Green Turtles Make a Splashy Comeback in Conservation Success Story!

Green turtles are large sea turtles that live in tropical and subtropical oceans. They are known for eating plants and for laying their eggs on sandy beaches. In the past, green turtles were hunted for their meat, eggs, and shells, which caused their numbers to drop sharply. By the 1980s, they were listed as endangered. However, after many years of conservation work around the world, green turtle populations are starting to recover. Scientists are calling this a major conservation victory. Efforts to save green turtles include protecting their eggs on beaches, helping hatchlings reach the ocean, and reducing the number of turtles caught accidentally in fishing nets. Dr Nicolas Pilcher from the Marine Research Foundation in Malaysia says that this success should inspire more conservation wins for other species.

Green turtles are named for the greenish color of their body fat, which comes from their plant-based diet. They are one of the largest sea turtles and one of seven living species of sea turtles. Two of these species are still critically endangered. Professor Brendan Godley from the University of Exeter says that green turtle populations are showing signs of recovery in many parts of the world because of conservation efforts over the last fifty years. He believes that sea turtles are iconic animals that inspire people to care about nature. Hundreds of thousands of people have worked for decades to protect these creatures, and their efforts are making a difference.

Conservation actions include patrolling beaches to protect nesting females and their eggs, releasing hatchlings into the sea, educating people to reduce the killing of turtles for meat and eggs, and using special devices to prevent turtles from being caught in fishing nets. Sometimes, turtles get tangled in nets, but local fishermen and environment officials help rescue them and release them back into the ocean. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) keeps a Red List of endangered species. The green turtle was previously listed as Endangered, but now it has been moved to Least Concern, which means its situation has improved. However, green turtles are still far below their historic numbers because of past hunting and ongoing threats like fishing, habitat loss, and climate change. In places like Raine Island in Australia, fewer baby turtles are hatching, showing that conservation work is still needed. The latest update to the endangered species list also brought bad news for Arctic seals. As sea ice disappears due to climate change, seals like the hooded seal have become more endangered, and bearded and harp seals are now considered Near Threatened. Arctic seals depend on sea ice for breeding, resting, and feeding, and losing ice puts their survival at risk.