Figure 2.

Temporal distribution of strandings of loggerhead sea turtle juveniles off the Bay of Biscay. (a) The monthly distribution of all 82 stranding records (white) between 1995 and 2009 showed the highest frequency occurring in April. Months are ordered as in the calendar, and coded with the first letter of the month (i.e. starting with J, January, and ending with D, December). (b) The monthly distribution of 14 Cape Verdean (black) and 27 American (grey) individuals studied during this period. The critical months for strandings in the Bay of Biscay appeared to be different for turtles of different origins. (c) The distribution of 14 Cape Verdean (black) and 27 American (grey) individuals across the years included in the study (excludes years for which data were not taken). The distribution was significantly different for turtles of different origins (n = 41; p = 0.021). Whereas individuals of American origin stranded in all the years studied, individuals from Cape Verde only stranded in some years. The high number of strandings that occurred during 2001 was all of American origin.