Sea Turtles Are Making a Cautious Comeback

Years of global conservation efforts could be paying off as turtles appear to be making something of a comeback.

A study of seven different types of sea turtles around the world found that the number of those hatching and surviving to adulthood is trending upward in some places, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

The seven different types of turtles studied were green sea turtles, loggerheads, Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, Pacific ridley sea turtles, hawksbills, flatbacks and leatherbacks. A study of 300 nesting locations around the planet revealed that 95 locations are witnessing significant increases in turtle numbers, while 35 of the locations had significant declines. For the remaining sites, no significant pattern was reported.

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“We had some good and positive signs for the recovery of populations but that does not mean the different species are secure. It is not that they don’t face problems–so we need to keep on trying, working, monitoring and protecting them,” Professor Antonios Mazaris told Lonely Planet regarding the report.

Sea turtles have been dramatically impacted over the past several decades, and their populations have declined due to a variety of factors including encroachment on beaches where they nest; being regularly caught fishermen’s nets; overharvesting females and eggs on nesting beaches; and increased predation of hatchlings and turtle eggs by animals, such as dogs and rats.

Mazaris said the positive progress revealed by the recent study was due to the combined efforts of local communities and researchers. Protecting sea turtles is a significant undertaking that involves working not only where the reptiles nest but also where they forage and roam.

“The biology of the species, they travel a lot,” Mazaris said. “Even if we just protect the nesting environment, that cannot work in isolation. We need also to increase our efforts in all their habitats.”

Progress in the conservation of the turtles did not happen overnight. It comes after a half-century of sustained efforts, according to the Christian Science Monitor. A ban on commercial sea turtle harvesting and innovations in fishing techniques have helped to reduce adult mortality rates.

In addition, conservationists have been educating local communities about minimizing disorienting light pollution along beaches where turtles nest and about other obstacles that impact the population. Still, other efforts have involved building enclosures to protect nesting turtles and hatchlings from predators and beachgoers.

Green turtles in Hawaii are one cautious example of the success of various conservation efforts. Between 1973 to 2012, the nesting numbers for these turtles increased from about 200 to 2000 nests. In Florida, there were also dramatic gains in the green turtle population. The number of nests increased from 267 in 1989 to 27,975 in 2015, a more than 100-fold increase.

Still, it is hardly time to celebrate. Not all the populations analyzed in the study had the same recovery. In fact, most showed no change. Leatherback turtles in the Pacific Ocean continue to decline.

What’s more, the nest counts that were part of the study only account for the reproductive female turtle population. What’s really needed, say some, is a direct index of the population size, which would provide a more complete picture.

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The challenge, however, is that the foraging grounds where turtles spend a significant portion of their lives are dispersed around the planet, making it difficult for scientists to properly monitor.

Still, the positive takeaway from the new report is that conservation efforts can translate into positive progress.

“It’s not only a message for [protecting] turtles, it’s a message for conservation schemes around the world for other species,” Mazaris told Lonely Planet. “Continued conservation and monitoring leads to some success stories. The efforts we are making in conservation can have a positive outcome.”

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