Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Gulf of Venezuela: An update stranding assessment 2001-2014

Abstract

Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is highly impacted by fisheries’ bycatch worldwide. This study updates and estimates the leatherback turtle stranding records from 2001 to 2014 in the Gulf of Venezuela. Eighty-six stranded leatherback turtles were documented in the coast of the Gulf of Venezuela. Immature leatherback turtles were the most affected (85.1%) and the highest number of strandings were recorded during the dry season (55.8%). Our findings represent the minimum estimate of stranding events for the Gulf of Venezuela, especially considering the current lack of fisheries regulations. This is the latest update for the leatherback turtle strandings in the Gulf of Venezuela and could help to create new management solutions in the area aiming to minimize the impact on leatherback turtle populations in the Caribbean.

Natal Origin and Spatiotemporal Distribution of Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Strandings at a Foraging Hotspot in Temperate Waters of the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

“…The extremely high number of strandings we detected during April 2008 in the estuarine zone is likely associated with the unusual oceanographic conditions that occurred. Similar unusual peaks of strandings were also observed elsewhere in the SWAO region–for example, in October 2016 in Sao Paulo state [ 91 ] and November-December 2005 in Rio Grande do Sul State [ 42 ]; also in other regions, such as in La Guajira (Venezuela) during 2003 and 2013 [ 92 ]. These events reflect the need for more multidisciplinary studies to try to elucidate the main drivers of the interannual increase in the presence of leatherbacks at foraging grounds in the SWAO [ 3 , 41 ].…”