Monitoring and Conservation of Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta) Along the Libyan Coast
A Comparative Study Under the IMAP Programme.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63359/ncpnw441Keywords:
Loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, Libya, Conservation, IMAP, Mediterranean, Nesting, Strandings, Fisheries bycatchAbstract
The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), a keystone species in Mediterranean marine ecosystems, plays a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance. Libya’s coastline is a critical nesting habitat for this species, hosting one of the largest nesting populations in the Mediterranean. This study, conducted under the framework of the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme of the Mediterranean Sea and Coast and Related Assessment Criteria (IMAP) of the Barcelona Convention, assesses loggerhead turtle populations along the Libyan coast during the 2022 nesting season. We monitored nesting success, hatchling production, and juvenile strandings across 13 beaches, observing a 58.93% in nest counts and 45.93% increase in hatchling numbers between 2019 to 2022. However, juvenile strandings remained high, with 21 recorded incidents, likely due to fisheries interactions. This study provides insights into loggerhead population dynamics and proposes targeted conservation strategies, including the implementation of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) and enhanced monitoring efforts, to mitigate threats and ensure the long-term sustainability of loggerhead populations in this crucial Mediterranean region.
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