Reflections on sea turtle conservation


B. J. GODL E Y,A.C.BRODE R I C K,L.P.COLMAN,A.FOR MI A,M.H.GODFREY M. HAMAN N,A.NUNO,L.C.M.OMEYER,A.R.PATRÍCIO,A.D.PHILL O T T A. F. REE S and K. SHAN K ER


Why do sea turtles garner such intense interest? The answer is visceral: they are widely loved! A cryptic life cycle spent mostly out of view lends a sense of mystery that makes them special. Yet, these large animals are highly accessible at an extremely vulnerable time, when females emerge on sandy beaches at night to lay eggs, before disappearing again into the oceans. Being nocturnal, they provide us the adventure of going out in the dark on secluded beaches to find them. Plus, the hatchlings are cute, and releasing them into the sea must be one of the most engaging activities that people can do with a protected species. To mark World Sea Turtle Day on 16 June, we—conser-


vation scientists working across the oceans on this small yet well-studied group of seven species—reflect on their con- servation. Sea turtles have lived in the oceans, largely un- changed, for millions of years. They play important roles in their ecosystems, possibly even as ecosystem engineers, and serve as prey for other protected species (Veríssimo et al., 2012). They have been a source of sustenance and useful products for people for millennia, and these needs persist (Hancock et al., 2017; Humber et al., 2017; Delisle et al., 2018; Sardeshpande & MacMillan, 2019). Consequently, sea turtles are culturally important and the subject of myths and lore. They have also become economically important to many coastal communities through tourism (Waylen et al., 2009), although this can affect turtles or their habitats, if not correctly managed (Katselidis et al., 2013).


B. J. GODLEY (Corresponding author, orcid.org/0000-0003-3845-0034),


A. C. BRODERICK,L.P.COLMAN,A.NUNO,L.C. M. OMEYER,A. R. PATRÍCIO* and A. F. REES Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, UK. E-mail b.j.godley@exeter.ac.uk


A. FORMIA† Gulf of Guinea Sea Turtle Programme, Wildlife Conservation Society, Libreville, Gabon


M. H.GODFREY‡ North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Beaufort,USA


M. HAMANN College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia A. PHILLOTT§ FLAME University, Lavale, Pune, India


K. SHANKER§ Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India


*Also at: Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA–Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal †Also at: Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy ‡Also at: Duke University Marine Lab, Nicholas School of the Environment, Beaufort, USA, and Department of Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA §Also at: Dakshin Foundation, Bangalore, India


The complex life history of sea turtles, including their


long life span and wide patterns of dispersal, generates multiple conservation challenges, and also draws curiosity and public interest. They serve extensively as flagship spe- cies and are useful for harnessing action for marine con- servation, whether for coastal protection or in campaigns against single-use plastics. There has been an extensive, and growing, worldwide network of sea turtle conservation organizations for over 50 years. Arguably, there may be more dedicated professionals and volunteers per species than for any other marine animal group. What are we doing well in sea turtle conservation? After


centuries of decline, many sea turtle populations have sta- bilized or are increasing (Mazaris et al., 2017). Long-term monitoring and protection of nesting sites, in some loca- tions exceeding 50 years, have been central to recovery, understanding trends and determining the importance of previously underestimated aggregations (Kelle et al., 2009; Delcroix et al., 2014; Laloë et al., 2019; Mortimer et al., 2020). This allows researchers and management agencies to understand and mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic activities. Long-term monitoring projects further reinforce the value of protecting nesting and foraging habitats, and promote the engagement of local communities, volunteers, students and tourists, thus benefiting a wide range of stakeholders. Such projects are often showcased in Oryx (Godenger et al., 2009; Gaos et al., 2010; Garnier et al., 2012; Kurz et al., 2012; Rivas et al., 2016; Olendo et al., 2019; Sardeshpande & MacMillan, 2019). Control of pre- dation by natural and introduced mesopredators (Engman et al., 2016; Madden Hof et al., 2019) and reduction of take through hatcheries, and other forms of ex situ protection (Revuelta et al., 2015), have also been prominent. Legislation in many countries protects turtles from large-scale commercial trade and/or manages local con- sumption, and CITES, together with in-country support and other international agreements, has halted legal large- scale international trade of sea turtles. Although acciden- tal catch in fishing gear remains a serious threat, various solutions have reduced bycatch in commercial fisheries; e.g. many trawl fisheries now use turtle excluder devices, which allow individuals to escape from nets. Other mea- sures include light-emitting diodes to illuminate gillnets and circle hooks in pelagic longline fisheries. Sea turtle researchers are often quick to adopt new tech- nologies. Tracking data and genetic analyses have helped


Oryx, 2020, 54(3), 287–289 © 2020 Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605320000162

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