions, behavior, genetics, evolution, and ecology. Its scope and depth make it the definitive go-to reference in the field.

    Physiology as Integrated Systems; Amanda Southwood Williard
    Vision; Kerstin A. Fritsches and Eric J. Warrant
    Natal Homing and Imprinting in Sea Turtles; Kenneth J. Lohmann, Catherine M.F. Lohmann, J. Roger Brothers, and Nathan F. Putman
    The Skeleton: An In Vivo View of Structure; Jeanette Wyneken
    Age and Age Estimation in Sea Turtles; Larisa Avens and Melissa L. Snover
    Molecular Genetics of Sea Turtles; Michael P. Jensen, Nancy N. FitzSimmons, and Peter H. Dutton
    Oceanic Habits and Habitats: Dermochelys coriacea; Vincent S. Saba
    Oceanic Habits and Habitats: Caretta caretta; Katherine L. Mansfield and Nathan F. Putman
    Feeding Biology: Advances from Field-Based Observations, Physiological Studies, and Molecular Techniques; T. Todd Jones and Jeffrey A. Seminoff
    Predators, Prey, and the Ecological Roles of Sea Turtles; Michael R. Heithaus
    Exposure to and Effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants; Jennifer M. Keller
    Fisheries Bycatch of Marine Turtles: Lessons Learned from Decades of
    Research and Conservation; Rebecca Lewison, Bryan Wallace, Joana Alfaro-Shigueto, Jeff Mangel, Sara Maxwell, and Elliott Hazen
    Climate Change and Marine Turtles; Mark Hamann, Mariana M.P.B. Fuentes, Natalie C. Ban, and Veronique J.L. Mocellin
    Free-Ranging Sea Turtle Health; Mark Flint
    Sea Turtle Epibiosis; Michael G. Frick and Joseph B. Pfaller
    Parasites of Marine Turtles; Ellis C. Greiner
    Index

    Biography

    Jeanette Wyneken, Ph.D., is an associate professor of biological sciences at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. A functional morphologist and marine conservation biologist, her studies with sea turtles have encompassed a wide range of topics, including growth, energetics, migratory behavior, feeding, sex determination, and medical imaging. She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed papers, 9 book chapters, and 1 book, The Anatomy of Sea Turtles. She also coedited The Biology of Sea Turtles, Volume II, and The Biology of Turtles.

    Kenneth J. Lohmann, Ph.D., is the Charles P. Postelle, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His scientific interests focus on the behavior and neurobiology of marine animals, with a particular emphasis on unusual sensory systems and how animals use the Earth’s magnetic field to guide long-distance migrations. He has published research on diverse invertebrate and vertebrate animals, including more than 50 peer-reviewed studies on sea turtles.

    John A. (Jack) Musick, Ph.D., is the Marshall Acuff Professor Emeritus in Marine Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary. Many of Dr. Musick’s recent studies have focused on fisheries bycatch of long-lived marine animals such as sharks and sea turtles. He has published more than 150 scientific papers and coauthored or edited 21 books focused on the ecology and conservation of sharks, marine fisheries management, and sea turtle ecology.

     

    "It's getting better! This is not surprising considering the highly skilled team of editors and authors; the third volume of Biology of Sea Turtles should be on the shelf of every sea turtle biologist. The book is presented in 16 chapters, covering many aspects, from morphology to physiology and genetics, to organic pollutants and fisheries by catch mitigation. Previous volumes have inspired many sea turtle scientists and conservation practitioners, myself included.

    …important new findings are included in this latest volume, several based on methodologies only used intensively on sea turtle ecology in recent times… Looking at the three-volume series of Biology of Sea Turtles, clear developments in the field can be seen, with a range of paradigms being revisited and revised in the last volume, for instance ontogeny and individual specialization. …

    All three volumes, and the third in particular, end with recommendations for further research, the need for methodology improvements, and key questions to be addressed. This is a valuable approach, and it makes the current volume a valuable guide, as well as an inspiration, for the current and next generation of sea turtle scientists.

    Overall, in my opinion the current book should be compulsory reading for researchers, managers, and conservationists who deal with marine turtles and their habitats. I cannot wait until vol. IV is available!"
    —Leandro Bugoni, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande – FURG, in Marine Biology Research, Volume 10, Issue 1, 2014

    Praise for Previous Volumes:

    " … simply cannot be missing from the bookshelf of anyone seriously involved with sea turtles, whether it be sea turtle researchers or the staff and managers of marine protected areas with sea turtles in their waters or on their beaches."
    —Michael Stachowitsch, in Marine Ecology

    "The Biology of Sea Turtles is one of the best places to start ... may be recommended to libraries and individuals."
    —N. Mrosovsky, in Nature

    " … likely to become the standard reference in the field … well illustrated with line drawings and photographs ... a first source for many herpetologists looking for current information on sea turtles."
    —Kentwood D. Wells, in Copeia

    " … undoubtedly a key reference text for those involved closely with sea turtle research and an essential purchase for institutional libraries … ."
    —Brendan J Godley, in Marine Turtle Newsletter