OCEANHITCH

Diatoms have the capacity to grow on various surfaces, yet some species specifically thrive on the smooth bodies of aquatic animals such as sea turtles and cetaceans. They exhibit adaptability to their host’s environment and cannot exist independently. The MSCA-funded OCEANHITCH project will create innovative and practical tools for monitoring sea turtles and evaluating the health of marine ecosystems. Initial research has revealed that healthy sea turtles tend to exhibit a high abundance of epizoic diatoms, exceeding 35 %, while visibly debilitated turtles typically have less than 10 %. The project will investigate whether this distinctive association can serve as an indicator of the turtles’ health. It will also develop non-invasive, cost-effective and user-friendly diatom-based methods.