TropicalCoast 4th new indd

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July 2008

Table 1. Network of MPAs for Species of Special Concern (Marine Turtles). Colored text indicates suggested modifi cations 

                  to this output (Adapted from WWF, 2004, by Pilcher, 2008).

Network of MPA Criteria 

Goals 

Conservation Targets 

1. Habitat 

representation and 

heterogeneity 

• Representation 

• Rookeries (nesting, inter-nesting, and mating 

habitats)

• Feeding, developmental habitats

• Migratory routes for the fi ve species of turtles in the 

SSME 

2. Human threats 

• Population viability 

• Ecological and evolutionary processes

 

• Eggs, hatchlings, developmental stage (juvenile) and 

adult turtles 

• Key nesting habitats 

3. Natural catastrophes 

(e.g., El Niño, beach 

erosion) 

• Population viability 

• Ecological and evolutionary processes 

• Resilience 

• Natural sex ratio 

• Nesting densities 

• Hatchling emergence 

•

 Nesting success 

4. Size (export 

functions, viability, 

management) 

includes population 

size, size of MPAs 

for turtles 

• Representation 

• Population viability 

• Ecological and evolutionary processes 

• Resilience 

 

• Nesting sites in excess of 100 nests/year 

• Adult foraging sites 

• Juvenile foraging/development sites 

• Migratory corridors for one or more species 

• Nesting population 

5. Connectivity           

• Population viability 

• Ecological and evolutionary processes 

• Resilience 

Same as Criteria 1 targets to ensure the full life cycle 

of turtles belonging to the same population 

• Full life histories of turtles belonging to each genetic 

stock 

6. Vulnerable habitats 

All three key habitats (nesting beaches, migratory pathways and foraging grounds) are critical for turtle 

conservation – the absence of any of these would result in population declines, given the lack of mobility 

among populations. These habitats are addressed above under Habitat Representation. 

7. Vulnerable life stages 

•

 Population viability

 

• Critical nesting beaches focusing on egg incubation   

  and hatchling emergence 

• Management interventions 

• Migratory pathways

 

8. Species services 

• Ecological and evolutionary processes 

Same as targets under Criteria 1, 3, 4, and 5 

• Turtles continue to play their ecological roles in 

foraging habitats

 

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Tropical Coasts

Indicators 

Social, Cultural, Economic Considerations 

• Nesting habitat: at least 70% of turtle egg production conserved 

• Threats to turtles as well as mortalities in critical habitats, land-

based sources of pollution, and other disturbances to seagrass 

beds and 

coral reefs is reduced

 or eliminated 

• Representative habitats including interesting areas maintained 

• A suite of each of the required habitats is maintained at all times 

to allow for point-source catastrophes 

• Migratory pathways and particularly bottlenecks are priorities for 

at-sea conservation action 

• Participatory management of tri-national protected area (Turtle 

Islands, Sipadan Island, Lankayan Island, and Derawan Island 

Group) 

through a Turtle Network Committee, chaired by the existing 

SSS host country 

• Integrated conservation and development (ICD) approach 

• Political and socioeconomic impacts of conservation (e.g., use of 

turtle-exclusive devices or TEDs) 

• Respect for traditional use of turtle eggs and meat, e.g., religious 

practices, rituals 

• Promoted use of turtles for tourism development and other livelihood 

opportunities 

• Development of turtle-friendly alternative livelihoods (e.g., seaweed 

farm screens)

 

• Capacity building for turtle conservation 

• At least 70% of turtle egg production conserved 

• Hatchling mortality reduced to natural levels 

• Natural population dynamics understood and maintained 

• Stable or increasing nesting trends 

• Human settlements isolated from critical nesting sites 

• Direct harvest levels of adults and eggs to be considered when 

dealing with local communities 

• Research and monitoring costs of at-sea work to be budgeted for 

• Coastal zoning plans to account for critical habitats (foraging and 

nesting) 

• Offset schemes to be considered in reducing direct harvests

 

• Sex ratio maintained (Research agenda: subject to study/

verifi cation) 

• Proper land use that maintains alternative nesting sites 

• Increased hatching and hatchling success 

• Sensible egg relocation programmes to counter erosion are in 

place 

• Participation of various sectors, e.g., act as early warning system, as 

a response team 

• ICD approach 

• Increased awareness on the disadvantages of head starting 

• Increased costs of egg relocation and monitoring during natural 

catastrophes 

• Stranding network to act as an early warning signal to major 

environmental hazards 

Same as Criteria 1 indicators 

and

 

• Stable or increasing number of nesters 

• Stable or increasing proportion of recruits to reproductive adult 

age classes 

• Stable or increasing number of turtles in foraging grounds 

• Increased spatial coverage over range of foraging individuals 

• Appropriate legislations for zoning and setback, particularly in 

foraging grounds 

• Effective law enforcement 

• Mitigation of impacts of protection of large areas on socioeconomic 

conditions, e.g., alternative livelihood 

• Integrated coastal management (ICM) approach 

• Mechanism for collaboration and cooperation among management 

units of the network 

• Increased understanding of genetic interlinkages 

• Reduced threats along migratory routes and in critical habitats, 

e.g., reduction of by-catch and mass poaching by distant nation 

fl eets 

• Increased population densities in all life stages and habitats 

• Turtle-friendly livelihood and economic activities, e.g. eco-tourism, 

fi sheries 

• Partnership with corporate/private sector and the academe 

• Appropriate land and water use planning and development 

• Inter-regional collaboration and cooperation 

• Effective law enforcement 

• Increased dialogue with distant nations whose fi shing fl eets impact 

SSS marine turtles 

• Incubation and emergence success are similar on managed 

beaches to those left in the wild (in situ) 

• Hatchling dispersal follows natural patterns and mortality rates 

• Migration bottlenecks receive enhanced protection 

• Research is needed to determine what ‘natural’ is for hatchling 

gender ratios, success rates and dispersal patterns at all sites 

• While expensive, migratory routes and bottlenecks can only be 

determined through satellite tracking, yet this offers unprecedented 

awareness and education opportunities 

• Seagrass communities respond positively to constant turtle 

  grazing 

• Coral reef fi sh communities which depend on sponges 

  maintained 

• Diversity of sponges on coral reef assemblages maintained but 

not overwhelming coral communities 

• Artisanal fi shery sectors continue to benefi t from ecological 

services of these habitats given roles of turtles in maintaining 

these 

Same as 1, 3, 4, and 5 

• Link to socioeconomic considerations of Network of MPAs for 

fi sheries and Network of MPAs for integrated coastal ecosystems 

• Socioeconomic considerations of turtle impacts to alternative 

livelihood programmes 

• Community understanding of the indirect values of turtles to marine 

habitat well-being 

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