CROATIAN FAUNA - LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE

LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most abundant sea turtle in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Sea. Its bony oval shell is reddish-brown in colour and may grow longer than one meter in adults. Loggerhead sea turtles live to 60 years and reach sexual maturity at age 15 to 20 years. Every four years, the females lay eggs on the sandy beaches where they hatched. They lay three to four egg clutches during one season, with 80-120 eggs in each clutch. The most important nesting sites of the loggerhead sea turtle are in Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey. After hatching, the hatchlings race to the water’s edge and during the next few days swim towards the safety of the open sea, almost without any rest. The turtle feeds on various sea invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea anemones, sea urchins, molluscs, shellfish, and crustaceans. Due to the abundance of prey, the northern Adriatic is an extremely important area for both adult and young turtles who arrive there mostly from the nesting grounds in Greece. Studies have shown that they remain in the Adriatic Sea for several years. Loggerhead sea turtles face many threats – predators, fishing gear, vessels, destruction of habitats, and pollution, especially with plastic waste. For the conservation of sea turtles, the project “Collective actions for improving the conservation status of the EU sea turtle population – LIFE EUROTURTLES” was started in 2016, in which organizations from Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Cyprus, Greece, and Malta have been participating, and will end in 2021. This is the first Mediterranean project for the conservation of sea turtles that unites the entire habitat area of the species through conservation activities. The project is worth 5.1 million euros and is co-financed by the European Union with the program LIFE. The Croatian Natural History Museum coordinates and leads the project and carries out research in order to determine the areas important for the conservation of the loggerhead sea turtle and implements activities to raise the awareness of the public. The Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation also participates in the project in Croatia, undertaking activities to reduce bycatches of sea turtles and managing the sea turtle rescue centre. The project is supported by the City of Zagreb and the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. Assistant Professor Draško Holcer, PhD, and Renata Brezinščak, B.Eng