Marine turtles are both flagship species of conservation concern and indicators of ocean health. As highly migratory species, and despite substantial research effort focusing on nesting females and satellite tagging studies, we still know little about the trophic ecology and habitat use of immature stages and males. Consequently, marine turtle biologists began using stable isotope analyses in the last decade to elucidate various aspects of trophic ecology, including habitat use and trophic position. This has resulted in a burgeoning but largely disconnected literature of mostly single-species case studies. Here we comprehensively synthesize this body of work into a unified data repository, the MarTurtSI database. MarTurtSI contains stable isotope data from six of seven marine turtle species ranging from juveniles to adults, in different developmental, feeding, and breeding habitats across multiple ocean basins. MarTurtSI will be curated and updated with the aim of enabling continued comprehensive and global investigations into the trophic ecology of marine turtles especially in the face of climate change and other conservation challenges.
MarTurtSI_1_List of SI studies_2018
Complete List of stable isotope studies (n=130) of marine turtles
compiled through November 2018.
MarTurtSI_3a_SubsidiaryQuantitativeDataset_AdultSIMeans_CSV_2018
50 studies yielding 91 records of mean stable isotope values of adult marine turtles in different ocean basins compiled in a Subsidiary Quantitative Dataset. CSV file format.
MarTurtSI_3b_SubsidiaryQuantitativeDataset_AdultSIMeans_XLSX_2018
50 studies yielding 91 records of mean stable isotope values of adult marine turtles in different ocean basins compiled in a Subsidiary Quantitative Dataset. xlsx file format.
MarTurtSI_4_RawData_DataSupplements&PlotDigitizer_2018
Raw Data drawn from either original data supplements or extracted from figures using PlotDigitizer used to generate estimates for the Subsidiary Quantitative Dataset compiled in a single excel file.
MarTurtSI_2a_ComprehensiveDataTable_ReviewedStudiesSummary_2018
113 studies using stable isotope analysis in marine turtles reviewed and summarized in a Comprehensive Data Table as word file. Summary of studies reviewed employing stable isotope analysis (SIA) of δ13C and/or δ15N to investigate different aspects of marine turtle trophic ecology, sometimes combined SIA with satellite tracking. Table summarizes for each study: the study region, life stages surveyed, sample sizes, tissues used for SIA, major findings and reference. Studies are organized by marine turtle species > ocean basin. Juveniles and subadult stages were usually sampled in foraging areas if not indicated otherwise. The study categories A-D & M refer to a hierarchical concept model introduced in Figgener, Bernardo and Plotkin (2018) (manuscript in preparation); M indicates method papers.
References marked with S indicate studies that have supplementary data available online, with * indicate studies included in the quantitative dataset.
Abbreviations: SI=Stable Isotope, RBCs=red blood cells, CCL=curved carapace length, SCL=straight carapace length, SCW=straight carapace width, BM=body mass, TP=trophic position, GoM=Gulf of Mexico, AA-CSIA=Amino Acid – Compound Specific Isotope Analysis, EAA=Essential Amino Acid, Cc=Caretta caretta, Cm=Chelonia mydas, Dc=Dermochelys coriacea, Ei=Eretmochelys imbricata, Lk=Lepidochelys kempii, Lo=Lepidochelys olivacea, Nd=Natator depressus
MarTurtSI_2b_ComprehensiveDataTable_ReviewedStudiesSummary_2018
113 studies using stable isotope analysis in marine turtles reviewed and summarized in a Comprehensive Data Table as .xlsx file. Summary of studies reviewed employing stable isotope analysis (SIA) of δ13C and/or δ15N to investigate different aspects of marine turtle trophic ecology, sometimes combined SIA with satellite tracking. Table summarizes for each study: the study region, life stages surveyed, sample sizes, tissues used for SIA, major findings and reference. Studies are organized by marine turtle species > ocean basin. Juveniles and subadult stages were usually sampled in foraging areas if not indicated otherwise. The study categories A-D & M refer to a hierarchical concept model introduced in Figgener, Bernardo and Plotkin (2018) (manuscript in preparation); M indicates method papers.
References marked with S indicate studies that have supplementary data available online, with * indicate studies included in the quantitative dataset.
Abbreviations: SI=Stable Isotope, RBCs=red blood cells, CCL=curved carapace length, SCL=straight carapace length, SCW=straight carapace width, BM=body mass, TP=trophic position, GoM=Gulf of Mexico, AA-CSIA=Amino Acid – Compound Specific Isotope Analysis, EAA=Essential Amino Acid, Cc=Caretta caretta, Cm=Chelonia mydas, Dc=Dermochelys coriacea, Ei=Eretmochelys imbricata, Lk=Lepidochelys kempii, Lo=Lepidochelys olivacea, Nd=Natator depressus