Analysis of stranded sea turtles in the Gargano coast: has the Gargano promontory an importance for the ecology of the turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Adriatic sea?

During the period 2001-2004, 89 stranded individuals of Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) have been recorded along the Gargano coast, 58 of which were alive, and 31 dead; in particular, 57% of these former animals have been rescued along two thin strips of land at the Lesina and Varano Lakes. The greatest number of strandings (n=48), has been recorded during the 2002, in particular in January (n=31), a fact which seems to correspond to an abrupt drop of water temperature. The great number of stranded turtles reported in this area depends on its geographical position: the northern shore of Gargano entraps objects carried by the sea currents from the northern and the middle Adriatic Sea to the southern one.