Exponential Increase in a Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nesting Population: Investigating the Role of Multi-decadal Nest Protection in Kyparissia Bay, Greece.

ABSTRACT: Predation of nests by a multitude of terrestrial predators is a major threat to sea turtle populations worldwide. Destruction of eggs decreases hatching success and reduces hatchling recruitment. The 43.5-km beach of Kyparissia Bay in Greece, hosting a large nesting population of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), is subject to heavy nest predation by canids. Over 50% of nests were annually depredated in the 1980s and this triggered in 1992 an intensive long-term nest protection program through which the predation rate was reduced to about 13%. Continuous beach monitoring over decades revealed that nest numbers started to increase after 17-20 years from the onset of nest protection and in recent years reached exponential dimensions. Similarly, yearly tagging of nesting turtle

SUBMITTER: Margaritoulis D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12686941 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature