North Atlantic oscillation leads to the differential interannual pattern distribution of sea turtles from tropical Atlantic oceans

Observer records from Spanish purse seiners targeting tropical tunas indicate by-catch of six different sea turtles species in the Atlantic Ocean. Incidental catch of sea turtle from the purse seiners fisheries targeting tropical tunas occur, but the mortality is very low, and not significant. However, the incidental catch of sea turtles could provide relevant information about the species’ distribution. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the principal atmospheric oscillation that module the trade winds in the North Atlantic Ocean. The principal aim of present study is understanding the effect of the NAO in the interannual pattern distribution of sea turtle incidental catch by this fishery. The number of total sea turtle records in years with positive NAO phases is significantly higher that the number of sea turtle interactions in years with negative NAO phases.