PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
The loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta is a large marine turtle with a cosmopolitan repartition in warm and temperate waters of the planet. The South Pacific subpopulation is classified as \'Critically Endangered\' on the IUCN Red List, based on the estimated demographic decline. This precarious situation engages an urgent need to monitor nesting populations in order to highlight conservation priorities and to ensure their efficiency over time. New Caledonia encompasses a large number of micro and distant nesting sites, localized on coral islets widely distributed across its large lagoon. Adequately surveying nesting activities on those hard-to-reach beaches can prove to be challenging. As a result, important knowledge gaps prevail in those high-potential nesting habitats. For the first time, an innovative monitoring scheme was conducted to assess the intensity of nesting activities, considered as a proxy of the population size, on an exhaustive set of islets located in the \'Grand Lagon Sud\' area. These data were analyzed using a set of statistical methods specially designed to produce phenology and nesting activity estimates using Bayesian methods. This analysis revealed that this rookery hosts a large nesting colony, with a mean annual estimate of 437 nests (95% Credible Interval = 328-582). These numbers exceed that of the previous estimated annual number of loggerhead turtle nests in New Caledonia, highlighting the exceptional nature of this area. Considering the fact that similar high-potential aggregations have been identified in other parts of New Caledonia, but failed to be comprehensively assessed to this day, we recommend carrying out this replicable monitoring scheme to other locations. It could allow a significant re-evaluation of the New Caledonian nesting population importance and, ultimately, of its prevailing responsibility for the protection of this patrimonial yet endangered species.
摘要：
红头海龟Caretta是一种大型海龟，在地球的温暖和温带水域中具有世界性的分区。南太平洋亚群在IUCN红色名录上被列为“极度濒危”，根据估计的人口下降。这种不稳定的情况迫切需要监测筑巢人口，以突出保护优先事项并确保其随着时间的推移效率。新喀里多尼亚包括大量微型和远距离筑巢地点，位于珊瑚岛上，广泛分布在其大型泻湖中。在那些难以到达的海滩上充分调查筑巢活动可能被证明是具有挑战性的。因此,在那些高潜力的筑巢栖息地中普遍存在重要的知识差距。第一次,进行了一项创新的监测计划，以评估筑巢活动的强度，被认为是人口规模的代表，位于“大拉贡南”地区的一组详尽的小岛上。使用一组专门设计用于使用贝叶斯方法产生物候和嵌套活动估计的统计方法来分析这些数据。这项分析表明，这个群居拥有一个大型的筑巢殖民地，平均年估计为437个巢(95%可信区间=328-582)。这些数字超过了以前估计的新喀里多尼亚石头龟巢的年度数量，突出了这个地区的特殊性质。考虑到在新喀里多尼亚其他地区也发现了类似的高潜力集团，但至今未能得到全面评估，我们建议在其他地方执行此可复制的监视计划。它可以对新喀里多尼亚筑巢人口的重要性进行重大重新评估，最终,它对保护这一世袭但濒危物种的普遍责任。
