Simulating transoceanic migrations of young loggerhead sea turtles: merging magnetic navigation behavior with an ocean circulation model.

Young loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from eastern Florida, USA, undertake a transoceanic migration in which they gradually circle the Sargasso Sea before returning to the North American coast. Loggerheads possess a 'magnetic map' in which regional magnetic fields elicit changes in swimming direction along the migratory pathway. In some geographic areas, however, ocean currents move more rapidly than young turtles can swim.

Is the geographic distribution of nesting in the Kemp's ridley turtle shaped by the migratory needs of offspring?

Across the geographic area that a species uses for reproduction, the density of breeding individuals is typically highest in locations where ecological factors promote reproductive success. For migratory animals, fitness depends, in part, on producing offspring that migrate successfully to habitats suitable for the next life-history stage. Thus, natural selection might favor reproduction in locations with conditions that facilitate the migration of offspring.