Local Ecological Knowledge enhances our capacity to document potential climate sentinels: a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) case study

Abstract

AbstractClimate change is inducing rapid transformations in marine ecosystems, with a pronounced effect on top predators like loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Loggerheads’ responsiveness to temperature fluctuations underscores their significance as a climate sentinel species. We present the first record of a loggerhead sea turtle in Monterey Bay, California, USA, documented through Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and community or citizen science (CS), highlighting the pivotal role of these approaches in documenting species occurrences beyond anticipated habitats during climatic anomalies. In rapidly changing conditions, rigorously documented CS and LEK offer a crucial complement to conventional scientific methods, providing high-quality data with extensive coverage— especially for elusive species—and yielding insights into emerging phenomena.