Threatened North African seagrass meadows have supported green turtle populations for millennia

TY - JOUR

T1 - Threatened North African seagrass meadows have supported green turtle populations for millennia

AU - de Kock, Willemien

AU - Mackie, Meaghan

AU - Ramsøe, Max

AU - Allentoft, Morten E

AU - Broderick, Annette C

AU - Haywood, Julia C

AU - Godley, Brendan J

AU - Snape, Robin T E

AU - Bradshaw, Phil J

AU - Genz, Hermann

AU - von Tersch, Matthew

AU - Dee, Michael W

AU - Palsbøll, Per J

AU - Alexander, Michelle

AU - Taurozzi, Alberto J

AU - Çakırlar, Canan

N1 - © 2023 the Author(s).

PY - 2023/7/25

Y1 - 2023/7/25

N2 - "Protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversity" is the second official aim of the current UN Ocean Decade (2021 to 2030) calling for the identification and protection of critical marine habitats. However, data to inform policy are often lacking altogether or confined to recent times, preventing the establishment of long-term baselines. The unique insights gained from combining bioarchaeology (palaeoproteomics, stable isotope analysis) with contemporary data (from satellite tracking) identified habitats which sea turtles have been using in the Eastern Mediterranean over five millennia. Specifically, our analysis of archaeological green turtle (Chelonia mydas) bones revealed that they likely foraged on the same North African seagrass meadows as their modern-day counterparts. Here, millennia-long foraging habitat fidelity has been directly demonstrated, highlighting the significance (and long-term dividends) of protecting these critical coastal habitats that are especially vulnerable to global warming. We highlight the potential for historical ecology to inform policy in safeguarding critical marine habitats.

AB - "Protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversity" is the second official aim of the current UN Ocean Decade (2021 to 2030) calling for the identification and protection of critical marine habitats. However, data to inform policy are often lacking altogether or confined to recent times, preventing the establishment of long-term baselines. The unique insights gained from combining bioarchaeology (palaeoproteomics, stable isotope analysis) with contemporary data (from satellite tracking) identified habitats which sea turtles have been using in the Eastern Mediterranean over five millennia. Specifically, our analysis of archaeological green turtle (Chelonia mydas) bones revealed that they likely foraged on the same North African seagrass meadows as their modern-day counterparts. Here, millennia-long foraging habitat fidelity has been directly demonstrated, highlighting the significance (and long-term dividends) of protecting these critical coastal habitats that are especially vulnerable to global warming. We highlight the potential for historical ecology to inform policy in safeguarding critical marine habitats.

KW - Animals

KW - Humans

KW - Ecosystem

KW - Turtles

KW - North African People

KW - Ecology

KW - Biodiversity

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2220747120

DO - 10.1073/pnas.2220747120

M3 - Article

C2 - 37459551

SN - 0027-8424

VL - 120

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

IS - 30

M1 - e2220747120

ER -