Chapter TurtleTosca: drone monitoring of the Caretta caretta nests in the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Park

Abstract

The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most abundant sea turtle species in the Mediterranean Sea. In 2023, 454 nests were identified along Italian beaches, these results represent the absolute Italian nesting record. It was also an exceptional year (2023) for Tuscany, in the central of Italy, where 24 nests were found. This area of central Italy seems to be no longer an exceptional site, so it is necessary to organize monitoring activities in order to cover most of the Tuscan beaches where Caretta caretta could nest. Between the mouths of two rivers, the Serchio and the Arno, lies a natural park, owned by the Tuscany Region, called the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Natural Park (MSRM Park), a protected area with 34 km of protected coastline. With the aim of identifying, protecting and managing Caretta caretta turtle nests in this area, a monitoring program has been initiated using UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), or drones, inside MSRM Park. In the first working season, which ran from June to August 2023, one carcass and some possible Caretta caretta tracks were identified, but no nest at the moment.