ESR

Endangered Species Research

ESR is a gold Open Access research journal on all endangered forms of life on Earth, the threats faced by species and their habitats, and the necessary steps that must be undertaken to ensure their conservation.

** ESR is looking for applications from prospective Editors. More... **

Online: ISSN 1613-4796

Print: ISSN 1863-5407

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr

Journal contents
Endang Species Res

Genetic diversity and source rookeries from the bycatch and stranded loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta in the seas around the Korean Peninsula

ABSTRACT: Understanding the origins and habitat connectivity of sea turtles with wide habitat ranges is essential for their conservation. Although loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta are found annually in the seas around the Korean Peninsula, their genetic diversity and origins remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze partial sequences of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (808 bp) of 62 loggerhead turtles collected in Korean foraging grounds (East, West, South, and Jeju Seas) between 2014 and 2022 to determine their genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and rookery origins. The sampled loggerhead turtles had 5 haplotype types, with haplotype diversity of 0.439 ± 0.075 and nucleotide diversity of 0.00228 ± 0.00052, which originated from 3 Northwest Pacific management units (MUs): Ryukyu Islands (RYI), Yakushima Island (YAK), and mainland Japan (MLJ). In distance-rookery size-weighted mixed stock analysis, mean (±SD) contribution values to Korean foraging grounds of sampled loggerhead turtles were 4.2 ± 1.6% for RYI, 71.6 ± 16.7% for YAK, and 24.2 ± 15.2% for MLJ. These contributions varied depending on the season and Korean feeding grounds. Our findings on the connectivity of loggerhead turtles between Korea and Japan highlight the necessity for international cooperation in their conservation.

KEYWORDS

Min-Woo Park (Co-author)

  • Division of Science Education, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 24341, Republic of Korea
drong10@naver.com

Daesik Park (Co-author)

  • Division of Science Education, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 24341, Republic of Korea
parkda@kangwon.ac.kr

Il-Hun Kim (Co-author)

  • Marine Biodiversity Division, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do 33662, Republic of Korea
ihkim@mabik.re.kr

Jaejin Park (Co-author)

  • Division of Science Education, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 24341, Republic of Korea
zhqnfth1217@naver.com

Il-Kook Park (Corresponding Author)

  • Marine Biodiversity Division, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do 33662, Republic of Korea
ileveli2@naver.com, bigkook0314@gmail.com

Handling Editor:
Mark Hamann, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Reviewers:
T. Ishihara and 2 anonymous referees