Isotopic ecology of Hawaiian green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and reliability of δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S analyses of unprocessed bone samples for dietary studies

This study conducted stable isotope analysis (delta C-13, delta N-15, and delta S-34) on the epidermis and two skeletal elements (rib and squamosal bones) of Hawaiian green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and putative diet items obtained from two neritic sites: the Kona/Kohala coast and Oahu. Turtle tissues were collected in 2018-2020 and diet samples in 2018, 2019, and 2021. The effect of body size and sampling locality on individual bulk tissue isotope values was evaluated, and stable isotope mixing models based on delta C-13, delta N-15, and delta S-34 values from those tissues and four groups of food sources were used to reconstruct diet histories of the turtles. Mixing models indicated that green turtles along the Kona/Kohala coast consumed an omnivorous diet, whereas those from Oahu had an herbivorous diet. These diet make-ups are consistent with published gut content analyses. However, mixing models using the stable isotope ratios in rib and squamosal bone failed to yield reasonable diet histories, probably due to inadequacies of the applied trophic discrimination factor (TDF), a key model parameter. These results further establish that stable isotope ratios in the epidermis can be used effectively to study green turtle diet, but also reveal that more validation-and establishment of appropriate TDFs-is needed before bone can be used reliably to assess green turtle diet.

Automated summary

This study analyzed stable isotope ratios in the epidermis and skeletal elements of Hawaiian green turtles to reconstruct their diet histories. The results showed that green turtles along the Kona/Kohala coast had an omnivorous diet, while those from Oahu had an herbivorous diet. The analysis also highlighted the limitations of using bone stable isotope ratios to assess green turtle diet.