Lefkada’s sea turtle nesting lower than previously reported.

ISSN 0265-5411

BRITISH CHELONIA GROUP PATRON: PROFESSOR DAVID J. BELLAMY OBE

NEWSLETTER NO. 214

JULY/AUGUST 2013 ISSUE

A Hawksbill Turtle

(Eretmochelys imbricata) For tortoise, terrapin and turtle care and conservation.

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2

LEFKADA’S SEA TURTLE NESTING LOWER THAN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED

A report by Nikos Vallianos and Kostis Grimanis Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles ( MEDASSET) During the 2012 nesting season, a team of volunteers organized by MEDASSET and supported by the British Chelonia Group (BCG) performed a two-week rapid assessment survey of sea turtle nesting on the island of Lefkada in Western Greece. The increased number of dead stranded turtles reported around Lefkada prompted us to visit the area and investigate whether this was reflected in the nesting activity in the area. The island was previously surveyed during the summer of 1990 and the nesting activity was estimated to be around 50 nests per season[1]. No surveys had been performed since, so this year’s survey was conducted to assess the nesting trend.

A small team of volunteers from Greece, Albania and Serbia (Figure 1) came together not to visit this beautiful island for a quick holiday, but to help MEDASSET gather valuable data on its sea turtle population.

Although opportunities for a swim in its cyanFigure 1 coloured waters were not missed, the team worked relentlessly to cover all of the island’s potential nesting beaches. The rough terrain of Lefkada posed significant difficulties, since at some locations a long hike or drive up and down the steep cliffs of the island’s west coast was necessary just to move to the next beach.

The team surveyed all potential nesting beaches of the island, walking along their entire Figure 2 length and looking 4

for evidence of sea turtle nesting activity. The evidence primarily consisted of sea turtle tracks leading from the sea to the sand dunes and back into the sea. On occasions, the only evidence left from non-fresh nesting activity was mild dents at the nest locations, since the tracks had already been erased by the sea.

The results of the survey were significant, though less than encouraging for Lefkada’s sea turtles. Three Caretta caretta nests (Figure 2) were found and confirmed during the two weeks of beach surveys (Figure 3). Using simple linear extrapolation and knowledge of nesting seasonality in the region, we can estimate that there was a total of fewer than 15 nests on Lefkada this season. It should be noted that this is a simplified extrapolation, but the two weeks of daily surveys during the peak nesting season suggest it is not far from truth.

One beach with observed sea turtle presence was suffering from significant anthropogenic disturbance: the beach of Agios Ioannis, where locals go for a swim during the summer. Incidents of hatchling disorientation due to light pollution, as well as nest predation by stray dogs have been reported on that beach. Locals often report turtle activity to Lefkada’s Animal Welfare Society. After cooperating with them in the field for two weeks, and with our continued communication, we are confident they will continue monitoring sea turtle nests on this beach.

Lefkada is not only a nesting area for sea turtles; its surrounding waters are part of a significant migratory route for sea turtles moving into the Adriatic Sea as well as Amvrakikos Bay, two important sea turtle foraging regions for the Mediterranean Sea. The biggest threat for these turtles is mortality at sea due to fishing, plastic waste, and other causes.

Mortality at sea is becoming increasingly significant, with 8, 30, and 17 sea turtles found dead on the coasts of Lefkada and its nearby coast on the mainland in 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively. During the same three-year period, 11 sea turtles have been found injured or deceased in this area and were sent to ARCHELON’s Sea Turtle Rescue Centre for rehabilitation. Mortality and injury of sea turtles in the Mediterranean is the issue we need to focus more of our attention to save our sea turtles.

Reference [1] Margaritoulis, D., Dretakis, M. & Kotitsas, A., 1995.

Discovering new nesting areas of Caretta caretta in Greece. In J. I. Richardson & T. H. Richardson, eds.

Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual Workshop on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-361. Miami, USA, pp.

214–217

Figure 3 5