Critically endangered hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are keystone species that, by their decline, have a profound effect on marine ecosystems such as coral reefs. The goal of this study was to define activity rhythm and food preferences in Martinique in order to develop appropriate conservation measures on a local and global scale. A literature search was first conducted to list prey species and methodologies used per biogeographical area. To compare global findings with Martinique, one female and six males were followed during 48 hours using on-board cameras and tri-axial accelerometers. Findings have shown that hawksbills spend half of their time feeding, especially in the morning. At Le Sec du Diamant, they feed at 14.43 ± 9.72 m depth. Diet composition of hawksbills in Martinique includes mostly Aplysinidae (Porifera), Tethyidae (Porifera), Chondrillidae (Porifera) and Sargassaceae (Plantae). These findings provide new insight on food preferences as Aplysinidae has never been observed before as part of hawksbills diet in the Tropical Atlantic. Spongin content and brominated metabolites are amongst the factors that could define food preferences and strategies. Further analyses i.e. SIA, genetics, microbial communities, chemical content, habitat distribution are needed in order to better define feeding strategies.
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