New Insights into Turtle Ecology from a Key Atlantic Hotspot Freshwater and Invasion Biology

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The Bijagós Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau is a key biodiversity area in West Africa. It is also central to marine turtle ecology, with five of the world’s seven species occurring in its waters and Poilão hosting one of the largest green turtle rookeries in the Atlantic. Although most knowledge from this region comes from long-term research on nesting green turtles at Poilão, recent work is broadening this perspective by examining species and life stages that remain understudied. In this presentation, I will highlight new findings that expand our understanding of turtle ecology in the archipelago, from insights into the lesser-known hawksbill nesting population to findings from a foraging area that supports green turtles ranging from juveniles to adults. Together, these studies complement and extend existing knowledge, offering a more complete view of how multiple turtle species use the Bijagós and underscoring the archipelago’s role in regional conservation and management.