Padrões espaciais e temporais do encalhe de tartarugas marinha no nordeste do Brasil: diagnóstico e ameaças

Abstract

Strandings records of sea turtles are common throughout the northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte. In this sense, the objective of this study was to diagnose aspects of diversity and spatial and temporal distribution of species of sea turtles that occur in this region, identifying the existence of influence of anthropogenic interaction in these strandings. This work proceeded by the analysis of data from stranded animals in an area delimited in the north by Icapuí (03°49'20.9" S and 38°24'07.8" W) and the east by Caicara do Norte (05°05'28.6" S and 36°17'37.9" W), Brazil, totaling 332,84 km. 2046 occurrences of marine sea turtles were recorded during the period from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2012. Chelonia mydas was the most recorded (71.37%), followed by Eretmochelys imbricata (4.33%), Lepidochelys olivacea (1.24%), Caretta caretta (0.90%) and Dermochelys coriacea (0.04). In 21.12% of the cases it was not possible identify the species. The stretch A had the highest number of strandings and a larger number of records were registered in the warm months of the year. In 45.87% cases we observed signs of interaction with fishing while 67.86% of the animals that died at the rehabilitation’s base, showed cause of death due to complications from ingesting debris. Such studies reinforce the need for environmental awareness as way to minimize the impact on marine environment, who seek a refuge in this region for their development and supply.