ALDFG

Long-Term Data Reveals Rising Ghost Gear Threat to Mediterranean Loggerheads

A 28-year dataset from the Balearic Sea reveals a troubling escalation: entanglement in abandoned fishing gear, particularly from fish aggregating devices (FADs), is rising sharply among loggerhead sea turtles. This is not a distant problem, it is a transboundary crisis. Our study applies Lagrangian backtracking simulations to trace ghost FADs across the Western Mediterranean, linking multiple nations to the threat. Understanding drives protection. For deeper insights into sea turtle health, see our related article on validated protein analysis for *Caretta caretta*.