Coastal habitat degradation and green sea turtle diets in Southeastern Brazil
2011
Santos, Robson G. | Martins, Agnaldo Silva | Farias, Julyana da Nobrega | Horta, Paulo Antunes | Pinheiro, Hudson Tercio | Torezani, Evelise | Baptistotte, Cecília | Seminoff, Jeffrey A. | Balazs, George H. | Work, Thierry M.
To show the influence of coastal habitat degradation on the availability of food for green turtles (Chelonia mydas), we assessed the dietary preferences and macroalgae community at a feeding area in a highly urbanized region. The area showed low species richness and was classified as degraded. We examined stomach contents of 15 dead stranded turtles (CCL=44.0cm (SD 6.7cm)). The diet was composed primarily of green algae Ulva spp. (83.6%). In contrast, the macroalgae community was dominated by the green alga Caulerpa mexicana. We found a selection for red algae, seagrass and Ulva spp., and avoidance for C. mexicana and brown alga Dictyopteris delicatula. The low diversity of available food items, possibly a result of environmental degradation, likely contributed to the low dietary diversity. The nutritional implications of this restricted diet are unclear.
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