Sea turtle strandings along the Northwestern Moroccan coast: Spatio-temporal distribution and main threats.

We present the first research carried out on a large spatio-temporal scale (324 km) on sea turtle strandings during a 24-year period (1998–2022) in northwestern Morocco. A total of 208 stranded turtles were recorded. Among these were 184 (88.47%) loggerheads, (Caretta caretta) , 21 (10.09%) leatherbacks, (Dermochelys coriacea) , and 3 (1.44%) unidentified sea turtles. Strandings were most numerous in the summer and early spring, which coincides with the largest trawler, purse seine and longline fishing effort near the Moroccan coast. The majority of loggerhead turtles measured were subadult individuals (81%), while the stranded leatherback turtles included subadults and adults. Our data demonstrate that Moroccan coastal waters provides important development, foraging and/or migration habitats for loggerhead and leatherback turtles, and fisheries bycatch and boat strikes may be the major threats to sea turtles in Moroccan waters. This study serves as an important baseline for the development of sea turtle conservation efforts in the near-shore waters of the Moroccan Mediterranean coast. • During this study, 208 strandings of two sea turtle species were reported. • The main causes of sea turtle strandings are fishing and collisions with ships. • The majority of individual loggerhead turtles are subadults (81%). • Moroccan waters could be an important foraging ground for sea turtles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]