Social values of biodiversity conservation for the endangered loggerhead turtle and monk seal

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) are two species on the priority list for conservation in Greece due to their dwindling populations worldwide. Hence the issue of estimating willingness to pay for their conservation is germane to any protection initiative. Zakynthos Island in Greece has created a marine park for the conservation of such species. We report the results of a survey of visitors and residents of this island who were asked about making one-time donations in the form of either a tax for residents or a plane landing fee for tourists. We find that all people were willing to pay to protect these species; however, residents were willing to pay more than tourists. We then tested whether there was a sequence or ordering effect if the seal questions came before the turtles as well as if the turtle questions came before the seals. Such effect was found when turtle questions were presented first, but not when seal questions were presented first. Due to the extensive interest, it is recommended that an increase in the airplane landing fee to Zakynthos could be used to contribute towards funds for loggerhead turtle and monk seal protection

Nesting of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) in the southeast Adriatic confirmed

The nesting of sea turtles in Eastern Adriatic has not been previously reported, even though the possible nesting of the loggerhead turtle in Albania has been hypothesized. Data for nesting activities have been collected since 2002 along the Albanian coastline. Anecdotal evidence assembled over the years has provided important information regarding the possibility of the nesting of the loggerhead turtle in Albania. This study confirms the nesting of the loggerhead turtle in Albania. Although sporadic, it takes place along the entire Adriatic coast of Albania. This information shifts the border of nesting known so far from the northeast Ionian (Greece) to the southeast Adriatic Sea (Albania)

Nesting of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) in the southeast Adriatic confirmed

The nesting of sea turtles in Eastern Adriatic has not been previously reported, even though the possible nesting of the loggerhead turtle in Albania has been hypothesized. Data for nesting activities have been collected since 2002 along the Albanian coastline. Anecdotal evidence assembled over the years has provided important information regarding the possibility of the nesting of the loggerhead turtle in Albania. This study confirms the nesting of the loggerhead turtle in Albania. Although sporadic, it takes place along the entire Adriatic coast of Albania. This information shifts the border of nesting known so far from the northeast Ionian (Greece) to the southeast Adriatic Sea (Albania)

Caretta caretta

Number of Pages: 7Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Sea turtle nesting activity along Eglin Air Force Base on Cape San Blas and Santa Rosa Island, Florida from 1994 to 1997.

Along EAFB on Cape San BIas, the only sea turtle species nest observed has been the loggerhead turtle. The first green turtle nest documented along the Florida panhandle coast was observed on EAFB property, however (D. Atencio, EAFB, pers. comm). Santa Rosa Island, located approximately 150 miles west of Cape San BIas supports a small but consistent, group of nesting green turtles (Fig. 2). Although erosion is not as severe along Santa Rosa Island as it is on Cape San BIas, and vehicular traffic is not permitted, sea turtles nesting on this barrier island must survive severe tropical storms, predation, and artificial lighting to be successful. Because this area supports a rare group of nesting green turtles and is disturbed by intense artificial lighting from Air Force missions and adjacent resort towns, continued monitoring is necessary. The sea turtle species that nest along this barrier island, and the human activities that disturb those sea turtles present unique circumstances for management ofthis area. Protection ofthe significant nesting populations of sea turtles on EAFB properties on Cape San BIas and Santa Rosa Island requires yearly monitoring of the nesting activity and the natural and human disturbances influencing the nesting females. The objectives ofthis study were to monitor sea turtle nesting along EAFB on Cape San BIas to determine number of nests and hatching success, assess disturbances, and determine proper management to ensure successful nesting and hatching.(56 page document

Accurate Economics to Protect Endangered Species and their Critical Habitats

Federal agencies currently use a methodology that finds negligible benefits of protecting critical habitat for endangered species, despite the prime real estate that is often involved. The Endangered Species Act already calls for economic analysis, but agencies currently treat it as a meaningless hoop to jump through. Agencies justify this hollow exercise by pointing to the difficulty in quantifying the increment of added protection that comes with critical habitat designation. However, the increment of added protection for critical habitat can be measured using methods already employed by agencies in other environmental analyses. Although the central benefits of critical habitat are improvements to the condition of listed species, accurate economic analysis should also consider the broad benefits of ecosystem services that flow from protected areas to human populations. I propose that agencies use a methodology that weighs the estimated burdens on regulated parties against the estimated benefits of designating lands as critical habitat. My proposed—more accurate—analysis can lead to more effective implementation of the Endangered Species Act by allowing agencies to target limited resources to projects that offer high net conservation benefits. I use a recent cost-benefit analysis for loggerhead turtles to demonstrate that the benefits of conserving habitat include increased protection of the species as well as a larger flow of ecosystem services amounting to at least $106 million per year in benefits, not the$0 estimate that federal agencies have arrived at. Accurate economic analysis provides useful information to agencies and the public in a way that can improve discussions that are often one-sided because of an emphasis on regulatory costs with little discussion of regulatory benefits

The Status of Loggerhead, Caretta caretta; Kemp's Ridley, Lepidochelys kempi; and Green, Chelonia mydas, Sea Turtles in U.S. Waters: A Reconsideration

Assessing the status of widely distributed marine species can prove difficult because virtually every sampling technique has assumptions, limitations, and biases that affect the results of the study. These biases often are overlooked when the biological and nonbiological implications of the results are discussed. In a recent review, Thompson (1988) used mostly unpublished population census data derived from studies conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to draw conclusions about the status of Kemp's ridley, Lepidochelys kempi; Atlantic coast green turtles, Chelonia mydas; and the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta

Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nest predation at Cape Range National Park

Most of the existing sea turtle populations worldwide are in decline. In particular, loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are listed as endangered and loggerhead nesting populations in Eastern Australia have declined by 86% since the 1970s. However, whilst Eastern Australian loggerhead populations have been extensively studied and monitored, not much is known about the Western Australian nesting population

Licensed To Kill: A Defense of Vicarious Liability Under the Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) makes it illegal to take an endangered and threatened species by killing, harming, or harassing the animal. Although the classic example of a take is an individual poacher shooting an endangered species, these protected species are also harmed by larger–scale policies and programs. In several court cases, local and state governments have been held vicariously liable for the take of endangered species when their policies or actions caused third parties to commit a take. The vicarious liability theory, as applied to the ESA, is controversial and has been criticized by numerous scholars. This Note argues that a limited version of the vicarious liability theory is consistent with the text of the ESA and plays an essential role in fulfilling the promise of the ESA\u27s take prohibition. As a case study, this Note examines how the vicarious liability theory could be used to hold the state of Louisiana liable for licensing shrimping gear that causes the take of endangered and threatened sea turtles. As illustrated by the Louisiana example, the acceptance of a narrowly construed vicarious liability theory would protect endangered species without placing an unreasonable or unconstitutional burden on state and local governments

Diet of oceanic loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the central North Pacific

Diet analysis of 52 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) collected as bycatch from 1990 to 1992 in the high-seas driftnet fishery operating between lat. 29.5°N and 43°N and between long. 150°E and 154°W demonstrated that these turtles fed predominately at the surface; few deeper water prey items were present in their stomachs. The turtles ranged in size from 13.5 to 74.0 cm curved carapace length. Whole turtles (n =10) and excised stomachs (n= 42) were frozen and transported to a laboratory for analysis of major faunal components. Neustonic species accounted for four of the five most common prey taxa. The most common prey items were Janthina spp. (Gastropoda); Carinaria cithara Benson 1835 (Heteropoda); a chondrophore, Velella velella (Hydrodia); Lepas spp. (Cirripedia), Planes spp. (Decapoda: Grapsidae), and pyrosomas (Pyrosoma spp.)