Juvenile green turtles show previously undocumented foraging areas in the Gulf of Santa Elena

A new study published in PLOS One, pioneered by TLT’s staff, tracked 15 juvenile green turtles using acoustic telemetry across Matapalito Bay and Santa Elena Bay. The turtles showed strong site fidelity, with most staying consistently within the study area, and a clear preference for macroalgae and reef patch habitat over mangroves, unlike populations studied elsewhere. Larger turtles ranged more widely, while smaller ones stuck closer to home. The area is currently protected within Santa Rosa National Park, but the authors flag that similar unprotected bays nearby may be equally important, and equally overlooked, foraging grounds.

Read more (peer-reviewed paper): https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0326473