Researchers have uncovered the largest breeding colony of vulnerable olive ridley turtles in the Atlantic, which could hold up to 9,800 turtle nests per year, in the Central African country of Gabon.
A huge ground survey covering nearly 600 km of Gabon's coastline, conducted by researchers from the University of Exeter, UK, uncovered the largest breeding colony of olive ridley turtles in the Atlantic.
The study is the first to combine existing monitoring data with a back-to-basics coastal survey of the area.
The results suggest that Gabon hosts the most important rookery for this species in the Atlantic, with estimates indicating that there could be up to 9,800 turtle nests per year compared with around 3,300 in French Guiana and 3,000 in Brazil.
Olive ridley turtles are one of the smallest of the sea turtles and are named for the greenish colour of their shell and skin.
Although considered the most abundant of the marine turtles, there has been a net decline in the global numbers of the species, such that they are currently listed as 'vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Although a considerable proportion of nesting occurs within protected areas in Gabon, a range of illegal activities and external pressures continue to exist highlighting the need for continued conservation efforts.
"Conservation efforts for sea turtles can be hampered by their migratory life cycles, which carry them across jurisdictional boundaries and international waters," said Dr Kristian Metcalfe, lead author from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation (CEC) at the University of Exeter.
"That makes this first population assessment which covered extensive areas of Gabon's coast outside of monitored regions all the more valuable and worthwhile, and demonstrates the importance of focusing beyond intensively monitored beaches," Metcalfe said.
