Sea turtles off Northwest Africa

Abstract

Six sea turtle species inhabit the waters of the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem. The loggerhead and the green turtles are the most common and the only two species that nest regularly on its beaches (loggerheads in Cape Verde and greens in the Bijagós islands, Guinea-Bissau). The Kemp’s ridleys, the most restricted and endangered in the world, are very rare although migrant juveniles can be found along the northwestern coast of Morocco. Leatherbacks, hawksbills, and olive ridleys can be also found in the waters of the CCLME. Most of adult move after nesting to the continental African coast to feed. Some green females migrate from Poilão (Guinea-Bissau) to the Park National du Banc D’Arguin (Mauritania). Moreover, there is an important feeding area for leatherback turtles coming from the American coast. Small juvenile turtles are known to disperse extensively on a transatlantic scale and are commonly associated with convergence zones, upwellings, major gyre systems, and eddies. Increasing fishing efforts worldwide and marine debris put all sea turtle species at risk. The high concentration of turtle nesting on small beach stretches makes the population extremely vulnerable to any kind of environmental disaster. Turtle-watching activities are known as important alternative sources of income for local communities.