# Global Sea Turtle Epibiont Database [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7m8](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7m8) ## Description of the data and file structure Methods used to develop this global database are described in Robinson and Pfaller (2022) ([https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.844021](https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.844021)). We conducted a two-tiered literature search to compile all records of sea turtle-epibiont interactions along with their associated metadata. A structured search was conducted in Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Sea Turtle Online Bibliography (Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research, University of Florida), then an unstructured literature search was conducted by reviewing the reference lists of all relevant publications and reports from the structured search. We included any peer-reviewed scientific article, thesis/dissertation, conference presentation, and official report that contained information on sea turtle epibiosis. From each applicable reference, we extracted data on all reported sea turtle-epibiont interactions according to the data categories and descriptions listed below (Table 1 in Robinson and Pfaller 2022). We constrained our database to only include records of sea turtle-epibiont interactions from (1) turtles surveyed in the wild, (2) animal epibionts (i.e., Kingdom Animalia), and (3) macro-epibionts (>1 mm). ### Files and variables #### File: Pfaller\_etal\_2024\_Global\_Sea\_Turtle\_Epibiont\_Database.csv **Description:** This database serves to summarize over 100 years of sea turtle epibiont research. We conducted a two-tiered literature search to compile all records of sea turtle-epibiont interactions along with their associated metadata. A structured search was conducted in Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Sea Turtle Online Bibliography (Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research, University of Florida), then an unstructured literature search was conducted by reviewing the reference lists of all relevant publications and reports from the structured search. We included any peer-reviewed scientific article, thesis/dissertation, conference presentation, and official report that contained information on sea turtle epibiosis. From each applicable reference, we extracted data on all reported sea turtle-epibiont interactions according to the data categories and descriptions listed below (Table 1 in Robinson and Pfaller 2022; [https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.844021](https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.844021)). We constrained our database to only include records of sea turtle-epibiont interactions from (1) turtles surveyed in the wild, (2) animal epibionts (i.e., Kingdom Animalia), and (3) macro-epibionts (>1 mm). For the seven global sea turtle species, we identified 357 studies conducted between 1886 and 2024 that included a combined total of 1,951 sea turtle-epibiont interactions involving 374 unique epibiont taxa from 11 Phyla. ##### Variables * (A) Primary Ref - original reference from which a sea turtle-epibiont interaction was reported (truncated citation) * (B) Secondary Ref - reference from which a sea turtle-epibiont interaction was reported, when the original reference was not located (truncated citation) * (C) Host - species of host sea turtle (CC = Caretta caretta; CM = Chelonia mydas; DC = Dermochelys coriacea; EI = Eretmochelys imbricata; LK = Lepidochelys kempii; LO = Lepidochelys olivacea; ND = Natator depressus; H = Hybrid) * (D) Epibiont - taxonomic name of epibiont reported in literature, but (when applicable) updated to reflect current taxonomy using World Registry of Marine Species (WoRMS Editorial Board 2021) * (E) Rank - taxonomic rank of epibiont reported in literature (Species, Genus, Subfamily, Family, Superfamily, Infraorder, Suborder, Order, Infraclass, Subclass, Class, Subphylum, Phylum) * (F) Higher Taxon - Phylum of the epibiont taxon including further differentiation by Subphylum, Class, or Subclass for select phyla (when applicable) [Annelida (Hirudinea, Polychaeta, Oligochaeta), Arthropoda (Arachnida, Insecta, Malacostraca, Pycnogonida, Ostracoda, Thecostraca), Bryozoa, Chordata (Tunicata, Vertebrata), Cnidaria (Anthozoa and Hydrozoa), Echinodermata (Asterozoa, Echinozoa), Mollusca (Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Polyplacophora), Platyhelminthes, Porifera, Nemertea, Sipuncula] * (G) Site - Country and/or name of sampling site reported in literature * (H) Region - General geographic region of study [NWA (Northwest Atlantic, including Gulf of Mexico), CAR (Caribbean Sea), NCA (North Central Atlantic), NEA (Northeast Atlantic), MED (Mediterranean Sea), SWA (Southwest Atlantic), SCA (South Central Atlantic), SEA (Southeast Atlantic), NI (North Indian, including Red Sea and Persian Gulf), SWI (Southwest Indian), SCI (South Central Indian), SEI (Southeast Indian), NWP (Northwest Pacific), NCP (North Central Pacific: Hawaii), NEP (Northeast Pacific), SWP (Southwest Pacific, including Gulf of Carpentaria and Melanesia), SCP (South Central Pacific: Polynesia excluding Hawaii), SEP (Southeast Pacific), INDO (Indonesian Archipelago), UNK (Unknown)] * (I) RMU - Regional Management Unit (RMU) of the sampled turtle/s as defined in Wallace et al. (2010) and updated in Wallace et al. (2023) [CC-A-NW (Northwest Atlantic), CC-A-SW (Southwest Atlantic), CC-A-NE (Northeast Atlantic), CC-MED (Mediterranean), CC-I-NW (Northwest Indian), CC-I-SW (Southwest Indian), CC-I-NE* (Northeast Indian), CC-I-SE (Southeast Indian), CC-P-N (North Pacific), CC-P-S (South Pacific), CM-A-N (North Atlantic), CM-A-S (South Atlantic), CM-MED (Mediterranean), CM-I-NW (Northwest Indian), CM-I-SW (Southwest Indian), CM-EISEA (East Indian and Southeast Asia), CM-P-SW (Southwest Pacific), CM-P-NC (North Central Pacific), CM-P-WC (West Central Pacific), CM-P-SC (South Central Pacific), CM-P-E (East Pacific), DC-A-NW (Northwest Atlantic), DC-A-SW (Southwest Atlantic), DC-A-SE (Southeast Atlantic), DC-I-SW (Southwest Indian), DC-I-NE (Northeast Indian), DC-P-W (West Pacific), DC-P-E (East Pacific), EI-A-NW (Northwest Atlantic), EI-A-SW (Southwest Atlantic), EI-A-E (East Atlantic), EI-I-NW* (Northwest Indian), EI-I-SW (Southwest Indian), EI-I-NE* (Northeast Indian), EI-I-SE* (Southeast Indian), EI-SEA (Southeast Asia), EI-P-SW (Southwest Pacific), EI-P-NC (North Central Pacific), EI-P-WC (West Central Pacific), EI-P-SC (South Central Pacific), EI-P-E (East Pacific), LK-A-NW (Northwest Atlantic), LO-A-W (West Atlantic), LO-A-E (East Atlantic), LO-I-W (West Indian), LO-I-NE (Northeast Indian), LO-P-W (West Pacific), LO-P-E (East Pacific), UNK (Unkown)] * (J) Latitude - Latitude of sampling site (either provided in the study or plotted using Google Earth). * (K) Longitude - Longitude of sampling site (either provided in the study or plotted using Google Earth). * (L) Stage - Life stage of turtle sampled as described in each study or based on reported body size at maturity [J(Juvenile), S (Subadult), A (Adult), UNK (Unknown)] * (M) Habitat - Habitat type of sampling site [B (Nesting beach), N (Neritic), E (Epipelagic), D (Dead/Stranding), UNK (Unknown)] * (N) N(T) - Number of turtles sampled * (O) Freq(%) - Percent frequency of occurrence per host for the epibiont taxon * (P) N(E) - Number of individuals of the epibiont taxon recorded in the study * (Q) Body Part - Body part(s) from which the epibiont taxon was collected [C (Carapace), H/N (Head-Neck), FF (Front Flippers), RF (Rear Flippers), P (Plastron), ING (Inguinal Regions and Tail), UNK (Unknown)] * (R) Deposition - Location where epibiont specimens were curated after the study [NC (Not Collected), MUS (Museum), PC (Private Collection), UNK (Unknown)] * (S) Survey Type - Method of epibiont sampling: Did the study sample all possible taxa (All Taxa) or only focused on a subset of taxa (Taxon Specific). Also, were the turtles sampled exhaustively for epibionts (Exhaustive) or were only a subset of epibionts sampled (Non-Exhaustive) * (T) Primary Ref Citation - original reference from which a sea turtle-epibiont interaction was reported (full citation) * (U) Secondary Ref Citation - reference from which a sea turtle-epibiont interaction was reported, when the original reference was not located (full citation) * (V) Comments/Notes - Comments and notes that help contextualize some interactions/references #### File: Pfaller\_Robinson\_2022\_Global\_Sea\_Turtle\_Epibiont\_Database.csv **Description: **This database serves to summarize over 100 years of sea turtle epibiont research. We conducted a two-tiered literature search to compile all records of sea turtle-epibiont interactions along with their associated metadata. A structured search was conducted in Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Sea Turtle Online Bibliography (Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research, University of Florida), then an unstructured literature search was conducted by reviewing the reference lists of all relevant publications and reports from the structured search. We included any peer-reviewed scientific article, thesis/dissertation, conference presentation, and official report that contained information on sea turtle epibiosis. From each applicable reference, we extracted data on all reported sea turtle-epibiont interactions according to the data categories and descriptions listed below (Table 1 in Robinson and Pfaller 2022). We constrained our database to only include records of sea turtle-epibiont interactions from (1) turtles surveyed in the wild, (2) animal epibionts (i.e., Kingdom Animalia), and (3) macro-epibionts (>1 mm). *For the seven global sea turtle species, we identified 304 studies conducted between 1886 and 2020 that included a combined total of 1717 sea turtle-epibiont interactions involving 374 unique epibiont taxa from 11 Phyla (note the difference between the first version of the dataset and the updated version).* ##### Variables Same as Pfaller_etal_2024_Global_Sea_Turtle_Epibiont_Database.csv #### File: README\_Pfaller\_Robinson\_2022\_Global\_Sea\_Turtle\_Epibiont\_Database.txt **Description:** README file for first iteration of Global Sea Turtle Epibiont Database published in Dryad in 2022. ## Code/software Microsoft Excel (or equivalent) ## Access information Other publicly accessible locations of the data: * N/A Data was derived from the following sources: * See T and U in "Pfaller_etal_2024_Global_Sea_Turtle_Epibiont_Database.csv" for full reference list ## Version changes The first version of this dataset (Pfaller_Robinson_2022_Global_Sea_Turtle_Epibiont_Database.csv) published in Dryad in 2022 included 304 studies conducted between 1886 and 2020 that included a combined total of 1717 sea turtle-epibiont interactions involving 374 unique epibiont taxa from 11 Phyla. The updated version of this dataset (Pfaller_etal_2024_Global_Sea_Turtle_Epibiont_Database.csv) being published now includes 357 studies conducted between 1886 and 2024 that include a combined total of 1,951 sea turtle-epibiont interactions involving 374 unique epibiont taxa from 11 Phyla. Additions/changes made between the first and second versions include (1) sea turtle-epibiont interactions from literature published between 2021-2024, (2) sea turtle-epibiont interaction that were inadvertently missed from literature published prior to 2021, and (3) corrections to errores made in the first version of the dataset. 

This database serves to summarize over 100 years of sea turtle epibiont research. We conducted a two-tiered literature search to compile all records of sea turtle-epibiont interactions along with their associated metadata. A structured search was conducted in Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Sea Turtle Online Bibliography (Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research, University of Florida), then an unstructured literature search was conducted by reviewing the reference lists of all relevant publications and reports from the structured search. We included any peer-reviewed scientific article, thesis/dissertation, conference presentation, and official report that contained information on sea turtle epibiosis. From each applicable reference, we extracted data on all reported sea turtle-epibiont interactions according to the data categories and descriptions listed below (Table 1 in Robinson and Pfaller 2022; https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.844021). We constrained our database to only include records of sea turtle-epibiont interactions from (1) turtles surveyed in the wild, (2) animal epibionts (i.e., Kingdom Animalia), and (3) macro-epibionts (>1 mm). For the seven global sea turtle species, we identified 357 studies conducted between 1886 and 2024 that included a combined total of 1,952 sea turtle-epibiont interactions involving 374 unique epibiont taxa from 11 Phyla. 

Methods used to develop this global database are described in Robinson and Pfaller (2022) (https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.844021). We conducted a two-tiered literature search to compile all records of sea turtle-epibiont interactions along with their associated metadata. A structured search was conducted in Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Sea Turtle Online Bibliography (Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research, University of Florida), then an unstructured literature search was conducted by reviewing the reference lists of all relevant publications and reports from the structured search. We included any peer-reviewed scientific article, thesis/dissertation, conference presentation, and official report that contained information on sea turtle epibiosis. From each applicable reference, we extracted data on all reported sea turtle-epibiont interactions according to the data categories and descriptions listed below (Table 1 in Robinson and Pfaller 2022; doi link when available). We constrained our database to only include records of sea turtle-epibiont interactions from (1) turtles surveyed in the wild, (2) animal epibionts (i.e., Kingdom Animalia), and (3) macro-epibionts (>1 mm).

All information needed to use this dataset is outlined in README_Pfaller_etal_2024_Global_Sea _Turtle_Epibiont_Database.txt