Sea turtle strandings along a semiarid coast in the western equatorial Atlantic

Abstract

For decades, the Brazilian north-east coast has been a recognized feeding area for five sea turtle species. However, it still lacks information about stranding patterns. A decade of a beach monitoring programme (from 2010–2019) provided information on the composition, abundance and spatio-temporal distribution of stranded sea turtle species along a semiarid coast in the western equatorial Atlantic. A total of 905 individuals of four species were recorded in a route of ~130 km. The most stranded group was the juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas), followed by Lepidochelys olivacea, Eretmochelys imbricata and Caretta caretta. The strandings present a seasonal and geographic pattern, and therefore any conservation measure to be implemented must consider these patterns. Also, the possible occurrence of fibropapillomatosis tumours calls for additional studies to understand its causes. Lastly, stranded sea turtles eventually show marks of fishery interaction, which indicate the need for environmental education programmes with fishing communities.