Genetic characterization of hawksbill juveniles foraging at Cape Verde islands indicates major undiscovered nesting populations in the region

Abstract

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a circumglobal tropical species listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. While it is known that at least one stock occurs around the rookeries of São Tome and Principe and Bioko Islands, the eastern Atlantic remains genetically unexplored. We present the first analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences (n = 28) of hawksbill juveniles in a foraging aggregation at the Cape Verde Islands, an archipelago located in the eastern Atlantic. The mean size (minimun curve carapace length) of the studied individuals was 42.45 cm.</p>