Caribbean beaches hold important nesting rookeries for endangered sea turtles

This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Coastal Program (CFDA 15.630) provides $111,020.00 to restore suitable nesting habitat for the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in Puerto Rico. The goal is to reduce threats and enhance the quality of nesting beaches across approximately 128 acres along the southwest, south, and southeast coasts of the island, including Vieques. Planned restoration actions include constructing barriers, reforesting coastlines, preventing vehicle access, and reducing light pollution and predation. The expected outcomes are increased nesting activity, hatchling productivity, and public awareness. The project will benefit other coastal species and communities in the region. The award period is from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027.

However, nesting beaches in this region are continuously under pressure from extreme climatic events such as tropical storms, hurricanes, coastal floodings, and human settlements. Furthermore, caribbean beaches are a major touristic attraction where second home residences and resorts occupy, appropriate, and modify large areas of coastal habitats, including sandy beaches. All these conflictive uses reduce the resilience of the beaches after extreme climatic events that are increasing in intensity and frequency in the region.for the six species of sea turtles that nest in the caribbean region, the hawksbill (eretmochelys imbricata) isthe only species that nests under coastal vegetation, becoming even more vulnerable to habitat modification.hawksbill sea turtles are classified as critically endangered throughout its distribution, being habitat loss anddegradation two of the causes for the observed populations decline. Nesting of hawksbill sea turtles occur inbeaches in tropical regions of the world where the caribbean region holds some of the greatest populationrookeries. One of the largest hawksbill rookeries (with more than 1,000 nests per season) occurs in mona island, puerto rico. Also, significant number of hawksbill nests are found in mainland puerto rico, particularly in thesouth and southeast coast (caribbean side of the island). Therefore, puerto rico is considered the mostsignificant nesting site for this species within the united states. The goal of this project is to restore suitable nesting habitat for the hawksbill sea turtle (eretmochelysimbricata) in puerto rico. This project would address the priorities in the US hawksbill recovery plan byreducing threats that could harm nesting females and hatchlings, and enhancing the quality of suitable nestinghabitats for this species within US jurisdiction. Restoration actions include the construction of barricades andreforestation of the coastline to increase the buffer between the nesting habitat and the urban area, preventvehicles on the beach, and turtles to cross roads, and reducing light pollution and predation from small-indianmongooses (urva auropunctata). Nesting beaches selected for this restoration project cover approximately 128ACRES and occur in the southwest, south, and southeast coast (including vieques) of puerto rico, in urban andrural high-density human populated areas. Hawksbill nesting activity is annually reported in the selected beachescharacterized by fragmented low-energy narrow beaches, with coastal vegetation or shade structures, and adjacent to coral reefs. The expected outcomes of the proposed project include rising the number of nests and hatchling productivity, reducing turtles mortality, and increasing public awareness. Since sea turtles are flagship and umbrella species, by restoring their nesting habitat, many other species would benefit including humans incoastal communities. In addition, hawksbill turtles as other sea turtle species are a shared resource, therefore, other important nesting rookeries for this species under the US jurisdiction (US virgin islands) and the regionwould likely benefit from this project.