Environmental and human factors affecting nesting success of loggerhead turtles on a new emerging nest site

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) faces increasing threats from anthropogenic activities along coastal regions. This study presents an analysis of loggerhead nesting activity in an emerging new nesting area in the Western Mediterranean, specifically in the Campania Region, SW Italy. Utilizing a combination of traditional on-foot observations and innovative technologies such as electric bikes and drones, surveys were conducted from June to August 2023. A total of 141 female emergences were recorded, of which 54 resulted in successful nesting whereas the remaining 87 were “false crawls”. The overall nesting success rate in the Campania region was 38.3%, which is inline with nesting success rates observed on Eastern Mediterranean beaches. Mapping the nesting activity using QGIS revealed an incidence of nests in the municipality of Castel Volturno and a notable occurrence of false crawls in Camerota, while the Cilento area exhibited the highest rate of nesting success (39.4%). Despite trends indicating more nesting attempts on equipped beaches, no significant differences were detected in false crawl and nest distributions concerning light pollution and beach type. Turtle ascent distances were notably shorter on equipped beaches (mean 36.22m) compared to free beaches (mean 59.33m), with a significant p-value of 0.000013, indicating potential deterrent effects of beach structures. Analysis of turtle ascent lengths revealed no significant differences in length distribution concerning light pollution and beach position (p-value = 0.5385). Moreover, free beaches exhibited a higher average total length (40.6m) compared to equipped beaches (32.8m) suggestive of fewer obstacles hindering turtle ascent on free beaches. Ongoing monitoring of nesting activity is crucial for informing conservation strategies in the Western Mediterranean, highlighting the need for continued research to enhance our understanding and protection of loggerhead sea turtles in the region.