Employing ferry as platform of observation for monitoring Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) distribution in the Adriatic-Ionian Region

Abstract

To date, the principal assessment for the Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) distribution in the Mediterranean Basin is given by beaches nests along the coasts. The Eastern Mediterranean Sea has been revealed an important foraging area for this protected species but temporal trends of its spatial distribution and anthropogenic threats are lacking. This study shows that the employment of ferry as platform of observation would represent a valid tool for monitoring Loggerhead sea turtle in remote marine area, and to pinpoint important areas for the conservation and assessment of the species. The results of the present study confirm the previous hypothesis of the areas selected by the species, which are neritic areas in the northern/middle Adriatic Sea and oceanic areas in the Ionian Sea.