The Biology of Sea Turtles

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.

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.