Nonlethal capture of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in fishing weirs as an opportunity for population studies and conservation.

Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) switch habitats during their development, moving from pelagic to neritic areas and then commuting between nesting and foraging grounds during adulthood. Due to their predominantly coastal habitats, they are under a range of anthropogenic threats. We monitored turtles incidentally captured in fishing weirs in Ceará state, northeastern Brazil, over a decade and provided an overview of capture rates in the fishery during previous decades.

How marine debris ingestion differs among megafauna species in a tropical coastal area.

The marine debris ingested by megafauna species (Trichiurus lepturus, Chelonia mydas, Pontoporia blainvillei, and Sotalia guianensis) was recorded in a coastal area of southeastern Brazil (21-23°S). Marine debris was recorded in all species, mainly consisting of plastic material (flexible and hard plastics - clear, white, and colored- and nylon filaments). The 'pelagic predators' T.