A dataset of sea turtle occurrences around the Taiwan coast

Daphne Z Hoh; Chia-Ling Fong; Huai Su; Pengyu Chen; Chia-Chen Tsai; Kelly W H Tseng; Melissa J Y Liu

doi:10.3897/BDJ.10.e90196

A dataset of sea turtle occurrences around the Taiwan coast

Biodivers Data J. 2022 Nov 3:10:e90196. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.10.e90196. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Daphne Z Hoh^{1

2}, Chia-Ling Fong^{1

3

4}, Huai Su¹, Pengyu Chen¹, Chia-Chen Tsai¹, Kelly W H Tseng⁵, Melissa J Y Liu²

Affiliations

¹ TurtleSpot Taiwan, Pingtung, Taiwan TurtleSpot Taiwan Pingtung Taiwan.
² Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility (TaiBIF), Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility (TaiBIF), Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan.
³ Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan.
⁴ Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University Taipei Taiwan.
⁵ Independent Researcher, Taipei, Taiwan Independent Researcher Taipei Taiwan.

Abstract

Background: We describe a dataset of sea turtle sightings around the coast of Taiwan and its islands (Hoh and Fong 2022). This data collection was initiated by TurtleSpot Taiwan, a citizen-science project that collects sea turtle sighting data. This dataset includes 3,515 sighting data dated from March 2010, except most of the data (n = 3,128; 89%) were collected between June 2017 to December 2021. Sightings were reported by citizen scientists to the Facebook Group of TurtleSpot Taiwan by providing occurrence information. We also requested photos and videos for species identification and to record any physical abnormality of the turtle, if observable. In addition to recording data often associated with an occurrence, TurtleSpot aims to identify each sea turtle up to the individual level using the Photo Identification (Photo ID) method. Hence, if photos of left facial scutes were available, the sighted individual can be identified and given a unique turtle ID. In total, 762 individuals were assigned a turtle ID, comprising 723 Greens (Cheloniamydas), 38 Hawksbills (Eretmochelysimbricata) and one Olive Ridley (Lepidochelysolivacea) turtle. This dataset is now publicly opened in Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and available for download. It is hoped that the data may assist in future ecological studies and the development of conservation measures.

New information: This dataset contains 3,515 occurrence records of sea turtles (Cheloniidae) and is currently the largest public dataset of sea turtle sighting records in Taiwan. Post-publication of this dataset to the GBIF platform demonstrated that the number of Green sea turtle Cheloniamydas records in Taiwan is one of the largest in the world (last accessed date: 15-10-2022). The data served as the foundation for understanding biogeography and sea turtle ecology in Taiwan's coastal waters.

Keywords: citizen science; coastal waters; photo identification; sighting data.

Daphne Z. Hoh, Chia-Ling Fong, Huai Su, Pengyu Chen, Chia-Chen Tsai, Kelly W. H. Tseng, Melissa J. Y. Liu.