Chiriqui Beach, Panama, the most important leatherback nesting beach in Central America

Abstract

Chiriqui Beach, in the Comarca N g o" b e-Bug l e' on the Carib b ean coast of Panama, is the most important nesting b each f or l eatherb ack turtl es (Dermochelys coriacea) in Carib b ean Central America. Beach surv ey s d uring the 2 0 0 3 and 2 0 0 4 nesting seasons d ocumented 3 0 7 7 l eatherb ack nests in one season and a minimum of 2 3 4 ind iv id ual l eatherb ack s. Monitoring of nest f ate rev eal ed that pred ation b y d og s represents the g reatest human- rel ated surv iv al threat to l eatherb ack s at Chiriqui Beach, al thoug h the k il l ing of l eatherb ack s f rom the same nesting popul ation on b eaches ear the Panama. Costa Rica b ord er al so is of c