The general objective of the project is to develop and evaluate two innovative methods to reduce the predation of nests of threatened sea turtles, the masking and the chemical camouflage. Chemical or olfactory camouflage is based on breaking the close spatial association between food locations (e.g., nests) and odor signals of the food, flooding the matrix with a background odor matching that of the food or prey, thus reducing the animal's ability to predict the location of food using smell. In the case of 'masking,' the goal is to mask the scent of nests used by predators to locate them, by the superficial application of an odor that prevents them from being able to find them.

Specific objectives:

1.- Implement the masking and chemical camouflage techniques extensively and in a controlled manner to create protection zones around sea turtle nesting areas.

2.- Evaluate the effect of masking and chemical camouflage on the presence of predators in sea turtle nesting areas.

3.- Quantify, using robust methods such as camera trapping, the effect of the techniques used in reducing nest predation and increasing the emergence of sea turtle hatchlings.