About This Project

This pioneer project marks the first time in Morocco's history for satellite transmitters deployed on sea turtles. We ask what habitats turtles use and how their movements interact with bycatch threats in the region, and answer by tracking juveniles using Fastloc GPS satellite transmitters that give highly accurate positions of movement patterns and home ranges of one of the most iconic species in Moroccan waters. We expect to find small home ranges that overlap with intense fishing.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Despite the fact that the Mediterranean is a global hotspot for fisheries interactions with loggerhead turtles, the Moroccan coastline has not previously been assessed for the activities and movements of live sea turtles in its coastal waters. The coastal waters of Morocco are vital to the success of commercial and artisanal fisheries, yet these fisheries have been reported to negatively impact vulnerable loggerhead sea turtles in ways that may be reducing overall population numbers of this species. Understanding juvenile loggerhead movements, habitat use, hotspot locations, and interactions with fisheries through the collection of high-resolution satellite telemetry is a vital step in establishing cooperative conservation measures among fishers, government, and conservation scientists.

What is the significance of this project?

Prior studies on sea turtles in Moroccan waters have focused on strandings and fisheries bycatch driving sea turtle population declines, yet there remains very limited knowledge of live turtles and their ecology in this region. Although regional studies suggest juvenile loggerheads utilize Morocco’s nearshore Atlantic and Mediterranean waters, the lack of focused research and funding means their movements, feeding grounds, and habitat use are still poorly understood. Juveniles may reside in these waters for many years, yet their movement ecology remains unclear. Identifying specific feeding grounds is crucial for developing targeted conservation strategies and linking juveniles to nesting populations. Deploying precise satellite Fastloc GPS transmitters will fill these data gaps, revealing home ranges and critical hotspot areas to guide conservation policy and mitigate bycatch impacts on this vulnerable species.

What are the goals of the project?

The first goal is to engage artisanal fishers to partner with the launch of Morocco’s first satellite-tracking initiative for sea turtles by deploying 5 Fastloc GPS transmitters on juvenile loggerheads rescued from artisanal fisheries. The second goal is to use the high-resolution spatial data from the deployed tags to analyze turtle position locations, as well as temperature, depth, and dive data over a 12-month period (5 tags) to identify movement patterns, residence times, hotspots, foraging areas, and areas of interactions with artisanal and commercial fisheries. Our third goal is to begin to build national capacity for satellite telemetry and contribute Moroccan data to global sea turtle tracking, conservation, and marine policy efforts.