Abstract
Nesting Distribution Analysis of Hawksbill Sea Turtles in Barbados Track: Ecology and Conservation Author(s): Jennifer Beggs Hawksbill sea turtle populations throughout the Caribbean have declined rapidly over the last half-century to the point where these turtles are now Critically Endangered (CITES-IUCN Red List). This decline is largely due to over-harvesting for their meat, shell, or eggs. The Barbados Sea Turtle Project (BSTP) was initiated in 1987 in response to the local decline in turtle sightings and the adverse impacts resulting from an increasingly developing coastline. In many other Caribbean countries, hawksbills' nests are undisturbed on dark, isolated beaches. However, in Barbados the tourism industry has created a coastline lined with hotels, restaurants, and private residences. Data collected by the BSTP over the last 7 years, including GPS positions of all attempts and successful nests made by hawksbill sea turtles has been analyzed using ArcGIS and ArcGIS Spatial Analyst to gain insights into their nesting behaviors along a highly developed coastline. Jennifer Beggs Barbados Sea Turtle Project Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences University of the West Indies Cave HIll St. Michael , n/a 00000 BB Phone: 1 246 230 0142 E-mail: jennyabeggs@yahoo.com |
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