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means that turtles that nest within a region are genetically more similar to one another than turtles that nest further away[169].
Effective management requires a complete understanding of life history demographics and habitat requirements for each species to determine most responsive life history stages for management[30, 43]. There are currently knowledge gaps around foraging for flatback, olive ridley and hawksbill turtles, and migratory corridors for all species.

Generalised diet
After juvenile turtles take up residency in an inshore foraging habitat they tend to feed on plants or animals on the sea floor, resulting in a more species-specific diet. The typical diets of each marine turtle species residing in Australian coastal feeding grounds are outlined in Table 5. Exceptions to this generalised feeding behaviour also occur. For example, green turtles living in shallow habitat are thought to be primarily herbivorous, but some maintain a considerable carnivorous component to their diet[5, 26].

Table 5. Marine turtle dietary preferences by species
 (For more detail see Limpus (2009)[136] and Bjorndal (1997)[18]).
Species               Generalised diet
Green turtle         Primarily herbivorous, foraging on algae, seagrass and mangroves. In their pelagic juvenile stage, they feed on algae, pelagic crustaceans and molluscs[22]
Loggerhead turtle    Carnivorous, feeding predominantly on benthic invertebrates in habitats ranging from near shore to 55 m[136]. During their post-hatchling stage, they feed on algae, pelagic crustaceans and molluscs[22]
Flatback turtle      Primarily carnivorous, feeding on soft-bodied invertebrates. Juveniles eat gastropod molluscs, squid, siphonophores[262]. Limited data indicate that cuttlefish[37], hydroids, soft corals, crinoids, molluscs and jellyfish[262] are also eaten
Hawksbill turtle     Omnivorous, feeding on algae[12], sponges, soft corals and other soft-bodied invertebrates[249]
Olive Ridley turtle  Primarily carnivorous, feeding on soft-bodied invertebrates such as sea pens, soft corals, beche-der-mer (sea cucumbers) and jellyfish in depth between 15-200 m[136]
Leatherback turtle   Oceanic and therefore remain planktivorous throughout their life, feeding on jellyfish and large planktonic ascidians (e.g. sea squirts) in the water column[136]

3.2 Australian stocks
Marine turtles return to the region where they hatched to breed. This trait has resulted in the evolution of discrete genetic stocks within each species that are defined by the presence of regional breeding aggregations. Each genetic stock represents a unique evolutionary history that if lost cannot be replaced[168]. This plan considers the management of turtle genetic stocks with the objective of protecting the biodiversity of each species.
Genetic stocks have been identified through genetic analyses[63]. Stocks are composed of multiple rookeries in a region and are delineated where there is little or no migration of individuals between nesting areas. Turtles from different stocks typically overlap at feeding grounds[169]. Figures 3-7 show the geographic distribution of nesting sites for each stock for five of the species of marine turtles nesting in Australia (green, loggerhead,