This app could put a stop to the illegal hawksbill sea turtle trade
“Beauty comes with a price”—a saying that rings painfully true for the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle. Among the other numerous problems sea turtles have to worry about (ocean plastic, a warming planet, and habitat encroachment to name a few), humanity’s attraction to the Read More...
How sea turtles are helping protect people from cyclones
Tropical cyclones are a recurrent phenomenon on the islands of the southwest Indian Ocean, such as Madagascar, where people expect to be affected by an average of 1.5 cyclones a year. Unfortunately, the most inhabited area are the ones most exposed to these devastating air masses. Predicting Read More...
Cape Verde's sea turtle conservation efforts prove to be a resounding success
The West African island nation of Cape Verde is experiencing first-hand the rewards of years of conservation effort. In the past five years, Cape Verde has seen a surge in sea turtle populations across all 10 of its islands. According to the country’s environment ministry, last year’s nest Read More...
Volunteers in Texas have saved thousands of sea turtles from the cold
As you may have heard, a winter vortex has brought uncharacteristic bone-chilling temperatures to the state of Texas over the past few days. And while humans are certainly feeling the chill, countless sea turtles are facing a frigid death as a result of the drop in temperature. That’s because sea Read More...
Ivory Coast designates first-ever marine sanctuary
Grand-Bereby is a tiny western town on the Ivory Coast home to mangroves, reefs, and important nesting grounds for sea turtles. It is also home to the Ivory Coast’s first-ever marine protected area. The 1,000 square mile area is the first of five that the Ivory Coast government has Read More...
Indigenous Seri people release record number of sea turtles in Mexico
Whether it be hawksbill sea turtles in Brazil and the Philippines, or leatherback turtles on the beaches of Florida and Thailand, sea turtle populations around the world have been thriving during the coronavirus pandemic as humans stay away from the beach. Today, we’re glad to report another Read More...
3D-printed decoy eggs are tracking down illegal wildlife traffickers
Kim Williams-Guillén became inspired to create decoy turtle eggs after watching a TV show called The Wire. In one episode, two police officers plant an audio device in a tennis ball to record a suspected drug dealer. Williams-Guillén had her "aha" moment while watching this, and was inspired to Read More...
Conservationists bring turtle species back from the brink of extinction
Though naturally endowed with a heartwarming smile on their faces, the fate of the Burmese roofed turtles has been far from uplifting. Only 20 years ago, the giant Asian river turtle, characterized by its bug-eyed, smiling face, was thought to be extinct by conservationists, following decades of Read More...
Volunteers release more than 10,000 baby turtles into sea off Bali
With sea turtle populations having seen a decline in recent years, conservation groups are stepping up their game to bring sea turtle numbers back up. This past week, conservation groups carried crates each full of dozens of tiny turtles to Gianyar beach on the Indonesian island of Bali, and Read More...
Some sneaky sea turtles lay decoy nests to trick predators
If there’s one positive to come out of this pandemic, it’s definitely a resurgence of sea turtles thriving on empty beaches. We’ve been covering stories around the world of successful hatchings. Now, it appears these hardworking sea turtles are even smarter than we thought. From observing Read More...