Marine turtles predominantly feed on the benthos, and consequently their foraging activity may be useful to identify benthic communities. Given turtles are highly migratory, their movements can also inform how connected marine ecosystems are across multiple spatial management units (SMUs).
We compiled satellite tracking data for green, flatback, hawksbill and olive ridley turtles across the North (N) and North-West (NW) Marine Regions. Tracks were used to define foraging locations and overlayed with available benthic habitat data to assess how well each species’ foraging activity indicates sensitive benthic habitats. We also built movement networks to assess level of connectivity among SMUs (State, Indigenous and Commonwealth managed Marine Parks) and nesting grounds across the N and NW.
Green and hawksbill turtle foraging locations were good indicators of sensitive habitats, and overlapped known areas of hard coral, seagrass, and filter feeders. While those for olive ridley and flatback turtles were less informative, predominantly overlapping bare substrate. Green and flatback turtles displayed a high degree of connectivity across all SMUs, between and within the N and NW, while hawksbill and olive ridley turtle displayed regionally fragmented networks. The high level of connectivity between SMUs suggests a need for collaborative management of these species between state, commonwealth, and Indigenous managers.