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The status of marine turtles in Montserrat (Eastern Caribbean) is reviewed following five years of monitoring (1999-2003). The mean number of nests recorded during the annual nesting season (June-October) was 53 (± 24.9 SD; range: 13-43). In accordance with earlier reports, the nesting of hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles was confirmed on several beaches around the island. Only non-nesting emergences were documented for loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and there was no evidence of nesting by leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea); however, it is possible that additional survey effort would reveal low density nesting by these species. Officially reported turtle capture data for 1993-2003 suggest that a mean of 0.9 turtle per year (±1.2 SD; range: 0-4) were landed island-wide, with all harvest having occurred during the annual open season (1 October to 31 May). Informed observers believe that the harvest is significantly under-reported and that fishermen avoid declaring their catch by butchering turtles at sea (both during and outside the open season). Of concern is the fact that breeding adults are potentially included in the harvest, and that the open season partially coincides with the breeding season. The present study has shown that although Montserrat is not a major nesting site for sea turtles, it remains important on a regional basis for the Eastern Caribbean.

Aim Levels of sea turtle bycatch in the Mediterranean are thought to be unsustainable. We provide a comprehensive overview of adult green turtle ( Chelonia mydas) distribution during nesting, migration and foraging phases, highlighting transitory as well as residential areas of high use to facilitate adequate protection for this long-lived, migratory species. Location Mediterranean Sea. Methods Thirty-four females were satellite tracked from breeding grounds in the four countries with major nesting (Cyprus, Turkey, Israel and Syria) for a total of 8521 (mean: 251) tracking days in a collaborative effort to summarize the most comprehensive set of distribution data thus far assembled for this species in the Mediterranean. Results Ten foraging grounds are identified, with two major hotspots in Libya accounting for >50% of turtles tracked to conclusive endpoints. The coastlines of Egypt and Libya contain high densities of migrating turtles following the nesting season, particularly July-September, and likely also pre-nesting (April-June). A high-use seasonal pelagic corridor running south-west from Turkey and Cyprus to Egypt is also evident, used by >50% of all tracked turtles. Main conclusions Bycatch levels and mortality rates for the key foraging areas and high-density seasonal pathways identified here are largely unknown and should be investigated as a priority. We recommend that the Gulf of Sirte in Libya be explored as a potential biodiversity hotspot and considered for proposal as a marine protected area ( MPA). Green turtle fidelity to nesting beaches, foraging areas and migratory pathways renders them vulnerable to localized threats but enables targeted mitigation measures and protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fisheries are considered a major driver of population declines for many marine vertebrate species, and yet for some, data on the levels of direct catch are lacking, often due to the logistical challenges in assessing artisanal fisheries in remote and developing regions. Using community members to collect data can provide access to a greater wealth of information than that obtained by local or foreign researchers, often at a reduced financial cost. We monitored the harvest of marine turtles at 12 major villages in Madagascar using community members as data collectors ( sous collecteurs) from each village, at a total cost of

Historically, nesting marine turtles were abundant in the Cayman Islands and were an integral part of the economy and culture. Today, nesting of loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta and green turtles Chelonia mydas takes place at very low levels. Hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata nesting has not been recorded since 1999. We overview highly detailed monitoring data gathered over a 6-year period allowing insight into the magnitude and spatial and temporal patterns of marine turtle nesting, cost-effectiveness of monitoring such reduced populations, impacts of development on reproductive success and current threats to the recovery of the population. Nesting is diffuse and widely distributed for both nesting species on Grand and Little Cayman. Modelled nesting detection profiles for Grand Cayman show that in order to maintain data resolution, most sandy coastline must be surveyed throughout each season. However, in Little Cayman it may be possible to reduce effort. Legal take of adults and illegal take of eggs may be significantly impacting the remaining population. Surprisingly, we observed no significant correlation between density of coastal development and clutch density, adult emergence success or hatching success for either species. A significant relationship exists however, between density of coastal development and incidence of misorientation events in loggerhead hatchlings but not in green turtle hatchlings. Effective protection of known nesting habitat and the elimination of exploitation of remaining adults and eggs within the population are critical to its recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]