Monitoring along north-eastern Brazilian beaches: what stranding data show on olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea)?

Context Juvenile olive ridley sea turtles spend their developmental stages in oceanic waters, but can also be found in neritic areas. Studies on juveniles in neritic areas remain scarce in Brazil, whereas adult occurrences are well documented. Aims To analyse data on stranding records of olive ridleys in Rio Grande do Norte (RN) and Cear & aacute; (CE) states, north-eastern Brazil, for investigating a potential habitat for juveniles. Methods The olive ridleys were recorded between January 2010 and October 2023 and classified as juveniles (curved carapace length, CCL < 66 cm) or adults (CCL >= 66 cm), with the former divided into JUV I (CCL <= 50 cm) and JUV II (50 cm < CCL < 66 cm). Evidence of anthropogenic interaction was also investigated. Key results Juveniles represented 62.41% (166 of 266) and adults 37.59% (100 of 266). There were more records of JUV II (47.37%) than JUV I (15.04%) and between September and March. Signs of anthropogenic interactions were described in 19.92% (53 of 266), with 83.08% (44 of 53) being related to fishing; four main hotspots were identified. Conclusions The presence of JUV I, life stage considered as 'lost years,' suggests a potential habitat for this species in the monitored area. Implications The records of olive ridleys of <25 cm CCL reinforce the importance of the continuous beach monitoring and conservation efforts.