Journal of Environmental Biology

Some properties of new nesting areas of sea turtles in north-eastern Mediterranean situated on the extension of the Samandağ Beach, Turkey

 

Ş?kran Yal?ın-?zdilek¹ and Bektaş S?nmez²

¹?anakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Education, Anafartalar Campus 17100 ?anakkale-Turkey

²Mustafa Kemal University, Graduate Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences,

Tayfur S?kmen Campus, 31024 Antakya Hatay-Turkey

 

(Received: 27 March, 2005 ; Accepted: 12 December, 2005)

 

 

Abstract: One of the most endangered species in tropical seas, Chelonia mydas (green turtles) prefer undisturbed sand beaches to lay their eggs.? While Caretta caretta lays their eggs all over the Mediterranean beaches of Turkey, C. mydas nesting locations are limited with north-eastern site (Alata, Kazanlı, Akyatan and Samandağ) of the country and some beaches in Cyprus.? Until 2003, no nesting place of both species between Akyatan and Samandağ was recorded.? From north to south, the beaches examined in 2003 summer are Arsuz, Konacık, Kale, Tr-H-3, Tr-H-2, and Tr-H-1 in addition to well-known and studied nesting beaches of sea turtle species in Hatay Province: ?evlik, Şeyhhızır and Meydan.? Since the Hatay Provincial Coast between ?evlik and Arsuz is hilly and no stabilized road is available, these small beaches were not known to have both C. mydas and C. caretta nests.? Some physical and chemical sand properties, the number of nests belong to both species and selected nest specifications were investigated in this study.? Kale Beach was found to be the most important nesting place in this less populated area.? Based on results, Kale, Tr-H-3 and Tr-H-1 beaches were recorded to have high hatchling success.

 

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