Sea turtles: A review of some key recent discoveries and remaining questions

This review highlights some recent important developments in our understanding of the physiological, behavioural and molecular ecology of sea turtles as well as their conservation biology. Key commonalities are identified between the biological questions being addressed with respect to sea turtles compared to those with marine mammals (e.g. pinnipeds and whales), birds (e.g. albatrosses) and fish (e.g. tuna, swordfish and pelagic sharks). Key areas highlighted include (1) objectively identifying oceanic hotspots; (2) measuring what animals are actually doing in different parts of their range (e.g. foraging) rather than simply inferring their state from their position and movement; (3) completing energy budgets for species over ecologically relevant timescales (e.g. the period between breeding seasons); (4) using biological information to help drive conservation management; and (5) assessing the impact of climate change.