Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for St. Kitts and Nevis - WIDECAST

St. Kitts and Nevis Sea Turtles…
Meadows of broad leaved "turtle grass" (Thalassia testudinum) and more slender "manatee
grass" (Syringodium filiforme) are particularly vital as a nursery areas for commercially
important fishes and invertebrates (queen conch, spiny lobster) who depend on grassbed habitat
for continued survival. Sea grasses, with their extensive root system, prevent the suspension of
sediments, thus stabilising sand and other sediments. The leafy canopy slows water movement
and filters the water column. Once the sea grass cover is removed, the many ecological contributions
of the grasses are lost, turbidity increases, and it becomes nearly impossible for new grass
to recolonize the area (Wilcox, 1989). Sea grass can be damaged or eliminated by many factors,
most notably pollution, sedimentation, and anchoring. Sedimentation (smothering grasses with
silt and dirt) commonly results from dredging or land-based run-off, the latter often associated
with upland deforestation or other clearing of vegetation. The most important sea grass communities
are situated around the Southeast Peninsula and Sandy Point area of St. Kitts, and off
the north and west coasts of Nevis. Requests to physically uproot large areas of sea grasses (e.g.,
Casablanca Hotel recently asked permission to clear the sea grass in Cockleshell Bay to a depth
of 1.5 m for aesthetic reasons) should be rejected.
Coral reef communities are also important. Coral reefs provide shelter to all sea turtles,
except the giant leatherback. The reef is also a source of food for hawksbill turtles, which consume
mainly reef-associated sponges (section 2.4), and for loggerhead turtles (section 2.1).
Wilcox (1989), in her study of the marine resources of the Southeast Peninsula of St. Kitts, noted
that in order to grow and flourish, coral reefs need clear, clean water and relatively high wave
energy. In return, a healthy reef system, especially the barrier type of reef, continually acts to
reduce incoming wave energy and provides a source of beach sand. Coral reefs are also critical
habitat for the majority of bottom-dwelling or demersal fish living in nearshore areas of the
Caribbean. As such, reefs are vital not only for sea turtles in St. Kitts/Nevis, but also for a wide
variety of commercially important fishes. More than 300 fish species are found on Eastern
Caribbean coral reefs, and approximately 180 of these are used for human consumption
(Goodwin et al., 1986). The most important living coral communities in St. Kitts are found
around the Southeast Peninsula and all along the Atlantic coast (Figure 4). There are well
developed but smaller coral reefs offshore Sandy Point Town and Old Road Town. In Nevis, the
most extensive reefs are found off the northern and southwestern coastlines (Figure 6).
In addition to essential marine habitat, many of the sandy beaches in St. Kitts/Nevis are
used by sea turtles for nesting (section 4.112). The protection of sandy beaches is an important
component of any effort to conserve and perpetuate populations of sea turtle that breed in St.
Kitts and Nevis. Sea turtles return to the area where they were hatched when the time comes to
lay their own eggs. Shoreline development, coastal armouring, sand mining, and general activity
at or proximal to a nesting beach can reduce or eliminate the capacity of the beach to support sea
turtle nesting and the successful incubation of eggs. Sound management of the beach resource is
imperative. Orme (1989) provides guidelines for planning and development of the nine major
beaches of the Southeast Peninsula, as well as within the coastal environment of the peninsula in
general. The Southeast Peninsula Land Development and Conservation Board later developed
detailed guidelines for development of the peninsula, as well as a strategy for managing land use
(Ministry of Development, 1989a,b). Many of these guidelines and recommendations are cited
elsewhere in this Recovery Action Plan (e.g., sections 4.122, 4.13).
Page 27