A more detailed description of the dataset in this data paper: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.10.e90196

We describe a dataset of sea turtle sightings around the coast of Taiwan and its islands. 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 (https://www.facebook.com/groups/turtlespotintw) 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 (Chelonia mydas), 38 Hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata) and one Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtle. It is hoped that the data may assist in future ecological studies and the development of conservation measures.

This dataset 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 Chelonia mydas records in Taiwan is one of the largest in the world (last accessed date: 15-10-2022).

The dataset contains data of two major categories: data associated with the occurrence and data related to the biological characteristics of the sighted turtle individual. The former category consists of information during the sighting event such as date, time, location, geographical coordinates, observation method and species. The latter category characterised the observed turtle individual using our controlled vocabulary during the sighting, including data such as living status, life stage, sex, physical abnormality and associated organism. The data allowed future research studies, such as biogeography, sea turtle foraging ecology that includes habitat use, sex ratio, abnormalities encountered and intra- and interspecies interaction. The data may also potentially guide any policy-making process through the assessment of species conservation status and diversity in the area of occurrences.

GBIF url: https://www.gbif.org/dataset/336b6790-062f-407f-a783-2f1d8874e6c3
Citation: Hoh D, Fong C (2022). Sea turtle sightings in Taiwan | 台灣海龜目擊紀錄. Version 1.9. TurtleSpot Taiwan 海龜點點名. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/43z4mj accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-02-21.