In the central Mediterranean Sea, gut contents and feces of 95 turtles captured by bottom trawlers and pelagic longliners fishing in neritic and oceanic areas, respectively, were examined. Benthic prey were more abundant than pelagic, a probable bias due to the higher digestibility of the latter. Animal and plant taxa belonging to 12 Phyla and 20 Classes were observed, with 63 new records of prey species, and Malacostraca, Gastropoda, and Echinoidea were the most commonly occurring animal classes. Results showed a highly opportunistic foraging behavior by the turtles on both live and dead material in the epipelagic zone as well as on all types of seafloor. Benthic taxa were found in turtles as small as 26 cm curved carapace length (CCL), indicating an early use of benthic resources, and also among turtles over a wide size range caught by pelagic longliners. The lack of evidence of a strict oceanic/ pelagic stage and of a clear habitat shift in the observed size range (25 to 80.3 cm CCL), when considered together with other recent findings, challenges the current ontogenetic model of life history for the species. A relaxed model is proposed, with an early short obligate epipelagic stage due to limited diving capacity, followed by the main opportunistic amphi-habitat stage, with a tendency to prefer benthic prey as turtles grow and their benthic foraging efficiency improves. Under this model, temporary or permanent association or fidelity to specific oceanic or neritic zones would vary among individuals or populations according to food availability and oceanographic features in the foraging or migratory areas. KEY WORDS: Sea turtle · Caretta caretta · Diet · Life history · Mediterranean Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 372: [265][266][267][268][269][270][271][272][273][274][275][276] 2008 Mediterranean basin (Margaritoulis et al. 2003). In particular, the area between Sicily (Italy) and Africa is considered among the most important areas for loggerheads and this is where pelagic longliners and bottom trawlers capture high numbers of turtles (Casale et al. 2007a).Diet data from different neritic areas of the basin show markedly different compositions of benthic taxa, an indication of opportunistic feeding (Laurent & Lescure 1994, Godley et al. 1997, Tomas et al. 2001. However, the ecology of loggerhead turtles in the basin is still poorly known. Laurent et al. (1998) hypothesized a transitional stage between the strictly oceanic and neritic stages, in which loggerhead turtles would feed mainly on pelagic prey but also on benthic prey, but this has not yet been adequately investigated through diet analyses. This is not a simple task, since loggerhead turtles in the neritic stage are known to feed throughthe whole water column (Bolten 2003), so that finding pelagic and benthic prey in the same sample (e.g. Tomas et al. 2001) is not proof of a transitional stage.Small loggerhead turtles (minimum size: 29.5 and 22 cm respectively; Casale et al....

Based on an extensive sampling regime from both nesting populations and bycatch, frequency analyses of mitochondrial (mt) DNA control region haplotypes in the Mediterranean were used to assess the genetic structure and stock composition of the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, in different marine fisheries. The analyses show the following. (i) In drifting longline fisheries working in Mediterranean pelagic habitats 53-55% of turtles caught originated from the Mediterranean stock; (ii) In bottom-trawl fisheries all turtle bycatch is derived from this regional stock; (iii) This regional stock contribution to fishery bycatch suggests that the population size of the Mediterranean loggerhead nesting population is significantly larger than previously thought. This is consistent with a recent holistic estimate based on the discovery of a large rookery in Libya. (iv) Present impact of fishery-related mortality on the Mediterranean nesting population is probably incompatible with its long-term conservation. Sea turtle conservation regulations are urgently needed for the Mediterranean fisheries. (v) The significant divergence of mtDNA haplotype frequencies of the Turkish loggerhead colonies define this nesting population as a particularly important management unit. Large immature and adult stages from this management unit seem to be harvested predominantly by Egyptian fisheries. (vi) Combined with other data, our findings suggest that all the nesting populations in the Mediterranean should be considered as management units sharing immature pelagic habitats throughout the Mediterranean (and possibly the eastern Atlantic), with distinct and more localized benthic feeding habitats in the eastern basin used by large immatures and adults. (vii) Between the strict oceanic pelagic and the benthic stages, immature turtles appear to live through an intermediate neritic stage, in which they switch between pelagic and benthic foods.

1.Spatio-temporal distribution and anthropogenic mortality factors were investigated in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) found stranded or floating in the waters around Italy. A total of 5938 records for the period 1980-2008 were analysed concerning loggerhead turtles measuring from 3.8 to 97 cm curved carapace length (mean: 48.3 cm).2.Results highlighted the following conservation issues: (i) in the study area, anthropogenic mortality is higher than natural mortality; (ii) interaction with fisheries is by far the most important anthropogenic mortality factor; (iii) longlines are an important mortality factor in the southern areas; (iv) trawlers are the cause of high numbers of dead strandings in the north Adriatic; (v) entanglement in ghost-gear or in other anthropogenic debris affects high numbers of turtles; and (vi) boat strikes are an important source of mortality in most areas but mostly in the warm seasons.3.Results also indicate that: (vii) the north Adriatic is the area with the highest turtle density; and (viii) the south Adriatic and to a lesser extent the surrounding areas of the north Adriatic and the Ionian, are important developmental areas for loggerhead turtles in the first years of life.4.Italy is in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea and borders major foraging areas for the loggerhead turtles in the region, and these results confirm previous concerns about the level of anthropogenic mortality in Italian waters. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Sea turtle tagging carried out in Italy in the period 1981-2006 resulted in 125 re-encounters of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) after a mean of 2.5 years, from different marine areas in the Mediterranean. At first finding, turtles ranged 25-83 cm of curved carapace length. Data were analyzed according to size, area, habitat type, season, in order to provide indication of movement patterns. When integrated with other information, results indicate that: (1) a part of turtles in the oceanic stage show a nomad behavior with movements among different oceanic areas; (2) another part show fidelity to an oceanic area; (3) turtles in the neritic stage show fidelity to neritic areas, and once settled to one area, change to other neritic areas is unlikely; (4) nomad oceanic turtles are significantly larger than sedentary ones, and also larger than turtles found in neritic areas; it is hypothesized that these could be Atlantic turtles that eventually leave the Mediterranean; (5) ecological transition from oceanic to neritic habitats occurs at a wide range of sizes, and some turtles may have a very brief oceanic stage; (6) turtles in the oceanic stage are more likely to recruit to neritic areas close to their oceanic areas than to distant ones; (7) part of turtles from some Mediterranean nesting beaches might frequent a relatively limited area range, including both oceanic and neritic areas; (8) in most of the Mediterranean, latitudinal seasonal migrations are unlikely. A general model of movement patterns of loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean is proposed. © 2007 Springer-Verlag

1. The fishing effort and turtle catch of vessels harbouring at Lampedusa island and fishing in the wider central Mediterranean area was monitored using a voluntary logbook programme. Two large trawlers were monitored between 2003 and 2005 and six small vessels using trawl nets, pelagic longline or bottom longline were monitored in the summer 2005. 2. The observed turtle catch rates of pelagic longline and bottom trawl were among the highest recorded in the basin, and high catch rates by bottom longline were observed too. This suggests that the area contains major oceanic and neritic habitats for the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta in the Mediterranean Sea. 3. When fishing effort is considered, these results suggest a very high number of captures by Italian trawlers and longliners in the area, as well as by fleets from other countries. This is reason of concern for the conservation of the loggerhead turtle within the Mediterranean Sea. 4. Different fishing gear have different technical/operational characteristics affecting turtle catch and mortality and the present knowledge about associated parameters of these gear varies too. 5. All this considered, specific actions are recommended: (i) an awareness campaign to fishermen to reduce post-release mortality, (ii) technical modifications to pelagic longline gear to reduce turtle catch, (iii) further investigation into turtle bycatch in all fishing gear, with priority given to bottom longline fishing and quantification of mortality caused by trawlers, (iv) assessment of the turtle populations affected by fishing activity in the area, and (v) international cooperation in undertaking threat assessments, and implementing regulations, management measures and monitoring. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd