Newly described nesting sites of the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the central Red Sea

2Citations
Citations of this article
28Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.
Get full text

Abstract

Background. There is relatively little published information about sea turtle nesting distribution and seasonality in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea. Upcoming large-scale developments occurring along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast could negatively affect many sea turtle nesting beaches with potential impacts on the survival of local populations. Methods. In 2019, two coastal beaches and three near-shore islands were surveyed for turtle nesting in the central Red Sea. We recorded all emergences, examined beach morphology, and collected sand samples to determine grain size, moisture content and colour. Results. Sea turtle nesting was found at all surveyed sites, though emergence counts were often low. The limited occurrence of nesting at several previously undocumented sites suggests that nesting activity may be widespread, but sparsely distributed, in the central Red Sea region. In addition, nesting at novel sites appeared to favour the seaward side of islands, a pattern that was not observed in previously documented areas. The substrate of most surveyed sites was composed of calcium carbonate with Ras Baridi as the only exception; it was composed of dark quartz-rich sediment. This study highlights several important sea turtle rookeries while also demonstrating that low levels of nesting occur throughout the region, although inter-annual nesting patterns still need to be determined. Future developments should be steered away from key nesting areas and the seaward bias in marginal rookeries should be taken into account where possible.

References Powered by Scopus

Rapid warming of Large Marine Ecosystems

771Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Acclimation capacity underlies susceptibility to climate change

660Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Three decades of high-resolution coastal sea surface temperatures reveal more than warming

437Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

An assessment of heavy metals in green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchlings from Saudi Arabia’s largest rookery, Ras Baridi

8Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Inter-nesting, migration, and foraging behaviors of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the central-southern Red Sea

4Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Scott, K., Tanabe, L. K., Miller, J. D., & Berumen, M. L. (2022). Newly described nesting sites of the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the central Red Sea. PeerJ, 10. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13408

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 5

56%

Researcher 3

33%

Professor / Associate Prof. 1

11%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Environmental Science 4

50%

Agricultural and Biological Sciences 2

25%

Decision Sciences 1

13%

Social Sciences 1

13%

Article Metrics

Tooltip
Mentions
News Mentions: 1

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free