Confirmation of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) foraging grounds in northern New Zealand

The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is the only sea turtle species to reside year-round in New Zealand waters, with juveniles using shallow coastal habitats as foraging grounds before dispersing throughout the Pacific. Rangaunu Harbour in northern New Zealand was surveyed in the austral summer to assess the feasibility of aerial drones for monitoring green turtles. Across 163 km of drone transects, 27 turtle sightings representing potentially 18 unique individuals were recorded, predominantly in s