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IMAGE: Loggerhead turtle caught in set nets in Famagusta and released with support of SPOT team view more
Credit: Olkan Erguler
Numbers of two Mediterranean turtle species have risen in the last three decades - but in Cyprus the recoveries are happening at different rates, new research shows.
Nest counts at 28 beaches show green turtle nests increased by 162% from 1993 to 2019, while loggerhead nests rose by 46%.
The research team - from the University of Exeter, the Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT) and Eastern Mediterranean University - say the difference is probably due to higher death rates among loggerhead turtles of all ages.
Mediterranean turtles recovering at different rates
Numbers of two Mediterranean turtle species have risen in the last three decades – but in Cyprus the recoveries are happening at different rates, new research shows.
Nest counts at 28 beaches show green turtle nests increased by 162% from 1993 to 2019, while loggerhead nests rose by 46%.
The research team – from the University of Exeter, the Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT) and Eastern Mediterranean University – say the difference is probably due to higher death rates among loggerhead turtles of all ages.
Turtles in this region used to be hunted for meat and shells, but this is now banned throughout the Mediterranean. Coupled with conservation of nesting beaches, this has allowed populations to recover – but the scientists say better protection at sea is still required.
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In northern Cyprus, the rarest seals in the world have been caught on camera in secret breeding caves. The new breeding sites give hope for endangered species, but the sites are now in need of protection.
(Photo : Jen Healy)
Monachus Monachus
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species, Mediterranean monk seals, also known as Monachus monachus which are the most exposed of all the species of pinniped, a group of species that includes sea lions, walruses, sea otters, and seals - with only 700 individuals remaining in the wild. A huge amount of those seals animate in and around Cyprus.
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The Mediterranean monk seal is classified as “endangered”, with a total population of about 700.
The new study – by the University of Exeter and the Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT) – used camera-traps to confirm breeding in caves in northern Cyprus, with at least three pups born from 2016-19 at one cave.
Only certain caves are suitable for monk seal breeding and resting, so – although the numbers are small – the researchers say urgent action is needed to protect these caves.
“This area of coastline in being developed rapidly, especially for construction of hotels,” said Dr Robin Snape, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.