MARINA DI GROSSETO. Reported to the Tartamare scientific center in Marina di Grosseto, a large carcass of a Caretta Caretta turtle was recovered last night in front of the fire brigade bathing establishment in the seaside village.
The managers of the beach warned the volunteers, who with the sun now setting saw the large specimen of turtle hit by the surf just as the high tide began to rise.
«We intervened immediately – explains Luana Papetti, biologist and scientific manager of the Grosseto branch of Tartamare – but it wasn’t very easy to get the specimen ashore, both because it was in an advanced state of decomposition and because the carapace was really large. Its length is 88 cm, an adult specimen. Considering the state of the carcass, it is difficult to be certain about the causes of death, even if the damage not detected on the rear part of the carapace suggests trauma from a propeller or from a collision with the hull of a boat.”
Until a few years ago, Caretta Carettas were frequent in southern Italy, but climate changes and rising sea temperatures have forced them to move further and further north.
«To find suitable conditions for nesting – explains the biologist – turtles are moving to latitudes increasingly northwards, where they now find the trophic area suitable for their diet based on molluscs, crustaceans and small fish, turtles being opportunistic omnivorous animals. . It is now not uncommon to find nests along the coasts of Tuscany. In past years they have been reported in San Vincenzo, Vada, Feniglia and throughout the Maremma. In recent weeks the first Italian nest was identified in Sicily, we will begin monitoring starting next week.”
The Tartamare centre, which is based in Marina di Grosseto in via Bramante, is managed by a scientific association and operates in agreement with the Municipality of Grosseto.
«Usually – concludes Papetti – we find injured turtles that we treat at our center and release back into the sea. In cases like this, however, we deliver the carcasses to the zooprophylactic institute so that they can carry out necropsy investigations. Yesterday we notified the University of Siena which took steps to take biological samples from the carcass, while we will take care of its disposal. The effects of climate change in recent years have pushed turtles to move further north, colonizing areas such as the Maremma, which however are very frequented by boats and pleasure boats. Therefore it is easy for turtles to be hit by moving boats.” biologist Luana Papetti closes.
