Archaeological evidence for long-term human impacts on sea turtle foraging behaviour

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Conservation Science
• Archaeology

Background:

• Early conservation of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Caribbean spurred marine protection but faced limitations due to scarce historical ecological data.
• Understanding historical foraging behaviors is crucial for effective conservation management of sea turtle populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the foraging behavior of green sea turtles before and after a significant change in harvesting intensity.
• To integrate isotopic and zooarchaeological evidence to reconstruct past ecological adaptability.
• To inform future conservation strategies by evaluating the potential for ecological exchangeability in sea turtle populations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of isotopic and zooarchaeological evidence from green sea turtles harvested at the Miskito Cays, Nicaragua.
• Comparison of foraging patterns between pre- and post-harvesting intensity change periods.

Main Results:

• Isotopic data revealed greater foraging adaptability in earlier green sea turtle populations.
• Findings challenge recent syntheses suggesting ecological non-exchangeability of sea turtles.
• Results indicate a potential for higher ecological exchangeability in future populations than currently recognized.

Conclusions:

• Historical ecological data, particularly from archaeological sources, is vital for long-term conservation planning.
• Future green sea turtle populations may possess greater capacity for ecological adaptation and exchangeability.
• Conservation planning should consider long-term ecological perspectives to support sea turtle recovery.