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Monitoring of nesting beaches is often the only feasible and low-cost approach for assessing sea turtle populations. We investigated spatio-temporal patterns of sea turtle nesting activity monitored over  successive years in the Lamu archipelago, Kenya. Community-based patrols were conducted on  stretches of beach clustered in five major locations. A total of , nests were recorded: , (.%) green turtle Chelonia mydas nests,  (.%) hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata nests,  (.%) olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea nests and  (.%) unidentified nests. Nesting occurred year-round, increasing during March-July, when % of nests were recorded. A stable trend in mean annual nesting densities was observed in all locations. Mean clutch sizes were . ± SE  eggs (range -) for green turtles,  ± SE  eggs (range -) for hawksbill turtles, and  ± SE  eggs (range -) for olive ridley turtles. Curved carapace length for green turtles was - cm, and mean annual incubation duration was . ± SE . days. The mean incubation duration for green turtle nests differed significantly between months and seasons but not locations. The hatching success (pooled data) was .% (n = ,) and was higher for in situ nests (. ± SE .%) compared to relocated nests (. ± SE .%). The results highlight the important contribution of community-based monitoring in Kenya to sustaining the sea turtle populations of the Western Indian Ocean region.

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Aims and scope: The Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science provides an avenue for the wide dissemination of high quality research generated in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region, in particular on the sustainable use of coastal and marine resources. This is central to the goal of supporting and promoting sustainable coastal development in the region, as well as contributing to the global base of marine science. The journal publishes original research articles dealing with all aspects of marine science and coastal management. Topics include, but are not limited to: theoretical studies, oceanography, marine biology and ecology, fisheries, recovery and restoration processes, legal and institutional frameworks, and interactions/relationships between humans and the coastal and marine environment. In addition, Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science features state-of-the-art review articles and short communications. The journal will, from time to time, consist of special issues on major events or important thematic issues.