Advancing the research for the conservation of Sea Turles in the Mediterranean Sea: study on the seasonal niche of the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) in the Adriatic and Ionian seas
Although Caretta caretta is the most common marine turtle in the Mediterranean Sea, its distribution is relatively difficult to assess due to a lack of data especially in offshore waters.
To identify the key factors and the most important areas for the conservation of the species, a recent study investigated the ecological niche of the loggerhead turtle in the crucial area of the Adriatic-Ionian Sea, highlighting the priorities for the species in the reproductive period of April-September and in the winter one.
The study showed that, in the Adriatic, loggerheads select the habitats within the continental shelf differently during the two periods, showing a generalist behaviour during the breeding-nesting season and a selection for specific environmental conditions during winter. In the Ionian Sea, the species showed a specialist behaviour in all the seasons. The Adriatic niche appeared as an important foraging ground year-round, whereas the distribution of suitable areas in the Ionian Sea is patchy and limited to specific habitats close to shore.
The sea surface temperature was recognised as a key factor influencing the species distribution. Extreme values of sea surface temperatures from October to March influenced loggerhead distribution differently in the subregions, as colder areas were selected in the Adriatic, while warmer areas were preferred in the Ionian subregion. Moreover, the April sea surface temperatures largely contributed to defining the habitat suitability during the breeding-nesting season in both subregions.
This study further confirms the importance of the Adriatic and Ionian seas for the conservation of loggerhead sea turtles and the need for seasonal investigations to establish effective conservation measures
The study was conducted within the Fixed Line Transect Mediterranean monitoring Network project (FLT Med Net), coordinated by ISPRA since 2007 for the continuous monitoring of marine mega and macro fauna and main threats in the Mediterranean basin. The results of the study will be capitalized and scaled up within the Life CONCEPTU MARIS project (2022-2026).
Research article: Zampollo, A., Mancino, C., Azzolin, M., Giacoma, C., Costantino, M., Crosti, R., Pietroluongo G., Giacoma C. & Arcangeli, A. (2022). Seasonal Niche and Spatial Distribution Modelling of the Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) in the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. DOI: 10.1002/aqc.3815