Site specialists, diet generalists? Isotopic variation, site fidelity, and foraging by loggerhead turtles in Shark Bay, Western Australia

Loggerhead turtles in Shark Bay, Western Australia, exhibit strong site fidelity and remarkable affinity for small geographic areas, often less than 5 km², suggesting they are site specialists. While larger adults display low isotopic variance, indicating a highly generalized diet, smaller individuals show higher isotopic variation, potentially reflecting dietary differences or timing of habitat recruitment. This study integrates stable isotope analysis with behavioral data to infer foraging patterns, challenging the assumption that among-individual isotopic variation at nesting sites reflects prey specialization.

Thomson, J., Heithaus, M., Burkholder, D., Vaudo, J., Wirsing, A., & Dill, L. (2012). Site specialists, diet generalists? Isotopic variation, site fidelity, and foraging by loggerhead turtles in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 453, 213–226. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09637