Foraging area Identification

Using a combination of stable isotope analysis (SIA) and satellite telemetry, we validated the use of SIA to identify foraging area origin of loggerhead sea turtles nesting along the U.S. east coast. This served us to identify priority areas of conservation for the largest population of loggerhead sea turtles in the Northwest Atlantic (green areas in the figure). Sea turtle skin, blood, eggs, or scute can be sampled to determine which geographic region they spend most of their lives in the water.

See related publications below
Picture
From Pfaller & Pajuelo et al. (2020)
Picture
From Pajuelo et al. (2016)

Long-term Resource Use

Using SIA in long-term records of sea turtles, their scute, we evaluated the long-term resource use among sea turtles from different feeding areas. Our results show that resource diversity present at a foraging area may affect the degree of temporal consistency in resource use. Understanding the drivers of intra-population variation in resource use will allow us to predict how they will respond to changing environmental conditions.
See related publications below.
Related publications:
  • Pfaller, JB; Pajuelo, M; Vander Zanden, HB; Andrews, KM; Dodd, MG; Godfrey, MH; et al. (2020) Identifying patterns in foraging-area origins in breeding aggregations of migratory species: Loggerhead turtles in the Northwest Atlantic. PLoS ONE 15(4): e0231325. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231325
  • Pajuelo, M.; Bjorndal, K.A.; Arendt, M.D.; Foley, A.M.; Schroeder, B.A.; Witherington, B.E.; Bolten, A.B. (2016) Long-term resource use and foraging specialization in male loggerhead turtles. Mar Biol 163: 235. doi:10.1007/s00227-016-3013-9
  • Kaufman, T.J.; Pajuelo, M.; Bjorndal, K.A.; Bolten, A.B.; Pfaller, J.B.; Williams, K.L.; Vander Zanden, H.B (2014) Mother–egg stable isotope conversions and effects of lipid extraction and ethanol preservation on loggerhead eggs. Conserv Physiol 2: doi:10.1093/conphys/cou049.  
  • Vander Zanden. H.; Tucker, A; Hart, K, Lamont, M; Fujisaki, I; Addison, A; Mansfield, K; Phillips, K; Wunder, M; Bowen, G; Pajuelo, M; Bolten, A; Bjorndal, K. (2014) Determining foraging area origin in a migratory marine vertebrate: a novel method to integrate stable isotope analysis and satellite tracking. Ecol App doi: 10.1890/14-0581.1
  • Pajuelo, M.; Bjorndal, K.A.; Reich, K.J.; Vander Zanden, H.B.; Hawkes, L.A.; Bolten, A.B. 2012. Assignment of nesting loggerhead turtles to their foraging areas in the Northwest Atlantic using stable isotopes. Ecosphere 3(10):89 http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES12-00220.1 
  •  Pajuelo, M.; Bjorndal, K.A.; Reich, K.J.; Arendt, M.D.; Bolten, A.B. 2012. Distribution of foraging habitats of male loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) as revealed by stable isotopes and satellite telemetry. Mar Biol 159:1255–1267 
  • Pajuelo, M.; Bjorndal, K.A.; Alfaro-Shigueto, J.; Seminoff, J.A.; Mangel, J.C.; Bolten, A.B. 2010. Stable isotope variations in loggerhead turtles reveals Pacific-Atlantic oceanographic differences. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 417:277-285 ​