170
green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas; Fig. 7.2c). In 1980, the Sea Turtle Conservation
Project—today known as TAMAR—was created to identify the species occurring in
Brazil, their main breeding sites and threats to their survival (Marcovaldi et al.
2005). Prior to the creation of TAMAR, sea turtle populations in Brazil were heavily
exploited through incidental take in fisheries, illegal poaching and hunting of turtle
eggs and nesting females, resulting in a significant decline in turtle numbers.
Exploitation for consumption is now regulated, but new threats have emerged and
even increased, such as coastal development, intensified fishing, pollution, diseases
and climate change (ICMBIO 2011). Hence, TAMAR adopted as its modus operandi an adaptive threats management framework to organize and orient priority
research themes (da Silva et al. 2016).
Recent technological advances in genetics, telemetry, biochemical markers and
stable isotope analysis are increasing our knowledge of the distribution and behavior of sea turtles. In the present chapter, we intend to review the most relevant
information gained through research studies on (1) satellite telemetry, (2) conservation genetics and (3) climate change impacts.
Fig. 7.1 Loggerhead sea
turtle (a) and hawksbill sea
turtle (b)
M.Â. Marcovaldi et al.
green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas; Fig. 7.2c). In 1980, the Sea Turtle Conservation
Project—today known as TAMAR—was created to identify the species occurring in
Brazil, their main breeding sites and threats to their survival (Marcovaldi et al.
2005). Prior to the creation of TAMAR, sea turtle populations in Brazil were heavily
exploited through incidental take in fisheries, illegal poaching and hunting of turtle
eggs and nesting females, resulting in a significant decline in turtle numbers.
Exploitation for consumption is now regulated, but new threats have emerged and
even increased, such as coastal development, intensified fishing, pollution, diseases
and climate change (ICMBIO 2011). Hence, TAMAR adopted as its modus operandi an adaptive threats management framework to organize and orient priority
research themes (da Silva et al. 2016).
Recent technological advances in genetics, telemetry, biochemical markers and
stable isotope analysis are increasing our knowledge of the distribution and behavior of sea turtles. In the present chapter, we intend to review the most relevant
information gained through research studies on (1) satellite telemetry, (2) conservation genetics and (3) climate change impacts.
Fig. 7.1 Loggerhead sea
turtle (a) and hawksbill sea
turtle (b)
M.Â. Marcovaldi et al.