Monitoring data of marine turtles on Togolese coast over 2012-2013 period

This dataset contains information on the presence and distribution of sea turtle in Togo. Observations were carried out through a network of 10 ecoguards (local guides), facilitated by 5 fishermen and coordinated by a field technician; and all under the supervision of a scientific coordinator. It contains data on the occurrence or direct observation of sea turtles on the Togolese coast from September 2012 to August 2013. A total of 740 occurrences were recorded. Keywords:Cheloniamydas, Coast, Dermochelyscoriacea,ecoguards, Lepidochelysolivacea, Lomé, Marine turtles, monitoring, Togo. Introduction Sea turtles are the only marine forms of the reptilian class that have emerged about 130 million years ago (Márquez 1990, Frazier 2003). They are migratory species whose populations of different species are essentially distributed in the intertropical zone (Pritchard, 1997). Because of their phylogeny, physiology and behavior, these species represent an ancient and important component in marine and coastal ecosystems (Ferraroli et al., 2003). They occupy all ecological niches available in the marine ecosystems. They are herbivorous, carnivorous or omnivorous and are preyed upon by large marine predators such as sharks and orcas (Bjordal, 1997). Frazier (1999) and Bjorndal et al. (2003) have demonstrated that these animals play an important role in their habitats, and their vitality depends on the exploitable resources (fish, molluscs and mangroves). According to Segniagbeto et al. (2017), fishing nets represent the main conservation problem for the various Togolese sea turtles species, and cause demographic strain of turtle populations. As sea turtles migrate over thousands of kilometers, and the fact that they take tens of years to reach maturity, sea turtles serve as health indicators of coastal and marine environments, both locally and globally (Meylan et al., 1999; Frazier 1999; Fretey 2001).. In West Africa and particularly in Togo, a number of studies have focused on marine turtles (Fretey 2001, Segniagbeto et al., 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017). Of the six species known worldwide, five are present in Togo. These are: green turtle (Cheloniamydas), olive ridley (Lepidochelysolivacea), loggerhead turtle (Carettacaretta), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelysimbricata) and leatherback turtle (Dermochelyscoriacea). According to the above-mentioned works, feeding and reproduction are the main reasons explaining the presence of these species on the Togolese coast. As part of the implementation of the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), linking to the container terminal construction at the Lome Autonomous Port (by Lomé Containers Terminal -LCT), a follow-up program for marine turtles was developed between September 2012 and August 2013, to determine the dynamics of their attendance on the Togolese coast. For this purpose, a monitoring protocol has been developed to collect data on the presence of marine turtles at the construction site of the terminal and its area of influence. The objective of this monitoring program was to verify the assumptions made in the ESIA report, which asserts the presence of marine turtles in the project construction zone, and to propose measures to reduce risks of disturbance and accidents of these animals caused by the construction works. The data collected also made possible to analyze the ecological parameters connected to the use of Togolese beaches by marine turtle species. In the following paragraphs, we present the data collection method used in this monitoring program. The previous knowledge on digital form available from the GBIF data network is summarized in Table 1. and compared with the data contributed by the dataset here described. It almost doubles the number of records known for the three species of sea turtles from the region (Figure 1) Datasets contributing sea turtle records for the region (Coastal areas of Ghana, Togo and Benin) Number of records per species Source L. olivacea C. mydas D. coriacea Tortue Olivâtre. Données publiées dans le cadre du projet JRS Bénin 161 12 25 Dossou-Bodjrènou (2016) Census of the threatened species of Benin. 1 1 1 Kiki &Ganglo (2017) SMNS Herpetologie 1 - - Schlüter (2015) iNaturalistResearch-grade Observations 1 1 - iNaturalist.org (2018). National census of Lepidochelysolivacea (Benin) 163 12 25 Dossou-Bodjrenon& Dossa Gbo (2015) Census of the animals of Benin - 1 1 Kingbo& Kiki (2016) SizingOceanGiants - - 1 McClain & Mackay K (2017) Datasetheredescribed 409 309 19