Protection of nesting beaches
The protection of sea turtle nesting beaches contributes vastly to the conservation of sea turtle populations.
About 75-100 km of beaches with an average of 5,000 loggerhead nests are monitored through our actions on Zakynthos, Crete and the Peloponnese every year. Our field teams direct their efforts on the beaches so that adult females can nest undisturbed, nests remain safe during incubation and hatchlings emerge and reach the sea unobstructed.
We ensure the protection of:
- The nesting of adult females
- The protection of the nests
- The hatching of the baby turtles until they enter the sea
Each year's nesting is affected by extreme weather events, severe soil erosion, predation by wildlife and human activities on the nesting beaches. Also, on the nesting beaches, ARCHELON researchers relocate some nests that are at the risk of flooding or affected by light pollution to safer locations at the nesting beaches to hatch. The volunteers also put protective covers to prevent the nests from being stepped on by visitors and predation by wild animals.
Population data
Important information about the biology and population composition of sea turtles, and the migration routes in the Mediterranean Sea are collected from our fieldwork projects. Tagging and identification of already tagged individuals occurs on the nesting beaches of Zakynthos, Crete and the Peloponnese. This helps to find out their distribution in the Mediterranean after they have nested. The identification of migration routes is carried out with the help of satellite tags on selected individuals.
Tagging is also carried out in the feeding grounds of Amvrakikos Gulf, in order to investigate the growth rates of turtles living there.
Important information on the threats and pressures at sea from all coastal areas is collected through the nationwide Rescue Network. All turtles released from the Rescue Centre are tagged.
During the last two decades, it has been possible to genetically group the sea turtles populations which reproduce in Greek beaches through respective research.
Rescue and rehabilitation
Accidental entanglement of sea turtles in fishing gear often results in their injury or drowning. Unfortunately, in some cases, animals are also deliberately injured or killed. In addition, turtle collisions with speedboats are reported near the nesting beaches. The ARCHELON Rescue Network acts in cases of reports of injured or sick turtles or dead animals being washed up in cooperation with port authorities, fishermen, citizens and associations.
At the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Glyfada, Attica, injured or sick sea turtles are brought from all over Greece, where staff and trained volunteers provide care. After their recovery, the sea turtles return to the sea.
Habitat restoration
Actions to clean the beach from plastic are organized in all the ARCHELON project areas. Dune restoration projects have been carried out by ARCHELON on the nesting beaches of the Lakonikos bay and in the Kotychi area of Ilia.