School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-2026
Abstract
Aim
Green turtles are a widely distributed and highly migratory species; despite extensive data on their movement, there is no species-specific global synthesis on the subject. Based on three decades of published literature and building on previous global analyses, we developed a global network model of migratory connectivity for green turtles to better understand their spatial biology.
Location
Global.
Time Period
1990–2022.
Major Taxa Studied
Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas).
Methods
We conducted a structured literature review extracting georeferenced information on the movement of green turtles from 1990 to 2022, aggregating this information into a single connectivity model, defining nodes of connectivity. We evaluated connectivity routes from nesting areas to foraging sites for each RMU, identifying trajectories moving outside and across the boundaries of these areas.
Results
We found a total of 113 sources informing migratory connectivity globally. We identified 474 sites, representing locations where green turtles were observed (124 being nesting sites). Migratory connections, derived from both long-term (≥ 1 year) and short-term (< 12 months) tracking data, ranged from resident turtles that never left their nesting sites to rookeries connected to as many as 20 different locations, some over 5000 km apart. This long-distance connectivity exposes populations to threats across disparate locations. Most connections traversed national jurisdictions, including crossing different Regional Management Units.
Main Conclusions
We compiled the largest available dataset describing movement of green turtles worldwide and present the most comprehensive global model of their migratory connectivity. This model provides ecological insights into regional differences in life histories, identifies geographic and demographic gaps in sampling, and provides baseline information on connectivity to support transboundary management of green turtle populations. The study reiterates the need for larger collaborative efforts to aggregate knowledge beyond local jurisdictions, to inform and align effective management measures to protect this historically threatened species.
Recommended Citation
Restrepo, Jaime, Dina Nisthar, Harris Wei‐Khang Heng, Lily K. Bentley, Corrie Curtice, Sarah DeLand, Ei Fujioka et al. "Ecological insights and management implications of the global migratory connectivity of green turtles." Diversity and Distributions32, no. 5 (2026): e70196. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.70196
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Diversity and Distributions
DOI
10.1111/ddi.70196
Included in
Animal Sciences Commons, Earth Sciences Commons, Environmental Sciences Commons, Marine Biology Commons
Comments
© 2026 The Author(s). Diversity and Distributions published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.