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Previous telemetry studies have reported the use of Para state coast as a transit and forage area by post-nesting green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas (Baudouin et al. 2015; Chambault et al. 2015), loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta (Marcovaldi et al. 2010), hawksbill-loggerhead hybrids, Eretmochelys imbricata and Caretta caretta (Marcovaldi et al. 2012), and olive ridley turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea (Silva et al. 2011). All these observations highlight the importance of sea turtle monitoring efforts in the area.

Here we report sea turtle data collected over two years of sporadic monitoring of the Environmental Protection Area of Algodoal- Maiandeua (APA Algodoal-Maiandeua), located in the Maracana municipality. We visited the island on five occasions between 2013 and 2014, collecting data on nesting activity, bycatch and recording sea turtle carcasses (Table 1, Fig. 1). All data were first reported by fishermen and confirmed by us in situ.

Figure 1. Sea turtle areas of occurrence within the limits of the APA Algodoal-Maiandeua. Inset maps show the overall location of the protected area in relation to Para State Coast.

Table 1. Sea turtle records at APA Algodoal-Maiandeua. Sp. = Species, Ei = Eretmochelys imbricata, Cm = Chelonia mydas, CCL= curved carapace length (cm), CCW= curved carapace width (cm).

We received the first call reporting a nesting activity on 16 March 2013. We monitored the nest on four occasions: recently after egg laying; mid-development; around the predicted day of emergence; and the day of emergence (Fig. 2). After emergence, we confirmed that the nest was laid by a hawksbill turtle, with a total of 135 live hatchlings, four dead in the nest and 35 unhatched eggs, among them 10 eggs with fungus.

We also observed two live juvenile green sea turtles during the second and third trips to monitor the hawksbill nest. The turtles were caught in different fishing weirs (Fig. 3), and brought to shore, where we collected morphometric data (Table 1, Fig. 3). The turtles were released immediately after the data collection, into areas adjacent to where they were caught.

During the last trip in June 2014, we also visited the village of Fortalezinha, located on the southeast portion of the Island. On this visit we documented and measured five preserved sea turtle carapaces. They were reported as having stranded on the shore in the surrounding area, however the exact date they were found remains unknown (Fig. 4a-e). Other evidence of green sea turtle remains was reported by a local fisherman during our last visit to the island in 2014. He reported that a carcass was found near the Furo Velho tidal channel (Fig. 1). However, he only saved the head, which based on its size, we estimated to come from a subadult or adult green sea turtle (Fig. 4f).

The present note provides evidence of sea turtle presence in APA Algodoal-Maiandua in Para state. It is important to recognize that this monitoring effort was entirely self-funded, which resulted in punctuated and non-standardized sampling occasions. We would like to raise awareness regarding the presence of sea turtles within the APA Algodoal-Maiandeua protected area, and urge that studies be carried out to understand the complexity of use of the area by sea turtles of distinct species and life stages. Improving research and monitoring will allow a better accounting of the uses of this protected area for nesting and foraging and inform conservation efforts within the region.

Figure 2. Princesa Beach hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) nest monitoring stages. a) nest monitored 2 days after deposition. b) full view of the nest location. c) mid-nest development monitoring. d-f) day of emergence.

Figure 3. Juvenile green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) caught in local weirs during the 3rd and 4th visits to monitor the hawksbill nest. a-c) Juvenile sea turtle captured on 13 April 2013. d-f) Juvenile sea turtle captured on 05 May 2013.

Figure 4. Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) remains from two different locations on the island. a-e) Juvenile green sea turtle carapaces. f) Subadult or adult green sea turtle head with preserved skin tissue.

Acknowledgements. This work could not have been done without the support of the local fishermen and business owners: Anderson and Renata Texeira, Mr. Damião Rodrigues Texeira, Pablo and Renato, thank you for sharing knowledge and collaborating with the first steps of this ongoing life project. We thank the GEMAM group, Renata Emim, Maura Sousa and Bruna Lima for the time and help with logistics. We also thank Dra. Daniely Félix-Silva, who were essential for the first steps of this project. The data presented in this note were approved by Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation under SISBIO permits #17029 and #38300.

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