Preliminary study on monitoring the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) using satellite tracking in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas

This study shows preliminary results on monitoring activities of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) distribution in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas by using marine Argos transmitters. The Argos satellite system is now commonly used for tracking the habits and habitat of numerous species. In fact, the marine satellite tags are also equipped with additional sensors that gave us not only the coordinates of the specimens but also other data; among them depth and water temperatures of the routes of the turtles. In this study, the routes of sea turtles tracked have been analyzed, highlighting that there exist statistically significant differences of water temperatures, measured along animals' positions, between male and female individuals. Starting from this work, a future aim will be to create a habitat model for Caretta caretta turtle within the Mediterranean Sea.