PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most abundant sea turtle species in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a priority species, included in Annexes II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive, whose conservation requires protection of the turtle’s entire natural range, both within and outside Natura 2000 sites, including specific core areas (e.g. nesting beaches, foraging grounds, migratory corridors). The species’ conservation status has been assessed as unfavourable-inadequate at EU level and in Italy, unfavourable-bad in France and unknown in Spain. Loggerhead turtles are expanding their nesting range into the western Mediterranean, where beaches are becoming suitable because of climate warming. However, emerging nesting sites are threatened by coastal development and high tourist pressure (light pollution, recreational activities and beach management practices). In the eastern Mediterranean, where the vast majority of loggerhead turtle nesting occurs, conservation projects over the past 30 years have helped mitigate these threats and accustomed tourists and other stakeholders to the presence and needs of sea turtles during the nesting season. This has not happened in the western Mediterranean as colonisation by nesting loggerhead turtles is ongoing; people on the beaches in this region are often unprepared because of a general lack of awareness. For more than a decade, nesting remained occasional, with only 13 loggerhead turtle nests recorded in the entire western Mediterranean up to 2012. However, since 2013 the number of nests in this region has increased rapidly, with record numbers of 79 in 2020 and 100 in 2021. This increased nesting activity is considered to be an adaptive response to changing environmental conditions due to climate warming and the consequent opening up of new sites suitable for nesting. However, beaches in the western Mediterranean have long been exploited by humans: Spain, France and Italy are among the top 7 countries with the highest tourist pressure on Mediterranean coasts, and few pristine places suitable for loggerhead turtle nesting remain.
OBJECTIVES
LIFE TURTLENEST’s main goal is to improve the conservation of the loggerhead turtle. The project aims to mitigate threats to the species in Italy (in 7 regions along 4 800 km of sandy coasts), Spain (1 600 km, corresponding to the country’s full coastline) and France (1 500 km) in order to protect new nesting habitats and foster successful sea turtle reproduction.
The specific objectives include:
- Identification, protection and management of loggerhead turtle nests: 30% increase in nests detected in Italy, Spain and France; 30% rise in nests protected from human-related threats; and 50% increase in personnel authorised to handle sea turtle nests;
- Identification of at least 3 index sites for long-term monitoring of loggerhead turtle nesting trends in the western Mediterranean under conditions of climate change, and improvement of the sites‘ management through the adoption of best practices to mitigate human-related disturbances;
- Increase of scientific knowledge to support effective protection of the species and improvement of its conservation status in the EU: 500 nests monitored; 1 000 individuals fingerprinted; 150% increase in yearlings; fivefold rise in nesting females tracked; and 100% increase in nesting population samples analysed;
- Engagement of stakeholders: 40% increase in the level of awareness; 1,000 beach establishments signing a memorandum of understanding; 70 local authorities adopting specific regulations to protect sea turtle beaches; and 1 500 downloads of a citizen science app;
- Evaluation of climate change‘s impact on habitat suitability for nesting loggerhead turtles in the western Mediterranean, through a new state-of-the-art predictive model to evaluate changes in habitat suitability under current and future climate scenarios and to guide management decisions;
- Strengthening sea turtle conservation policies: designation, enlargement or update of the Standard Data Form of 12 Natura 2000 sites to specifically protect emerging nesting beaches for loggerhead turtles; new regulations for 70 nesting sites; and a guide on management and protection of turtle nests; and
- Raising public awareness on the phenomenon of loggerhead turtle nesting on western Mediterranean beaches: 40% increase in awareness of local communities; 30% rise in citizens‘ willingness to get involved in protection activities; and 30% increase in the social consensus favouring policies for protection of nature and the environment.
