San Rossore beach hosts Italy's first documented 2026 Caretta caretta turtle nest

A Caretta caretta turtle nest was confirmed on the beach of the Tenuta di San Rossore in San Giuliano Terme, marking the first documented nest in Tuscany for the 2026 season and the first ever recorded on that stretch of sand. The discovery was made during a low‑impact kayak survey by veterinarian Marco Verdone and project partners of the Life Turtlenest programme, and has been reported to the University of Pisa and regional monitoring authorities for ongoing protection until hatching.

Along the Adriatic coast of the Ascoli Piceno province, volunteers from Fondazione Cetacea began early‑morning patrols on the beaches of Grottammare, Cupra Marittima and San Benedetto to locate nesting traces. The effort complements the recent opening of a sea‑turtle first‑aid centre in Grottammare’s fishermen’s village and seeks additional citizen volunteers to report any signs to the port authority. Both initiatives illustrate coordinated actions by scientists, protected‑area managers and local volunteers to safeguard the endangered Mediterranean loggerhead turtle in Italy.