Taşkavak, Ertan Ege Üniversitesi - Faculty of Fisheries, Turkey , Akçınar, Salim Can Ege Üniversitesi - Faculty of Fisheries, Turkey , İnanlı, Çağlayan Karşıyaka Municipality - Directorate of Veterinary Affairs, Turkey

Rare occurrence of the leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, in Izmir Bay, Aegean Sea, Turkey

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Leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, is a pelagic and circumglobal species and listed Vulnerable in IUCN Red List. Although the species mainly inhabits the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and occasionally enters the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the sightings have been made in the western part of the Mediterranean. More than a decade after the species’ first record in the Aegean coasts of Turkey, the recent specimen were found stranded dead on the coast of Izmir Bay on October 28, 2011. The mature turtle was a female with 148 cm of curved carapace length and 198 kg of weight. Two deep transversal cuts which seem to be caused by a boat propeller were observed on carapace.

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Dermochelys coriacea , Leatherback sea turtle , stranding , İzmir Bay , Aegean Sea , Turkey

Ege Journal Of Fisheries an‎d Aquatic Sciences

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