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Animals
Special Issues
Sea Turtle Nesting Behavior and Habitat Conservation
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Sea Turtle Nesting Behavior and Habitat Conservation

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecology and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 4273

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Melania C. López-Castro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Pronatura Península de Yucatán, A.C., Merida, México
2. Center for Wildlife Studies, Marine Nonprofit Organization, Camden, ME 04843, USA
Interests: sea turtles; conservation; protection; reproductive biology; habitat restoration; connectivity; population recovery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sea turtle nesting monitoring has been an essential tool for increasing biological knowledge, raising community awareness and involvement, and, most importantly, for the recovery of sea turtle populations worldwide. It has provided a platform for establishing connections between sea turtles’ critical habitats and for better understanding the importance of habitat conservation. Nesting population assessments are crucial in guiding conservation measures and policy-making at regional and international scales. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the critical habitats of sea turtles in the Global South.

With that in mind, the aim of this Special Issue is to address this gap by inviting original research articles and reviews on sea turtle nesting and habitat conservation in the Global South. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: nesting population trends; reproductive indicators; biology, migration, and connectivity between nesting and foraging sites; conservation and restoration of sea turtle habitats; and population abundance in marine habitats.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Melania C. López-Castro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • reproduction
  • juveniles
  • foraging
  • migration
  • connectivity
  • conservation
  • restoration
  • population trends

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3102 KB  
Article
Warming and Change in Ocean Productivity Alter Phenology of an Expanding Loggerhead Population in Cabo Verde
by Fitra Arya Dwi Nugraha, Kirsten Fairweather, Artur Lopes, Anice Lopes, Berta Renom, Rebekka Allgayer, Albert Taxonera and Christophe Eizaguirre
Animals 2026, 16(4), 552; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16040552 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1158
Abstract
Climate warming can alter reproductive timing of species, yet the capacity for phenological adjustment in long-lived species, particularly marine ones, remains elusive. Using 17 years of monitoring data from one of the largest loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) populations, we investigated the [...] Read more.
Climate warming can alter reproductive timing of species, yet the capacity for phenological adjustment in long-lived species, particularly marine ones, remains elusive. Using 17 years of monitoring data from one of the largest loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) populations, we investigated the environmental drivers of reproductive phenology and output. We found that warmer sea surface temperatures (SST) in both the feeding ground and the nesting ground advanced the start, peak, and end of the nesting season. We provide evidence for waves of arrival at the nesting ground, suggesting more turtles produce fewer clutches than previously thought. Inter-nesting intervals were shorter during episodes of higher SST, particularly in larger females, likely underpinned by metabolic scaling variation in reproductive pacing. Conversely, remigration intervals lengthened over time in all size classes, reflecting the detected continuous decrease in productivity in the feeding ground. As a result of reduced ocean productivity, both clutch size and clutch frequency also declined over the study period. Moreover, the declining trend in body size further reduces reproductive output, as smaller females produce smaller clutch sizes. Overall, we show that sea turtle population dynamics correlate with environmental parameters. The sustained decline in reproductive output underscores the need to mitigate the impacts of climate warming on the foraging area to safeguard this population, which, given its size, holds global significance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sea Turtle Nesting Behavior and Habitat Conservation)
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11 pages, 6494 KB  
Article
Integrating Beach Monitoring and Satellite Telemetry to Estimate Loggerhead Clutch Frequency in Brazil
by Paulo Hunold Lara, Gustavo Stahelin, Maria Ângela Marcovaldi, Alexsandro Santana dos Santos, Yonat Swimmer and Milagros López Mendilaharsu
Animals 2026, 16(2), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16020320 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 336
Abstract
Accurate clutch-frequency estimates are essential for assessing population abundance and reproductive output in sea turtles. Traditional nighttime beach-monitoring approaches, however, often underestimate clutch frequency by missing nesting events occurring outside patrolled beaches. Here, we integrated long-term beach monitoring (2009–2016) with satellite telemetry to [...] Read more.
Accurate clutch-frequency estimates are essential for assessing population abundance and reproductive output in sea turtles. Traditional nighttime beach-monitoring approaches, however, often underestimate clutch frequency by missing nesting events occurring outside patrolled beaches. Here, we integrated long-term beach monitoring (2009–2016) with satellite telemetry to estimate the clutch frequency of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting at Praia do Forte, Bahia, Brazil. A total of 593 females were identified along a 5 km monitored beach segment, and transient individuals represented 42.4% ± 3.9 SD of seasonal records. A 2-year remigration interval was the most frequent. The observed clutch frequency (OCF) averaged 3.1 ± 1.2 SD clutches per female, while the estimated clutch frequency based on beach monitoring alone (ECF_BM) averaged 3.9 ± 1.5 SD. For the subset of satellite-tracked females (n = 12), integration of residency length derived from telemetry increased the estimate to 5.6 ± 0.7 SD clutches per female (ECF_BMST). Statistical comparisons confirmed significant differences among estimation methods. These findings align with previous studies, demonstrating that clutch frequency is substantially underestimated when relying solely on beach monitoring. Incorporating satellite telemetry, therefore, provides a more accurate assessment of reproductive output and has important implications for population modelling and the conservation of loggerhead turtles in Brazil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sea Turtle Nesting Behavior and Habitat Conservation)
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22 pages, 2937 KB  
Article
Between the Atolls: Sea Turtle Nesting in the Maldives from 2018 to 2024
by Isha Afeef, Jane R. Lloyd, Ibrahim Inan, Emily Mundy, Martin Stelfox and Stephanie Köhnk
Animals 2026, 16(2), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16020307 - 19 Jan 2026
Viewed by 800
Abstract
Sea turtles are a vital part of the marine ecosystem in the Maldives. While five species have been recorded in-water in the country, only two have been historically known to nest here: hawksbills and greens. In this study, we present cumulative data from [...] Read more.
Sea turtles are a vital part of the marine ecosystem in the Maldives. While five species have been recorded in-water in the country, only two have been historically known to nest here: hawksbills and greens. In this study, we present cumulative data from targeted nest monitoring in combination with ad hoc reports from citizen scientists and marine biologists from 2018 to 2024, with the aim of providing the first comprehensive multi-year dataset on sea turtle nesting activity in the Maldives. Sea turtle nests were recorded from nearly all atolls. The majority were laid by green turtles (n = 1086), in addition to a small number of hawksbill (n = 47), olive ridley (n = 14) and unknown species (n = 65) nests. Nesting occurs year-round, with a peak during the southwest monsoon season from June to September. Median hatching success rate was 90.91% (SD = 15.87) and incubation lasted a median of 59 days (SD = 4.79). Nest inundation and illegal take were identified as the main threats to sea turtle nests, while incidences of egg predation were an exception. The findings of this study will help to clarify conservation priorities and management strategies for sea turtles in the Maldives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sea Turtle Nesting Behavior and Habitat Conservation)
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18 pages, 2972 KB  
Article
Smaller Size of Nesting Loggerhead Sea Turtles in Northwest Florida
by Matthew Ware, Luna Oliveira de Mello Vieira, Laura Fuentes-Tejada, Ian Silver-Gorges and Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes
Animals 2026, 16(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16010071 - 26 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1284
Abstract
The distribution of individual body sizes within a population can have substantial impacts on recovery estimates for endangered species. Recent studies have observed a reduction in the size of nesting sea turtles with potential implications for fecundity. To investigate the size of reproductive [...] Read more.
The distribution of individual body sizes within a population can have substantial impacts on recovery estimates for endangered species. Recent studies have observed a reduction in the size of nesting sea turtles with potential implications for fecundity. To investigate the size of reproductive individuals and subsequent impacts on hatchling production for loggerhead turtles in northwest Florida, we evaluated a seven-year dataset from St. George Island, Florida, USA—the dominant nesting site in this region. Morphometric measurements and GPS locations were collected during nighttime surveys, whereas nest disturbances and hatchling production were reported from morning surveys. Mean minimum curved carapace length (CCLmin) was 94.3 cm ± 5.7 cm SD (range: 80.2–109.1 cm). Out of 232 individuals, 9.1% fell below the 87 cm CCLmin threshold currently adopted by U.S. agencies as the minimum size at maturity. For each 1 cm increase in CCLmin, an increase by 1 egg was observed in clutch size, and wash-out rates increased by 0.52%. Though the largest turtles laid the largest clutches, these nests also had a greater probability of wave wash-out, potentially moderating overall hatchling production from these individuals. These results highlight size-mediated factors related to fecundity—important elements for demographic modeling and management decisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sea Turtle Nesting Behavior and Habitat Conservation)
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