Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 2013, 12(2): 283–292 © 2013 Chelonian Research Foundation doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1002.1 Articles Population Structure for Sea Turtles at Drini Bay: An Important Nearshore Foraging and Developmental Habitat in Albania MICHAELWHITE*, LIZA BOURA, AND LILY VENIZELOS Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles (MEDASSET), 1c Licavitou Street, Athens, Greece [medasset@medasset.org] * Current address of corresponding author: Honu Cook Islands, Omoka, Tongareva Atoll, Cook Islands [crwban681@yahoo.co.uk]
ABSTRACT. – Loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta using an important shallow-water foraging ground at Drini Bay, Albania, were monitored over 3 consecutive summers (2008–2010). Working closely with local artisanal fishermen, researchers were able to obtain many of the sea turtles captured as bycatch (nontarget species). There were 407 new records (402 loggerhead and 5 green turtles, Chelonia mydas), with most (99%) being captured in 2 stavnike fish traps (a type of pound net) and a few with mrezh (gill nets). Morphometric data were collected from all captured turtles, and they were allocated into 10-cm size classes (length-frequency-distribution) based on their curved carapace length; caudal measurements were used to assess the developmental-stage of secondary sexual characteristics. An unusually high number of male loggerhead turtles (27%) were captured; their morphometric data were subsequently used as a reference for determining if short-tailed turtles might be adult or sexually developing females. Nesting has not been reported for Albania, so the presence of females is unclear. Drini Bay is also a developmental habitat, as 69% of the studied turtles were yet to mature. Interannual recaptures of 26 turtles allowed their incremental growth rate to be calculated. FOR FULL ARTICLE: http://dx.doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1002.1 KEY WORDS. – Reptilia; Testudines; Caretta caretta; Chelonia mydas; adult male; foraging; bycatch; Albania; site fidelity; sexual development; size at maturity; incremental growth RECEIVED: March 4, 2012; ACCEPTED: December 27, 2012. Handling Editor: Jeffrey A. Seminoff ARTICLE CITATION. – White, M., L. Boura and L. Venizelos. 2013. Population Structure for Sea Turtles at Drini Bay: An Important Nearshore Foraging and Developmental Habitat in Albania. Chelonian Conservation and Biology: December 2013, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 283-292. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. – The project was cofunded by MEDASSET, the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grant Programme (GEF/SGP), the United Nations Environmental Program-Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP), the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas of UNEP/ MAP, the British Chelonia Group, the J.F. Costopoulos Foundation (Greece), the Spear Charitable Trust (UK), and the Panton Trust (UK). Project partners included the University of Tirana, the Herpetofauna Albanian Society, and ECAT Tirana. MEDASSET wishes to acknowledge the role that Prof. Dr. Idriz Haxhiu has played in first establishing sea turtle research in Albania and thank him for coordinating national logistics for this project. The authors thank the following for their support: Arian Gace, Xhevat Gërdeci, Esmeralda Kararaj, Marina Mitro, Dhurata Përkeqi, Lazjon Petri, Prue Robinson, Enerit Saçdanaku, and Bekim Trezhnjevna. We also thank the fishing community in Albania for their collaboration; Robert van Dam for his photo of male hawksbill turtles; Daniela Freggi for providing access to turtles at Centro Recupero Tartarughe Marine Lampedusa, Italy; www.seaturtle.org for the use of MapTool; and finally the anonymous reviewers whose comments considerably improved this manuscript. LITERATURE CITED: Baran, I, and Turkozan, O. 1996. Nesting activity of the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, on Fethiye Beach, Turkey, in 1994. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 2:93–96. Bjorndal, K.A. 1999. Priorities for research in foraging habitats. In: Eckert, K.L., Bjorndal, K.A., AbreuGrobois, F.A., and Donnelly, M. (Eds.). Research and Management Techniques for the Conservation
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