Sea turtle strandings (2010-2019) along a semiarid coast in the Western Equatorial Atlantic

Abstract

Five sea turtle species occur off Brazil and despite the increasing number of conservation measures taken, all five species are still considered endangered of extinction. Among many approaches used to study these animals there is Beach Monitoring Program (BMP). It is widely used due to its benefits, low cost and maintenance; BMP can provide valuable long-time information about sea turtles. In Ceará state, sea turtle strandings is poorly documented and restricted to a small portion of the state. In this context, through a BMP in the coastal area of the state, a route of 130 km approximately, for a decade (2010 – 2019) it was possible to understand more aspects of sea turtles populations that occur in this region. The majority of strandings are of Chelonia mydas, with the occurrence of three other species. Most of the turtles are juvenile and the strandings do not follow a seasonal pattern. In addition, anthropogenic interaction and fibropapillomatosis also occur.