Cape Verde loggerhead colony: research and conservation activities

Abstract

Cape Verde harbours the largest loggerhead colony of Africa and the second most important of the Atlantic Ocean, after the South Florida rookery. Adult males and females of this population have been subjected to poaching since many years ago, reaching to place as one of the 11 most endangered sea turtle populations in the world. This loggerhead population was discovered to the scientific world in 1998 by a research group of University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), who has led important scientific and conservation programs until now, in collaboration with Cape Verde and Canary Islands Institutions and a large number of volunteers who have participated over the years. These programs focused in the southeastern coast of Boa Vista Island (currently the Protected Area: “Reserva Natural das Tartarugas – RNT”) that houses the 80% of the nests of the Cape Verde Archipelago, making it the hotspot of this loggerhead population. Nesting beach surveys are the most widely implemented monitoring tool in use by the global sea turtle community and are an important component of a comprehensive program to assess and monitor the status of sea turtle populations. From 1998 to present, the ULPGC’s marine turtles research group, through two non-profit organizations (NGO Cabo Verde Natura 2000 and ADS Biodiversidad) and national and international projects, has conducted daily surveys (e.g. nest survey and monitoring, females protection and rescue, nest relocation to hatchery) as well as activities for sustainable development (e.g. national and international environmental training, local people awareness and involvement). Furthermore, all along these years several scientific studies have allowed to gain insights into the characterization of this important colony (e.g.: genetic population structure, satellite tracking, nest ecology, reproductive biology, toxicology, females and hatchlings morphometric). The long-term efforts carried out in the area provide an excellent opportunity to evaluate the success of loggerhead conservation strategies and policies in the area.