The role of citizen reports in turtle nests discovery: the case of Samos Island, Greece

The geographical characteristics of the Greek coastline and the lack of effort in not urbanized or remote areas may hinder the localization of sea turtle nests. Citizen science campaigns and opportunistic observations are powerful tools to conduct monitoring in the areas with gaps of knowledge. Through an awareness campaign, a total of five nests were reported on Samos Island’s shoreline in 2018 and 2019. The nest inspection investigated the site characteristics and the reproductive outputs, which results are in accordance with previous studies on the species. The engagement of local communities from previously unsurveyed locations, such as in Samos Island, could assist the adequate enforcement of protection measures, filling the gap of information on nests distribution in remote locations.