Sea turtles nesting habitats' conservation planning using integrated geodatabase in Bazaruto Archipelago National Park

Armindo Filipe da Silva is a geographer of the Eduardo Mondlane University and Wildlife Manager of the College of African Wildlife Management. Armindo taught Cartographic Sciences at National School of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Biologist at Eduardo Mondlane University and GIS for Health at University of Zambeze. Armindo worked as an independent GIS Consultant for nature conservation and management, statistics, public health, new and renewable energies and land rights. Our proposal searches to build an integrated geodatabase. The results of this work are expected to assist a co-management system recently (6 December 2017) signed between National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) and African Parks Foundation. An integrated geodatabase is a tool for data sharing among stakeholders. It assists on effective planning, which brings good management and in turn positive changes. In a game played by many stakeholders (wildlife managers, tourism operators, oil and gas operators, local communities and fisheries sector), an integrated geodatabase will also contributes to reducing conflicts in sea uses and lead the players to sustainable development. Sea turtle is vulnerable specie listed by the world conservation union (IUCN) and convention on trade in endangered species (CITIES) of which Mozambique is signatory. The specie still locally lack systematic spatial data for its habitats effective planning, management, monitoring and evaluation. Given that, there is a loss of sea turtles' nesting habitats. Nesting habitats represent an important reproductive strategy for sea turtles as it can strongly affect the development and survival of the offsprings and the reproductive fitness of the adults. major achievements: 1. Bazaruto Archipelago National Park integrated geodatabase achieved a) Locate, using GPS and local monitors, sea turtle nesting sites from October to March of each year b) Estimate, using satellite images, the condition of habitats utilized by sea turtles c) Quantify, using maps and statistics, the threats affecting sea turtles' nesting habitats (e.g. erosion, plastic) d) Select, using systematic planning, priority habitats for sea turtles nesting e) Design, using spatial planning, sea turtles nesting habitats restoration program 2. Spatial data infrastructure achieved a) 5 Global positioning systems (GPS) b) 5 computers for storing species and habitats data c) Database Management System d) Local monitors food and pocket money e) Senior data manager allowance for food, accommodation, salary f) Data housing center containing a server, electricity, internet, data show, data room, conditioned air g) Drone for capturing sea turtles nesting habitats and their threats h) Transport (e.g. boat and quad bike) for marine and coastal area survey i) Communication (e.g. cell phone, voucher) for integrating the surveyors with the senior data manager 3. Sea turtle monitoring projects integrated a) Systematic and standard data of sea turtles nesting habitats, threats and management measures shared to local and international organizations b) local, regional and international volunteers connected to visit, study and manage priority areas for sea turtle conservation c) sea turtle nesting habitat data shared to park managers in order to: c.1) select critical areas for law enforcement, c.2) issue license permits to concessionaires, c.3) design a spatial sampling approach for habitats ecological monitoring and detection of dynamics overtime; c.4) explore habitat condition and help on identification of degraded sites, important information needed for designing any habitat restoration program.