mating are located at sea. Different species has its own preference of foraging habitat Bustard, 1972; Rebel, 1974; Marquez-M, 1990 while mating ground
usually takes place near shore Miller, 1997. Foraging habitat of green turtle is in seagrass beds. However, pelagic habitat for early stage turtles juvenile remains
unclear. High priority must be given to the early pelagic stage that occurs in most sea turtle species. There is still less knowledge about the ecology of seaturtle’s
pelagic habitat, including green turtle.
2.4. Feeding Habit
Green turtle is an herbivorous species, however, in early ages, they are carnivorous. Bustard, 1972; Rebel, 1974 and Marquez-M, 1990. Marquez-M
1990 stated that the juvenile’s diet consist of small molluscs, sea urchins, sea squirts and crustacean whereas most of the adult’s diet is seagrass leaves. Stomach
content investigation also showed that green turtle feed on seaweed Rebel, 1974; Bjorndal, 1980; Marquez-M, 1990 and Lopez-Mendilaharsu et al., 2006. They
feed during daytime at shallow waters. Specific genera of the feeding type are listed below Table 1.
Table 1 Green turtle diet Genera
Source Seagrass: Zostera, Cymodocea, Thalassia and
Halophila Rebel 1974
Seagrass: Thalassia testudinium Bjorndal 1980
Seagrass: Zostera, Cymodocea, Thalassia, Syringodium, Diplantera, Halodule,
and Halophila Seaweed: Gelidium, Gracillaria, Gracilliaropsis,
Hypnea, Caulerpa, Vidalia, Bryothamnion, Cryptonema, Agardiella
Marquez-M 1990 Marquez-M 1990
Seaweed: Codium amplivesiculatum, Gracilaria textorii, Ulva lactuca, Chondria
nidifica, Gracilaria pacifica, Caulerpa sertularoides, Aspagaropsis taxiformis,
Amphiroa
sp., Laurencia pacifica Lopez-Mendilaharsu et al.,
2006 7
2.5. Temperature role
Sea turtles are poikilotherm organisms, which body activity is dependent upon environment temperature Rebel, 1947. Hence, it holds an important role
for each stage of sea turtle lives. They spend almost their life at sea, but the adult female will come back to their natal beach to lay eggs Miller, 1997. Incubation
temperature influence eggs incubation period and hatchlings sex determination Miller, 1997; Broderick et al., 2000. Although incubation temperature range
may differ by species and region, in general, higher temperature will result in a shorter eggs incubation period Marquez M, 1990. Higher temperature will
produce female individual whereas lower temperature will produce male Limpus, 1985; Miller, 1997. High temperature plays important role in early gonadal
differentiation Barlian, 1987. Our knowledge of pelagic habitat temperature of green turtle is still limited, no data yet for hatchlings.
