Impact of climate change on marine biodiversity : the case of plankton-feeding species

Marine ecosystems are facing extreme and rapid changes. In particular, there are concerns that jellyfi sh may be taking over the oceans due to overfi shing. Jellyfi sh are very diffi cult to study; however, an original approach is to study their more accessible main predator, the leatherback turtle. Leatherbacks explore variable oceanic environments as they undertake long-distance migrations every 2-3 years from tropical nesting sites to temperate foraging grounds to feed on jellyfi sh. Their behavior is therefore deeply infl uenced when a shift in the abundance of jellyfi sh takes place. This species can therefore be considered a bioindicator, since its migration habits may help us understand how natural and human-driven environmental changes affect marine ecosystems. Dr. Sabrina Fossette spent several months in French Guiana to equip turtles with satellite tags and follow them during their migration across the Atlantic Ocean in search of their gelatinous meal.