Evaluating the importance of Marine Protected Areas for the conservation of hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata nesting in the Dominican Republic

摘要: Understanding spatial and temporal habitat-use patterns to protect both foraging breeding grounds of species concern is crucial for successful conservation. Saona Island in Del Este National Park (DENP), south-eastern Dominican Republic (DR), hosts the only major hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting area DR (100 nests yr �1 , SD = 8.4, range 93�111), with population having been critically reduced through hunting. We satellite tracked 9 female turtles, present analyses their core-use areas respect Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) internesting areas. Kernel utilization distribu- tions indicated that during period all turtles remained close beaches small home ranges territorial waters DR, mostly over continental shelf (<200 m depth). Common were located inside DENP, 82.7% locations within DENP. In areas, 23% MPAs, either or Bahamas, Nicaragua Honduras. Our results highlight protected are vital conservation, enforcement existing leg- islation governing country crucial. The study also corroborates off Honduras exceptionally important hawksbills Caribbean, showing turtle's vulnerability these waters.