Cape Verde Turtle Project

Cape Verde Turtle Project
Name	Cape Verde Turtle Project
Type	Non-profit research and conservation initiative
Location	Cape Verde
Founded	2008
Focus	Marine conservation, sea turtle research, community outreach

Cape Verde Turtle Project is a long-term marine conservation and research initiative based in the Republic of Cabo Verde focused on the study and protection of sea turtles across the archipelago. The project operates in collaboration with regional and international institutions, conducting field research, monitoring nesting beaches, and implementing community-based conservation programs on islands such as Boa Vista (island), Sal (island), and Santiago, Cape Verde. Activities integrate scientific methods, policy engagement, and education to reduce threats to sea turtles and their habitats in the eastern Atlantic.

History and founding

The project was established in 2008 through partnerships among local stakeholders, academic groups, and international organizations including conservation NGOs and university research centers from Portugal, United Kingdom, and United States. Early collaborators included marine biologists with affiliations to University of Lisbon, University of Exeter, and researchers linked to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration programs, while logistical support came from island municipalities like Boa Vista (municipality) and regional agencies. Founding objectives aligned with priorities from multilateral agreements such as the Convention on Migratory Species and guidance from the IUCN marine turtle specialist groups, framing an agenda of research, monitoring, and community engagement on nesting beaches.

Objectives and research activities

Primary objectives combine scientific research, conservation action, and policy support to address threats identified by assessments from entities including IUCN Red List committees and regional fisheries bodies like the West African Regional Fisheries Commission. Research activities encompass population assessments, genetic studies, and threat analyses linked to artisanal fisheries regulated by authorities such as the Fisheries Directorate (Cape Verde). Collaborative projects have produced data for international compilations coordinated by institutions like Convention on Biological Diversity working groups and regional conservation networks connected to BirdLife International-affiliated partners.

Conservation and community programs

Conservation efforts center on nesting beach protection, hatchery management, bycatch mitigation, and public outreach with community groups, local schools, and municipal councils such as those in Boa Vista (municipality) and Sal (municipality). Community programs partner with NGOs and development agencies including WWF, Conservation International, and national ministries to implement alternative livelihood initiatives, ecotourism strategies promoted by operators linked to Cape Verde Tourism Board, and volunteer programs coordinated with university field courses from institutions like University of Cape Verde. Education campaigns target fishing communities and tourism stakeholders to reduce illegal harvest and enhance stewardship.

Species and habitats studied

Fieldwork focuses on prominent sea turtle species nesting and foraging in Cape Verde waters, notably Loggerhead populations concentrated on Boa Vista (island), with additional studies of Green turtle occurrences in seagrass beds near Santiago, Cape Verde and occasional records of Hawksbill and Leatherback movements documented via satellite telemetry. Research also addresses critical habitats including sandy nesting beaches, nearshore reef systems adjacent to islands like Sal (island), and migratory corridors extending toward the Canary Islands and the West African coast.

Methodologies and monitoring

Methods combine standardized nesting beach surveys, mark–recapture protocols, genetic sampling synchronized with laboratories at universities such as University of Porto and University of Algarve, and telemetry studies using satellite tags supplied through collaborations with agencies like Tagging of Pacific Pelagics-style programs and oceanography groups at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Night patrols, hatchery experiments, and bycatch observer programs employ protocols compatible with guidance from IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group and reporting standards used by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora when applicable. Data management and analysis use frameworks common to projects coordinated with the European Union marine conservation research initiatives.

Results, impacts, and policy influence

Outcomes include improved estimates of nesting abundance contributing to status assessments by the IUCN Red List and national biodiversity reports submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Conservation actions have reduced nest losses on monitored beaches and informed bycatch reduction measures adopted in policy dialogues with the Fisheries Directorate (Cape Verde) and regional fisheries commissions. The project’s datasets have been cited in academic publications from universities such as University of Exeter and University of Lisbon, and have underpinned development of sustainable ecotourism guidelines promoted to operators registered with the Cape Verde Tourism Board. Capacity-building efforts have trained local technicians and students affiliated with the University of Cape Verde and contributed to cross-border collaborations with researchers from Spain, Portugal, and Senegal, strengthening regional sea turtle conservation across the eastern Atlantic.

Category:Environmental organizations Category:Sea turtle conservation Category:Wildlife conservation in Cape Verde