Migrations of green turtles in the central South Pacific

Abstract

Migrations of seven post-nesting green turtles at Rose Atoll (American Samoa) were tracked by satellite transmitters in 1993–1995. Most turtles migrated 1600 km to foraging areas in Fiji and occupied home ranges averaging 27 km 2. Additional tag recaptures from other studies indicate a common pattern of turtle movement in the central South Pacific region. In total, the 26 recaptures of primarily post-nesting turtles from French Polynesia, American Samoa, and Cook Islands showed a similar course of direction and destination: 96% migrated westward after nesting, with 58% going specifically to Fiji. We propose that this pattern reflects the lower availability of turtle food east of Fiji where most islands are small, steep and have limited areas suitable for seagrass or algal growth. In contrast, Fiji's extensive pastures of seagrass and algae appear to be a significant resource for many green turtles in the region. These turtles apparently spend most of their adult life in Fijian waters, taking only brief migrations to other islands to nest.