Estimation de la population de Tortues vertes (Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758)) par photo-identification le long de la côte Caraïbe en Martinique

For green turtle (Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758)), most abundance estimates are based on one phase of the cycle, nesting. Monitoring population trends in juveniles is essential for implementing early management measures. In this study, we performed an estimate of the abundance of juvenile green turtles in Martinique. Data were collected over six months based on the capture-mark-recapture model by photo-identification. We first estimated abundance for each surveyed sites (n = 17) after characterizing their population using the Close-Test software. Depending on the analyzes, the Schnabel, Schumacher-Eschmeyer, Lincoln-Peterson or Jolly-Seber models were used. We then deduce the abundance for the entire island estimated at 150 turtles [93-396] with a high fidelity of the latter to feeding sites. The size of the individuals and the presence of fibropapillomatosis lesions were also noted. Trends in the distribution of these criteria have been highlighted.