Abundance and Distribution of Sea Turtles Along the Bayelsa Coast

Sea turtles are internationally recognised keystone species whose populations have declined dramatically in West African waters due to incidental capture in fisheries, coastal development, and egg harvesting. This study investigates the abundance, species composition, and spatial distribution of sea turtles along the Bayelsa State coastline, South South Nigeria, through nest surveys, track counts, and tagging activities conducted over two nesting seasons in 2023 and 2024. Seven kilometre beach transects are walked nightly at three selected nesting beaches: Brass Beach, Akassa Beach, and Sangana Shoreline. Nest density, clutch size, hatch success rates, and species identification based on track morphology and direct observation are recorded. A mark-recapture programme using PIT tags and flipper tags is implemented to estimate population size and identify movement corridors. By-catch interview surveys are administered to 80 artisanal fishers to quantify incidental sea turtle interactions and mortality events. Concurrent vegetation surveys characterise nesting habitat quality in terms of sand temperature, grain size, and beach slope. Findings are expected to document nesting activity of Lepidochelys olivacea and Dermochelys coriacea, with heightened vulnerability linked to proximity of gas flaring facilities and oil pipeline routes. Recommendations address community-based conservation programmes and bycatch reduction device deployment. Keywords: sea turtles, nesting beaches, Bayelsa State, mark-recapture, marine conservation