Multidisciplinary Insights into the Conservation and Biology of Sea Turtles in Mozambique Thesis submitted by Jessica Lauren Williams Bsc (Hons) Marine science & conservation and wildlife biology, Murdoch University For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University Townsville, Australia May 2017 Acknowledgements I’ve had a lot of help along the way, from my supervisors, many different people, organisations, friends and family – to all of whom I am truly grateful for their time and support, feedback, jokes, and coffee. None of this would have been possible without all of you. I would like to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the following: To my academic supervisors, Mark Hamann, Simon Pierce and Mariana Fuentes. While our time zones have almost never been compatible, I am overwhelmingly grateful to all of you for your support, time and expertise. Thank you for agreeing to take me on, as an external student based in a challenging country, with no formal project funding or scholarship in the beginning. I recognise the gamble you all made and I am very glad you did. Each of you have helped me immensely to develop and expand my ideas for this project. This project would not have been possible without all of you and I am sincerely thankful that you were able to support me from across all corners the world. To the All Out Africa (AOA) Marine Research Unit for sharing their immensely valuable citizen science datasets and for providing logistical and in-kind support. I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the project coordinators (past and present) and marine volunteers of AOA for their collaboration. Special thanks must be made to K. Reeve-Arnold and R. Newbigging for collecting the spatial dataset and to T. Salter for assisting in data clean-up and formatting of the dive log dataset. I would like to i acknowledge J. Salmond who initiated the dedicated turtle surveys and commenced the turtle mortality surveys in 2009 though AOA. I would like to thank my Mozambican turtle colleagues (Marcos, Eduardo, Cristina, Raquel, Miguel) for welcoming me into the group, sharing my research goals, imparting your local wisdom and for making my research endeavours feel valued. I look forward to many more years of productive collaboration together. I would like to thank all the sea turtle experts who participated in my expert elicitation survey, and also to thank A. Diedrich for her input into the design of the expert survey questionnaire. I am indebted to the Rufford Foundation who provided the main financial support for this project. I am also grateful to Idea Wild who supported my project by providing underwater and laser photogrammetry equipment to advance the in-water data collection. I would like to thank the International Sea Turtle Symposium (ISTS) and the ISTS Africa travel grants committee for providing me with multiple opportunities to travel, present and discuss my research with the world’s most respected and accomplished sea turtle biologists. Thanks to all the JCU turtle nerds for their support, advice, enthusiasm and for hosting me on visits to Townsville. I would like to acknowledge the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) which provided me with logistical and in-kind support. Special thanks must go to Daan, Andrea, Janneman and all the other researchers and volunteers from MMF who contributed to photo-ID collection or dive logs. I would especially like to thank Chris Rohner - thank you for your patience, time, statistical support and advice. ii To everyone who ever accompanied me into the field (or elsewhere) to retrieve or survey for dead or dying turtles/carcasses - thank you and sorry! During the course of this project, I gained a home away from home in the Mozambican jungle at Dunes de Dovela with Alex, Thomas, Cajou and the whole Dunes team. The friendships fostered at Dovela have enriched both my project and my life. It has been fascinating and an absolute pleasure to work together. I look forward to achieving many more conservation goals in Dovela with you all. Additionally, Alex, thank you for your time, skills and knowledge to organise and conduct the interviews with fishers in Dovela. Chapter 5 would not have been possible without the voluntary participation of the fishermen from both Tofo and Dovela. I wish to extend my thanks to all of the local interviewers and translators, Jasse, Damião, Elidio, Adamo, Gabriel, Carlos, and Benedicto, without whom this work would have been impossible. Thank you all for your understanding, patience and enthusiasm to learn about my research and help me with it. Additionally, many thanks to Yara and Jon for your collaboration on surveys for nesting turtles and turtle mortality from Zavora. I am also grateful to Travessia Beach Lodge, Praia de Rocha beach estate for hosting me and providing in-kind support to conduct mortality surveys. I would like to thank Lisa and Liz from Blue Footprints Eco Lodge and the Barra Lodge Dive Centre for providing the logbook data. Many thanks are extended to all the divers and dive staff from all the dive centers’ in Tofo (Diversity Scuba, Liquid Adventures and Tofo Scuba), and particularly to the team at Peri Peri Divers: Nick, Steve and Frida. Thank you Peri- Peri for always supporting my science efforts. iii To my dear friends and my extended ‘Tofool’ expat family for always being around, for the surfing sessions, Sunday pancakes and all the other fun times that helped balance everything out. To my dear friend Hannah Darrin, for her enthusiasm and support of my project and her dedicated work to Eyes on the Horizon, which was invaluable. To my amazing friends, Katie Hogg (cuttlefish), Clare Prebble (honey badger) and Katie Reeve-Arnold who shared the frustration, guilt, pain and occasional success together on this battle. Without you, I could not have crossed the finish line. I have sincerest gratitude to my family for supporting my endeavours and the numerous trips to the airport. Especially to my Dad, Kim, for the numerous brainstorming sessions and for kindly proofreading numerous drafts. Finally, to Lula and the Salty sea dog, for being the best company and making sure I was always safe. iv Statement of Contribution of Others Ø Research Funding • Rufford Small Grants 1 and 2. • Idea Wild 2012 • James Cook University Graduate Research School (JCU) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences Ø Stipend Scholarship • Australian Post Graduate Award. Ø Travel and Conferences • International Sea Turtle Society • Women Divers Hall of Fame • Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association • Rufford Small Grants Ø In-kind Support • Dunes de Dovela • Peri Peri Divers • Marine Megafauna Association • All Out Africa • Travessia Beach Lodge • Blue Footprints Eco Lodge V VI Contribution of Others by Chapter Thesis chapter Details of publication Nature of intellectual on which paper is input of each author based 1- Introduction n/a 2- Citizen science Williams JL, Pierce SJ, I designed the study. Fuentes MMPB, Pierce and I conducted Hamann M (2015). the fieldwork. I analysed Effectiveness of the data with advice from recreational divers for Hamann and Pierce. I monitoring sea turtle wrote the manuscript with populations. editorial support from all Endangered Species authors. Research 26:209–219. Doi:10.3354/esr00647 3- In-water Williams JL, Pierce SJ, I designed the study and ecology Rohner CA, Fuentes conducted the fieldwork. MMPB, Hamann M I analysed the data with (2017). Spatial advise from Rohner, distribution and Pierce, Hamann. I wrote residency of green the manuscript with and loggerhead sea editorial support from all turtles using coastal authors. reef habitats in southern Mozambique. VII Frontiers in Marine Science (3) 288: 1- 16. 4- Illegal take & Williams JL, Pierce SJ, I designed the study with use Fuentes MMPB, Pierce. I conducted the Hamann M (in prep) transects with local Understanding the volunteers. I completed illegal take of marine the data analysis and turtles in wrote the manuscript with Mozambique. Target support from all authors. journal: TBA 5- Motives and Williams JL, Pierce S.J, I designed the study with drivers for take Fuentes MMPB, assistance from Pierce, Meletis Z, Hamann M Hamann and Fuentes. (in prep) Drivers and Interviews were motives for illegal use conducted with of sea turtles. Target assistance from local journal: TBA translators. I analysed the interview data and compiled the results. All authors assisted with editorial support. 6- Perception of Williams JL, Pierce SJ, I designed the study with threats Hamann M, Fuentes Fuentes and Hamann. I MMPB (in review) collected the interviews Using expert opinion and analysed the data to fill the gaps on sea and Hamann validated turtle threats: A case interview coding. I wrote study in a data-poor the chapter and Fuentes, context. Aquatic Hamann and Pierce VIII Conservation: Marine provided editorial and Freshwater assistance. Ecosystems. 7- Discussion n/a IX Ethics Statement All necessary permits to conduct this study were obtained from JCU animal ethics and human ethics committees (permit number A1862 and H4714 respectively). Copyright Declaration Every reasonable effort has been made to gain permission and acknowledge the owners of copyright material. I would be pleased to hear from any copyright owner who has been omitted or incorrectly acknowledged. X Outputs During Candidature Ø Papers Published or Intended for Publication Williams JL, Pierce SJ, Fuentes MMPB, Hamann M. (2015) Effectiveness of recreational divers for monitoring sea turtle populations. Endangered Species Research 26:209–219. Doi:10.3354/esr00647 (Chapter 2). Williams JL, Pierce SJ, Rohner CA, Fuentes MMPB, Hamann M. (2017) Spatial distribution and residency of green and loggerhead sea turtles using coastal reef habitats in southern Mozambique.