Distribution and causes of sea turtles stranding on the Ionian coast of Calabria, Apulia and Basilicata

Abstract

The WWF Italian Turtle Rescue Center located in Policoro (MT), is responsible for the Marine Turtles Project of the Gulf of Taranto area (from Punta Prosciutto - TA, to Punta Fiume Nicà - CS), by the collaboration between MATTM - WWF Italia - Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Department of Ecology University of Calabria, Department of Ecology "Charles Darwin" La Sapienza University of Rome. Thanks to the network of WWF Italy Centers along the Italian coast, the project promotes the conservation and protection of sea turtles especially the Caretta caretta species, the most common in the Mediterranean sea. In the present work the data on sea turtles strandings from 2006 to 2018 along the Ionic coasts of Calabria, Apulia and Basilicata in south of Italy are reported. The present work is a descriptive analysis, a photograph useful as a starting point for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the work done for the conservation of the species under study.The data collected by the WWF CRTM at Policoro were integrated with the data of Beachings Geographical Information System - GEOCETUS, supervised by Centro Studi Cetacei Onlus. All the beachings events have been georeferenced to obtain a distribution map of the same, including the length of the carapace (CCL), the causes of death and the possible presence of epibiontic organisms, whenever possible. The strandings show the importance of Ionian sea like feeding and nesting area of Caretta caretta. Furthermore awareness and collaboration between WWF Italia and authorithies are concrete actions for Nature conservation.