From May 20th to today, the search for traces and signs of excavation have confirmed the reproductive activity along our coasts of these extraordinary animals, still at risk from accidental fishing, pollution and plastic in the sea. The rapid tom-tams between the WWF volunteers, true angels of the turtles, allow them to intervene promptly in the event of reports of tracks, thus securing the nests which will be monitored until the hatchlings hatch approximately 50 days later.
These are the first data of an intense activity involving the GenerAzioneMare of WWF Italy, as part of the Our Nature campaign for the defense of biodiversity and are promoted on the occasion of World Sea Turtle Day, 16 June. This date is also celebrated with the release of specimens cared for at the WWF recovery centres, as will happen in Molfetta in Puglia, where three turtles will be released to which satellite tags have been applied to be able to follow their movements and thus study their behaviour. The three adult specimens all have a particular history: they are a male and two females of about 80 cm in length in the carapace and were recovered by the navies of Bisceglie and Trani after being found entangled in trawl nets. Promptly delivered to the WWF Molfetta turtle center, they underwent a complete check up (X-ray and ultrasound). Two turtles had severe gas embolism while the third drowned. Having undergone recovery therapy, they are now ready to return to sea. This year, in approximately twenty years of activity and with the collaboration of the local navies, the Molfetta center will reach the “goal” of ten thousand turtles recovered.
Sea turtles have sailed the oceans for millions of years and play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem, with particular relevance in the Mediterranean Sea: here there are three species of sea turtles: the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea ) and the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the latter being the most widespread and studied in the Mediterranean.
Their presence in the Mediterranean is vital for the balance of marine and coastal ecosystems: thanks to a complex life cycle, they contribute to maintaining the structure of ecological communities, regulating the populations of other marine species. For example, they feed on jellyfish, helping to control their populations and preventing overpopulation that could harm other marine organisms. However, despite their fundamental ecological role, sea turtles are threatened by various anthropogenic pressures. One of the main ones is marine pollution, in particular plastic. Every year, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles become entangled in scattered or abandoned fishing nets or swallow plastic waste that they mistake for food, causing physical harm and sometimes death. But the threats don’t stop there. Climate change is further putting these age-old creatures at risk.
The increase in ocean temperature can, in fact, influence the sex of those born, with higher temperatures favoring the birth of females, leading to an imbalance in the sex ratio and compromising the reproductive capabilities of populations. In Italy, sea turtles face additional challenges related to bycatch fishing and coastal habitat loss due to developing human activities.
