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Differential geographical trends for loggerhead turtles stranding dead or alive along the Andalusian coast, southern Spain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Juan J. Bellido ,
Juan J. Castillo ,
Francisco Pinto ,
Juan J. Martín ,
José L. Mons ,
José C. Báez  and
Raimundo Real
Juan J. Bellido*
Affiliation:
Aula del Mar de Málaga, Avenida M. Heredia, 35 29001, Málaga Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, E-29071, Málaga
Juan J. Castillo
Affiliation:
Aula del Mar de Málaga, Avenida M. Heredia, 35 29001, Málaga
Francisco Pinto
Affiliation:
Aula del Mar de Málaga, Avenida M. Heredia, 35 29001, Málaga
Juan J. Martín
Affiliation:
Aula del Mar de Málaga, Avenida M. Heredia, 35 29001, Málaga
José L. Mons
Affiliation:
Aula del Mar de Málaga, Avenida M. Heredia, 35 29001, Málaga
José C. Báez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, E-29071, Málaga
Raimundo Real
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, E-29071, Málaga
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: J.J. Bellido, Aula del Mar de Málaga, Avenida M. Heredia, 35 29001, Málaga, email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Every year, an undetermined number of loggerhead turtles cross the Gibraltar Strait entering and going out of the Mediterranean Sea. An unknown percentage of them strand on the Andalusian beaches, alive or dead, with an unequal distribution along the coast. We found a geographical pattern in the density of strandings, as well as in the proportion of them that were alive and dead. Atlantic areas receive a higher number of strandings, although most of them correspond to dead individuals, especially on the west coast (province of Huelva), whereas on the Mediterranean coast there is less difference between the number of alive and dead turtles stranded. The causes of stranding also presented a spatial segregation along these coasts: net fisheries were concentrated in Huelva, cold stunning was more frequent in Atlantic Cádiz, and debilitated turtle syndrome and longline were biased to the Mediterranean coast. The Atlantic areas might be an important accumulation zone for turtles, but where they endure a high human-induced stress and mortality. In the Mediterranean area, different causes, such as the narrowness of the Alborán basin, the ocean currents, human activity, or the number of turtles crossing, may increase the number of turtles stranding alive on the coast.

Keywords

Caretta carettaspatial distributionsouth Iberian Peninsulastrandingssea turtle
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 90 , Issue 2 , March 2010 , pp. 225 - 231
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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