Sea Turtles

Threatened Populations
Healthy Populations
 
Healthiest Populations (as of 2011)
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DOWNLOAD: PDFs of the threatened and healthy population maps (ZIP - 4.04 MB)


A scientific study, "Global Conservation Priorities for Marine Turtles", highlighted the twelve healthiest sea turtle populations in the world, which are generally large populations with increasing trends under relatively low threats.

Five species among these dozen healthy populations are found in nesting sites and feeding areas in Australia, Mexico, and Brazil. Other areas that harbor healthy turtle populations included the Southwest Indian Ocean, Micronesia and French Polynesia.

Published in the online science journal PLoS ONE, this report was a collaboration of over 30 experts from 6 continents and more than 20 countries with diverse expertise in all aspects of sea turtle biology and conservation.

Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Northwest Indian Ocean
Key nesting site: Oman
Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Southeast Indian Ocean
Key nesting sites: Australia
Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricate) in the Southeast Indian Ocean
Key nesting sites: Australia
Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Southwest Indian Ocean
Key nesting sites: Seychelles, French and British Overseas Territories
Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Southeast Atlantic Ocean
Key nesting sites: Gabon
Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean
Key nesting sites: Brazil
Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean
Key nesting sites: Trinidad; Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname
Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the East Pacific Ocean
Key nesting sites: Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and Mexico
Olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) arribada population in the East Pacific Ocean
Key nesting sites: Mexico, Nicaragua and Costa Rica
Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the South Central Pacific Ocean
Key nesting sites: French Polynesia


Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Southwest Pacific Ocean
Key nesting sites: Australia
Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Southwest Pacific Ocean
Key nesting sites: Australia
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