Research priorities for immature sea turtles

AVENS L; BLUMENTHAL J; CASALE P; EPPERLY SP; GONZÁLEZ CARMAN VICTORIA; ISHIHARA T; MILLER JD; SASSO C; SOUHTWOOD WILLIARD AS; GREDZENS C; WARE M; BELL I; FUENTES MMPB; MCNEILL JB; DOMIT C; GODLEY BJ; HART KM; METZ TL; READ MA; WILDERMANN NE; SENEY EE; BARRIOS-GARRIDO HA; VÉLEZ-RUBIO GM; BOLTEN AB; WYNEKEN J; DI DOMENICO M; GODFREY MH; HAMANN M; MANSFIELD KL; PILCHER NJ; SEMINOFF JA; TOMÁS J; WILLIAMS JL

Simposio; 39th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation; 2019

Although sea turtles have received substantial focus worldwide, research on the immaturelife stages is still relatively limited. The latter is of particular importance, given that a largeproportion of sea turtle populations comprises immature individuals. We set out to identify knowledgegaps and identify the main barriers hindering research in this field. We analyzed the perceptionsof sea turtle experts through an online survey which gathered their opinions on the currentstate of affairs on immature sea turtle research, including species and regions in need of furtherstudy, priority research questions, and barriers that have interfered with the advancement of research.Our gap analysis indicates that studies on immature leatherback Dermochelys coriaceaand hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata turtles are lacking, as are studies on all species based in theIndian, South Pacific, and South Atlantic Oceans. Experts also perceived that studies in populationecology, namely on survivorship and demography, and habitat use/behavior, are needed to advancethe state of knowledge on immature sea turtles. Our survey findings indicate the need for more interdisciplinary research, collaborative efforts (e.g. data-sharing, joint field activities), and improvedcommunication among researchers, funding bodies, stakeholders, and decision-makers.