Hawksbill and green turtle niche overlap in a marine protected area, US Virgin Islands
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- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Data Release: USGS data release - Stable isotope signatures from green turtles and hawksbills at Buck Island Reef National Monument, U.S. Virgin Islands from 2012-2019
- Open Access Version: Publisher Index Page
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Abstract
Studying how species interact with their environment and other co-occurring species are 2 main aspects of ecology. For marine turtles, ocean currents drive migratory routes and may determine the location of surrounding foraging grounds. As a result, circumglobal species like the hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata and green turtle Chelonia mydas adapt to diverse foraging habitats and employ varied feeding strategies. Dietary specializations may reduce competition for available food and space resources between co-occurring hawksbill and green turtles in US Virgin Island shallow reef habitats. This study analyzed isotopic data from immature hawksbill (n = 49; range: 18.7-49.8 cm straight carapace length [SCL]) and green turtles (n = 225; range: 24.1-69.4 cm SCL) to examine foraging niche. We used nitrogen stable isotope (δ15N) values as an indicator of trophic positioning and carbon stable isotope (δ13C) values as a habitat variable. Turtles were hand-captured across an 8 yr period (2012-2019), which facilitated the distinction of isotopic patterns in both the environment and among individual turtles. Understanding variations in habitat, community dynamics, and dietary consumption allowed us to utilize a 5 point framework to translate isotopic space to foraging niche. We found that the site’s relatively stable environmental conditions allow for isotopic overlap between hawksbill and green turtles despite the specialized feeding strategies each species employs. We also underscore the need to evaluate species-specific tissue turnover estimates as evidenced by the influence of tropical storms on recaptured turtle isotopic signatures. These findings inform our understanding of resource use for these imperiled species at our study site and are useful for future global isotopic comparisons.
Study Area
Publication type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Title | Hawksbill and green turtle niche overlap in a marine protected area, US Virgin Islands |
Series title | Endangered Species Research |
DOI | 10.3354/esr01276 |
Volume | 52 |
Year Published | 2023 |
Language | English |
Publisher | Inter-Research |
Contributing office(s) | Wetland and Aquatic Research Center |
Description | 19 p. |
First page | 265 |
Last page | 283 |
Country | United States |
Other Geospatial | U.S. Virgin Islands |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |