Trophic ecology of sympatric sea turtles in the tropical Atlantic coast of Brazil

Abstract

The Tropical Atlantic coast of Brazil is a hotspot area for multiple sea turtle species at all life stages. The multiple nearshore reefs and beaches, oceanic islands, and the only atoll in the south Atlantic Ocean, are suitable for year-round foraging, migration corridors, and nesting activities of five sea turtle species. Still, relatively few studies have assessed trophic niche among sympatric sea turtles which can provide a better understanding of how closely related species compete/partition the available resources. Using multiple biogeochemical tracers (i.e., nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) stable isotopes, and mercury (Hg)), we disentangled the trophic niches of four sea turtle species – the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the loggerhead turtle (Caretta), the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), and the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) – co-occurring in nesting and foraging habitats along the northeastern coast of Brazil. We found interspecific differences in isotopic and contamination niches, as well as intraspecific niche variation associated with life stage. Differences in the estimation niche models associated to life-stage in C. caretta support the notion of ontogenetic shift in habitat and diet composition previously reported for this species. Oceanic habitat signatures were observed in juvenile green turtles and adult olive turtles, while nearshore habitat signatures were observed in adult hawksbill turtles.