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Marine Turtle Newsletter 106:22, © 2004

Marine Turtle Newsletter-Online

Turtle Point: The First Marine Turtle Rehabilitation Center in Italy

Flegra Bentivegna
Turtle Point and Rescue Center Coordinator, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dorhn, Villa Comunale, Napoli 80021 (E-mail: flegra@szn.it)

Located in the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, a public research institution, The Rescue Center has been working, since 1983, to treat injured animals such as Caretta caretta, the most common marine turtle species found in Italian waters. The Rescue Center’s principal objective is to contribute to the conservation of marine turtles in the Mediterranean by releasing healthy animals back into the wild after their full recovery. To facilitate this goal, not only are the animals treated by veterinarians, there are many rigorous maintenance and husbandry protocols followed in respect to their biology and physiology. Particular attention is given to the phases of their rehabilitation, during which the animals are held under constant observation to confirm their ability to swim, to handle bouts of apnea and to control buoyancy. Also, blood parameters and bodyweight are monitored. As recommended by IUCN (1988), some animals are tracked using satellite transmitters after their release in order to insure their successful reintroduction and to verify their survival in the wild.

Turtles treated by the SZN have either incurred wounds, sometimes very serious, mainly from fishing gear or boats, or are extremely debilitated and undernourished because of unfavourable environmental conditions (Bentivegna et al. 1993; 2002). It is common that animals requiring much care and rehabilitation stay at the Rescue Center for extended periods of time. In the past few years, the number of rescued animals has been increasing exponentially and available tank space is limited. Therefore, it was essential to establish another center with ample space, in a nearby location. Thanks to the continued support, of turtle research and rehabilitation work, from national and local politicians as well as from Bagnolifutura, the Neapolitan society of city transformation, an area of approximately 600m2, in Bagnoli, Naples, was designated as the location for the new “Turtle Point” facility. This site was formerly used, until 1992, as one of the most important iron works in the country.

The “Turtle Point”, was opened on September 13th 2004, with 23 rectangular rehabilitation tanks (2 x 2 x 60) and 2 circular rehabilitation tanks (3m in diameter), a laboratory equipped to observe the animals, a kitchen for food preparation, an office for organising and archiving data and a conference room that is approximately 60 m2. The conference room is used to hold meetings, workshops, seminars, and lessons for students. Outside the building, sterilization and filtration systems have been installed.

The rehabilitation tanks are supplied with seawater in a closed circuit system. The water, taken from the Gulf of Naples and transported by truck to the storage tanks, is purified by the filters and the UV system and its temperature is regulated by a thermal exchanger (18 - 24°C). Twice an hour, the water in every tank is changed. The water filtration and circulation system, was designed by the CHF (Compagnie de l’Hydraulique et Filtration – Saint Georges De Mons Francia), a company that specializes in large water filtration and purification systems. The system was assembled by the Stazione Zoologica’s Technical Staff.

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Bagnolifutura, the EUAC (European Union Aquarium Curators) and Carpisa Kuvera S.r.l., for their immense and generous contributions that helped towards the realization of this plan and to Giovanni De Martino, for his devotion and hard work in executing this project.

BENTIVEGNA, F., P. BREBER & S. HOCHSCHEID. 2002. Cold stunned loggerhead turtles in the South Adriatic Sea. Marine Turtle Newsletter 97:1-3.

BENTIVEGNA, F., P. CIRINO & A. TOSCANO. 1993. Care and treatment of loggerhead sea turtles from the Gulf of Naples, Italy. Marine Turtle Newsletter 61:6-7.

IUCN. 1988. Guidelines for Re-introduction IUCN/SSC Re-Introduction Specialist Group Publication. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge.10 pp.