Migrations of Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) between Nesting and Foraging Grounds across the Coral Sea

A significant discovery in the study of green turtle migrations reveals that turtles foraging in New Caledonia's lagoons nest along the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) and vice versa, despite the availability of local foraging grounds. This long-distance migration pattern, spanning 1200 to 2680 kilometers, challenges conventional understanding of energetically efficient movement behaviors. Analysis of 50 years of tagging data from Queensland and New Caledonia identified 97 migrations, with most recovered turtles in New Caledonia originating from the southern Great Barrier Reef genetic stock. Notably, two females exhibited fidelity to distant foraging sites, highlighting previously unknown migration pathways within the Coral Sea. This research sheds light on the complex movement patterns of endangered marine megafauna and their implications for conservation management.

Read, T. C., Wantiez, L., Werry, J. M., Farman, R., Petro, G., & Limpus, C. J. (2014). Migrations of Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) between Nesting and Foraging Grounds across the Coral Sea. PLoS ONE, 9(6), e100083. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100083