1. Annual and seasonal encounter rates, life stages and the main threats to loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Aeolian Archipelago (southern Italy) were studied. 2. Dedicated boat surveys resulted in 258 surface observations and 138 captures of healthy (n = 309), ailing (n = 66) and dead (n = 21) turtles from 2009...
This study analyzed the carapace distribution of Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sb, U, V and Zn by GF-AAS and ICP-AES in one specimen of Caretta caretta from Mediterranean Sea. Calcium, Mg, Mn, Pb, U, Zn were mainly distributed in the central area while Cd, Cr, Cu, Sb, V in lateral areas. Cadmium, Cr, Mg,...
We studied the influence of trammel nets on the behaviour and spatial distribution of bottlenose dolphin in the Aeolian Archipelago, Southern Italy. Ninety-six dolphin groups were followed for 98.75 h from 2005 to 2011 during 400 boat surveys. Thirty-three dolphins were photo-identified, and their age and sex were estimated. The encounter rates, residency times, and...
Traditional fish aggregating devices (FADs) have long been used throughout the Mediterranean Sea, but few data are available on their interactions with Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta). In this study, we examined the influence of FADs on the spatial and seasonal distribution of Loggerhead Turtles in the Aeolian Archipelago (Italy) as well as the pattern of...
Mechanisms that determine how, where, and when ontogenetic habitat shifts occur are mostly unknown in wild populations. Differences in size and environmental characteristics of ontogenetic habitats can lead to differences in movement patterns, behavior, habitat use, and spatial distributions across individuals of the same species. Knowledge of juvenile loggerhead turtles’ dispersal, movements, and habitat use...
The ingestion of anthropogenic plastic debris by marine wildlife is widespread in the Mediterranean Sea. The endangered status (in the IUCN Red List) of Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta, Linnaeus, 1758) is a consequence of its vulnerability. In this study, macro-/meso-plastics (5–170 mm) collected from faeces of twelve loggerhead turtles rescued (live) in the Aeolian Archipelago (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy)...
The loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758), is the most common sea turtle species in the Mediterranean Sea, where it can experience severe anthropogenic impacts. Although C. caretta is known to host more than 200 epibiotic taxa (crustaceans, algae and cyanobacteria), no reports have included a detailed evaluation of the microbial community of its...
Skin marks occur frequently in many cetacean species across the globe revealing a broad spectrum of causes, including social interactions, infectious diseases and injuries produced by anthropogenic factors. The current study used photo-id data from 2005–2014 to estimate the skin mark pattern on resident bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Aeolian Archipelago (Italy). Thirteen skin...
In a test-control study conducted in the Aeolian Archipelago (Southern Italy), acoustic deterrent devices (pingers) were applied to four gear types typical of local artisanal fisheries to assess their effectiveness in mitigating dolphin-fishery interactions. In this area ecosystem degradation and overfishing have been increasing bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) conflict with...
Sea turtles have been proposed as health indicators of marine habitats and carriers of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, for their longevity and migratory lifestyle. Up to now, a few studies evaluated the antibacterial resistant flora of Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and most of them were carried out on stranded or recovered animals. In this...