Refine
Document Type
- Article (2)
- Part of Periodical (1)
Language
- English (3)
Has Fulltext
- yes (3)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (3)
Keywords
- sea turtles (3) (remove)
The shores of Cape Verde hosts one of the most important nesting populations of the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta in the world, as well as important feeding grounds for hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata and green turtles Chelonia mydas. In the past few years, a number of scientific studies have demonstrated the relevance of the waters and beaches of this archipelago for the conservation of these endangered marine megavertebrates. This article aims to bring together the most relevant scientific information published on the subject so far. In addition, we will provide an overview of the current situation of sea turtles in Cape Verde, their conservation status and their importance in an international context.
Is community-based conservation a feasible option for sea turtles in Sal, Cape Verde Islands?
(2013)
Cape Verde is one of the most important nesting sites for loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta, with the island of Sal having the second biggest population in the country. Loggerheads in Sal face a number of threats, from poaching to coastal development. The non-profit organisation SOS Tartarugas was founded in 2008 to ensure the conservation of the species. Community-based conservation (CBC) is one of the most popular strategies for carrying out wildlife conservation in Africa and even though the organisation employs international staff and volunteers, involving Cape Verdeans in the project is one of its main objectives. The implementation of CBC in Sal has however been very difficult. This study employed two different methods, a Delphi survey and semi-structured interviews, to describe the desirability and feasibility of a CBC approach in Sal and assess what challenges its implementation faces. Results strongly confirm the desirability of CBC in Sal, but also point out a number of challenges, from lack of education to the need for stable jobs for the Cape Verdeans involved in conservation.
Coronuloid barnacles are epibionts of several marine vertebrates (including cetaceans and sea turtles) as well as invertebrates, and are assigned to two families of turtle barnacles (Chelonibiidae Pilsbry, 1916 and Platylepadidae Newman & Ross, 1976) and one family of whale barnacles (Coronulidae Leach, 1817). Chelonibiids and coronulids have a scanty, albeit significant fossil record extending back to the Eocene and Pliocene, respectively; in turn, the fossil record of platylepadids is limited to a single record from the Upper Pleistocene. Here we report on an isolated carinolateral compartment of Platylepas Gray, 1825, the type genus of the family, from Lower Pleistocene (Gelasian) epibathyal deposits exposed at Milazzo (Sicily, Italy). This specimen is here designated holotype of a new species, †Platylepas mediterranea sp. nov. We argue that, like most extant members of Platylepas, †P. mediterranea sp. nov. lived partially embedded in the skin of a sea turtle. This record of an extinct platylepadid – the first from the Mediterranean region and the second worldwide – pushes back the fossil record of Platylepadidae to the lowermost Quaternary, thus possibly supporting an even earlier (e.g., Neogene) timing for the origin of this family and adding a new chapter to the evolutionary history of one of the most diverse and successful lineages of epizoic crustaceans.