Banca de DEFESA: CLAUDIO BELLINI

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : CLAUDIO BELLINI
DATE: 26/02/2024
TIME: 09:30
LOCAL: Google Meet
TITLE:

Green turtles on the Atlantic Island of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. Thirty-five years of protection (1988-2022): reproductive ecology, population trends, and conservation.

KEY WORDS:

Atlantic Ocean; Brazil; Chelonia mydas; Green Turtle; Long-term monitoring; Population  trends; Ecological parameters; Conservation; Fernando de Noronha Island

PAGES: 39
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUMMARY:

Knowledge of ecological parameters and population trends are key for species  of conservation concern. For marine turtles, annual nest counts are commonly used  for estimating population size. However, complementary information on  reproductive parameters is needed for reliable population estimates. In Brazil,  green turtles (Chelonia mydas) nest mainly on oceanic islands. This study uses long term beach monitoring data (35 years) to describe the reproductive biology and  population trends for green turtles at the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago,  Brazil. There was an increasing trend in the annual number of nests over the  studied period. The average annual number of nests in the first five years of  monitoring (1988-1992) was 38.6 nests, while in the last five years (2018-2022)  it was 285.6 nests. Internesting intervals ranged from 9 to 17 days (mean +- SD  = 11.7 ± 1.3 days; median = 12, n = 1236). Remigration intervals of 3 years  were the most frequent (range 2 to 16 years). The longest reproductive life span  observed was 25 years. Average hatching success was 75.6% (SD = 24.8, range  = 0-100, n = 2612 nests). The growth in the annual number of green turtle nests  observed in Fernando de Noronha suggests conservation efforts initiated in the  1980s likely contributed to the recovery of this population. However, the small  population size and restricted nesting geographic distribution, coupled with the  existence of threats such as fishing and climate change, makes this population still  of conservation concern. Knowledge of ecological parameters and population  trends are key for species of conservation concern. For marine turtles, annual nest  counts are commonly used for estimating population size. However,  complementary information on reproductive parameters (e.g. clutch parameters,  internesting intervals, clucth frequency, remigration interval) is also needed for  reliable population estimates. In Brazil, green turtles (Chelonia mydas) nest mainly  on oceanic islands. This study uses long-term beach monitoring data (35 years) to  describe the reproductive biology and population trends for green turtles at the  Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil. An increasing trend in the annual  number of nests was found over the studied period. The average annual number  of nests in the first five years of monitoring (1988-1992) was 38.6 nests, while in  the last five years (2018-2022) it was 285.6 nests. Internesting intervals ranged  from 9 to 17 days (mean +- SD = 11.7 ± 1.3 days; median = 12, n = 1236).  Remigration intervals of 3 years were the most frequent (range 2 to 16 years).  The longest reproductive life span observed was 25 years. Average hatching  success was 75.6% (SD = 24.8, range = 0-100, n = 2612 nests). The growth in  the annual number of green turtle nests observed in Fernando de Noronha  suggests conservation efforts initiated in the 1980s likely contributed to the  recovery of this population. However, the small population size and restricted  nesting distribution, coupled with the existence of threats from fishing and climate  change, makes this population still of conservation concern.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externa à Instituição - CECÍLIA BAPTISTOTTE - ICMBio
Interno - 1678202 - CARLOS ROBERTO SORENSEN DUTRA DA FONSECA
Presidente - 1718346 - EDUARDO MARTINS VENTICINQUE