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Publication
A significant nesting population of loggerhead turtles at the nature reserve of Santa Luzia, Cabo Verde
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta are globally endangered. The population
nesting in Cabo Verde is genetically distinctive and numerically important in a global context. In
Cabo Verde, the majority on the nesting takes place on the island of Boavista, but recent work
suggests that other important nesting sites may exist. Santa Luzia is the only large uninhabited
island in Cabo Verde. In this study, beach surveys revealed 289 nests in 2011, 1817 nests in 2012,
and 563 nests in 2013, which means that Santa Luzia may host more than 1% of the loggerhead
nesting population in the Atlantic. The sex ratio of turtle hatchlings currently being produced on
Santa Luzia is female biased, but there is still a good production of males. The results highlight the
importance of the island of Santa Luzia for the conservation of loggerhead turtles, particularly
considering that unlike other islands in Cabo Verde, this is a nature reserve where no beach
development is taking place and where nest and female poaching is well controlled by the activities
of conservation organizations, such as the nongovernmental organization Biosfera
Description
Keywords
Reptilia Testudines Cheloniidae Carretta Atlantic Ocean Nesting activity Population assessment
Citation
Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 2015, 14(2), 161–166
Publisher
Chelonian Research Foundation