Trend toward sea turtle recovery around the globe
(Read the full paper in Science Advances here)
As a migratory species, sea turtles aren’t the easiest animals to protect. However, thanks to conservation efforts over the last 70 years, the effects of dangers such as over-exploitation and habitat loss appear to have been reduced significantly, allowing for a global bouncing back of sea turtle species. Dr. Antonios Mazaris at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece along with other researchers have published a paper in Science Advances showing a significant short-term trend toward recovery, even for smaller populations. In multiple time frames ranging from 6 to 47 years, data sets are showing that, overall, human efforts to conserve these species are paying off. But while 70 years is a long time for people, longer term conservation efforts are needed.
ALSO: check out the video of tons of adorable gopher tortoise hatchlings in the conservation section!
Turtle News From Around the World
Conservation
USA: New York ends diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) commercial collection completely
USA: in Mississippi, multiple organizations work together to release almost 90 gopher tortoise hatchlings with Head-Start program (VIDEO)
Crime & Punishment
Zimbabwe: duo fined for illegal tortoise possession
Ecology
UK: sea turtle hatchlings killed in Cayman Islands, 33rd time bright lights are responsible
Health & Medical
USA: 29 sea turtles, 50 hatchlings return to Georgia Sea Turtle Center after Hurricane Irma evacuation
Did You Know…
In biology, researchers use regional management units, or RMUs, to collect data about species in a particular area. RMUs help define specific populations and provide more accurate information for scientific studies.
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Photo from Kostas Papafitsoros.
