Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInGULF SHORES, Ala. (WALA) - Sea turtle nesting season is underway and it is important to pay attention when visiting local beaches Beachgoers should use a red filter when using flash photography on the beach at night Leave turtle tracks and nests undisturbed and keep about 30 feet of distance from adult turtles or trash on the beach and if you see a sea turtle Garden State Tortoise founder Chris Leone gets plenty of requests to take in turtles people can no longer care for while playing near his New York home in 1977 His family took her in and for nearly 50 years The environment wasn't like anything she knew in the wild basked in sunlight and worn her nails down naturally in forest terrain a reptile rehabilitation center based in New Jersey and had even started to grow back into her feet Leone posted a video about her to his social media channels and worried that her story could end in tragedy "We felt we're going to lose her," Leone said 'I don't know about this one.' She can't even see." But they took her back to the rehab center and got her in a warm bath to soak "Within 45 to 50 minutes of her being in warm water They are known as box turtles because they can almost completely shut themselves up inside their shells They live up and down the Eastern seaboard from Maine to Florida It was a box turtle that inspired Leone to start his reptile center I was playing in my sandbox with my GI Joes "He could have handed me anything that day but it was a box turtle and that stuck with me So I just became enamored with them," Leone said Leone and the rescue center's vet gave her an antibiotic in case of infection fed her soft foods and trimmed her nails and beak which is shaped more like a duck's than a turtle's hooked mouth because of her living conditions "It was like this turtle seems to know we're helping her because every single step of the way that we did something she immediately responded to it," said Leone She was moved into a habitat that mimicked her natural ecosystem, decked out with fake logs, a water area, pine needles and foliage. Finally, in late April, she went outside for the first time in nearly 50 years This soft grass?' And perking up and staring up into the sky and cocking her head and she munched on an earthworm — a promising sign to Leone "It's just one of those moments that unfortunately in today's world are rare "We really actually have a happy ending here,' " he said It has been less than three months since Rockalina was taken in she still has plenty of healing ahead of her Leone says the back leg they worried about is undersized She'll never look exactly like a wild eastern box turtle her beak will always be misshapen and her color likely never return to what it was in the wild Leone plans to build her an outdoor enclosure and keep showing her progress on social media where many have remained invested in the fate of the scrappy reptile "There's still a lot more to her story that we're going to tell," Leone said Become an NPR sponsor By: 7:00 am on April 27 Construction is nearing completion on Anagram Turtle Bay, a 23-story residential tower at 300 East 50th Street in Midtown East Designed by BKSK Architects and developed by MAG Partners in partnership with Global Holdings and Safanad the 275-foot-tall building is the fourth Anagram property for Global 30 percent of which have been designated as affordable The property is located at the southeast corner of East 50th Street and Second Avenue including 4,888 square feet of ground-floor retail space Its façade is composed of gray brick and floor-to-ceiling windows Transit nearby Anagram Turtle Bay includes the E and 6 trains at Lexington Avenue-53rd Street and 51st Street stations Anagram Turtle Bay’s completion will closely follow that of MAG’s other residential project Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews Facade work looks beautiful – Exciting addition to the neighborhood Small correction – this is the fourth property in *Global Holdings’* anagram collection ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'PCRichards Builders Division', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PCR_Beko_Compact_YIMB_336x280.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'yimby+', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC Sea turtle season doesn't start until May 1 but a female leatherback crawled onto Vanderbilt Beach and laid a nest the first historic account of this massive species laying eggs on this beach Collier County's environmental transportation director "We've had one other one on Park Shore beach in 2022." Leatherbacks are the giants of the sea turtle world and grow to the size of small car At 8 feet in length and weighing 2,000 pounds these massive marine turtles travel much of the globe during their 60 or so years of life Every two to three summers they will nest in the same general area in which they were born "So this is our second one on one of the main beaches," Toro said "They're increasing in numbers so hopefully they're increasing their range." Toro said biologists think the leatherback is increasing its range as the species increases in numbers "It's a similar area (as the first nest) but not exactly the same spot," she said "When we say they return to their birthplace Toro said the two nests that have occurred along the city's main beaches are from different females as one set of tracks was noticeably larger than the other at least two female leatherbacks are using Collier County beaches to reproduce if that first turtle is still roaming the oceans Last year a leatherback sea turtle nested on Sanibel in Lee County and the species has nested on that island in years past "Ask me if I'm jealous," said Eve Haverfield a non-profit that monitors several beaches in Lee County Back in 2010 or '11 there was a leatherback that came ashore near Vanderbilt beach in January It didn't nest but it did come ashore on Big Hickory Island Haverfield said it took eight people to move that turtles which is about one-third the size off a grown adult "We know that they're out there," Haverfield said of the leatherbacks "In 2009 on Sanibel we had a leatherback nest plus about 30 years ago we released three leatherback hatchlings so maybe (the female at Vanderbilt Beach) is one of those." More: Reporter finds flamingo haven on recent 11-day Everglades canoe trip "The fact that they're offshore and can come back to the same place is amazing," Toro said Sea turtles are known for nesting at night for emerging from the sea during the dark hours digging a massive hole and depositing around 100 eggs but leatherbacks are known more for nesting during the day," Toro said "If you go up to a sea turtle and it's nesting Toro said scientists think sea turtles reach sexual maturity between 20 and 30 years of age and that they live between 50 and 60 years in the wild Sea turtle season officially runs from May 1 through Oct but local governments and non-profits start monitoring area beaches on April 15 each year "May 1 is when people have to have their furniture off the beach and have their lights off," Toro said "With the storms we've had the vegetation loss on the beaches so we're having a lot of disorientations with light that wasn't visible years ago we're seeing them getting run over and in people's swimming pools." “The public can help us protect these imperiled species by keeping an eye out and reporting all nesting sea turtles and hatchlings from late March through September,” said Mary Kay Skoruppa Fish and Wildlife Service Sea Turtle Coordinator for Texas “We also ask that visitors drive slowly and carefully on beaches so that vehicles do not inadvertently collide with nesting turtles or emerging hatchlings we can help ensure these species continue to find safe nesting conditions on the Texas coast now and into the future.” To help ensure the survival of nesting sea turtles and eggs biologists and volunteers will patrol Texas beaches from April through July the University of Texas Marine Science Institute and Turtle Island Restoration Network will be working together to coordinate a response when a nesting sea turtle Beachgoers who encounter a nesting sea turtle should report it immediately by calling 1-866-TURTLE-5 (1-866-887-8535) it is crucial to remain on-site until a biologist arrives making a large circle around the nest without covering it keeping a distance of 100 feet away is essential; do not disturb the turtle or its nesting site It is vital that the female turtles are allowed to return to the water after laying their eggs measures about two feet in length and can weigh up to 100 pounds while the green and loggerhead sea turtles nest less frequently along the Texas coast This year marks the 47th anniversary (1978-2025) of the bi-national conservation efforts for the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle the only known nesting site for Kemp’s ridley turtles was discovered on a single beach stretch near Rancho Nuevo this population suffered a catastrophic decline of 99.4% in nesting numbers initiated a collaborative international project in 1978 to focus on nest protection in the U.S enforce regulations on turtle excluder devices for commercial fishing trawlers and establish a second nesting colony at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas Cooperative efforts continue to help the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle population 340 Kemp’s ridley nests were found in Texas The largest number recorded in Texas since 1978 was in 2017 The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle remains one of the most endangered species of sea turtle in the world; therefore bi-national conservation efforts must continue to fully recover the species plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people The Switch headset pool just got even bigger ideal for those who want to get even more value out of the older handheld before investing in the Switch 2 This wired headset features 40mm audio speakers and a drop of official Switch branding on the headband ✅ You play the Nintendo Switch✅ You want a budget-friendly wired headset ❌ You need Bluetooth and 2.4GHz options❌ You're expecting high-end headset features the Airlite Fit wears its licensing on its sleeve featuring the iconic blue and red colors of the original handheld The wired headset is also decked out with 40mm audio speakers and comfortable and fitted jersey-knit wrapped ear cushions to help improve noise cancellation using the iconic red and blue coloring from the original handheld The headset also comes with 40mm audio speakers and noise-canceling ear cushions to keep the sounds of your favorite Ninty games confined to your ears ✅ You love the iconic OG Switch colors✅ You want a budget wired headset ❌ You prefer more subtle headset colorways❌ Having Bluetooth and 2.4GHz options is a must nothing is more exciting then taking a console out the box for the first time and setting it up This obsession transformed into a love of games and game music which lead to my music degree and dream of becoming the Scottish Nobuo Uematsu After sharing my love of games through music I began to share my love through words on sites like TechRadar and iMore This lead to becoming a Hardware staff writer for PCGamesN and later the Senior Tech Writer for Dexerto I was able to level up as Hardware Editor for GamesRadar+ PlayStation and gaming tech obsessed as ever you will then be prompted to enter your display name An eastern box turtle kept as a pet has been rehabilitated by a rescue in New Jersey and got her first chance to see the sun in decades this month Charlotte Phillipp is a Weekend Writer-Reporter at PEOPLE and was previously an entertainment reporter at The Messenger Chris and Casey Leone/Garden State Tortoise George Mason University’s Potomac Science Center on Belmont Bay is a destination for environmental science research within the Chesapeake Bay watershed Wildlife abounds on the waterfront habitat the retention pond next to the center needed to be emptied to make changes to the drainage system Though draining a pond can be important for maintenance the process may inadvertently harm the wildlife that make their homes in these human-made water features The Mason Nation was ready to rescue some of the creatures affected Tanya Finch, who works with the nonprofit Animal Education and Rescue Organization (AERO) led the turtle rescue with help from nearly 20 George Mason student AERO helps rescue and rehabilitate native Virginia wildlife and the volunteers caught and rehomed turtles and fish into the Occoquan River Finch and George Mason volunteers conducted a similar turtle rescue early last fall when another pond near the Potomac Science Center was drained for maintenance Many turtle species need to be near water for survival and they sometimes need help getting there volunteers spent the day collecting nearly 60 turtles from the pond The species rescued included painted turtles The rescue efforts continued as more turtles emerged graduate student Rachel Kelmartin saw a contractor in the pond area struggling to remove more turtles from the mud Kelmartin is studying environmental science and policy and works in the Fisheries Ecology Lab—so she is accustomed to going into the water and getting to work “I once counted over 250 turtles on the banks of the drainage pond in a single day,” Kelmartin said “This little pond has the capacity to support a lot of life.”  which is similar to hibernation in mammals After the pond was drained and the sun warmed the mud Walking trails meander around the Potomac Science Center and are frequently used by local residents “Many of the turtles are habituated to humans they watch walkers ambling along the trail,” said Cindy Smith professor of environmental science and policy “Belmont Bay residents were pleased to see that so many turtles were rescued and relocated.” an undergraduate student majoring in environmental science She said the hands-on experience made her reflect on the ways that habitat disruption affects wildlife “Experiences like this not only reinforce what I’ve learned in my studies but also highlight the importance of staying engaged and advocating for thoughtful environmental practices,” Ledoux said An adult loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle one of the three species explored in the study it’s easy to envision them as armored warriors – their hard resilient shells serving as near-impenetrable shields against oceanic threats like sharks streamlined shells aren’t just defensive – they’re engineered for speed they allow sea turtles to glide effortlessly through the water and handle the immense pressure shifts as they surface A sea turtle’s shell is a complex masterpiece made up of two parts: the carapace (top) and the plastron (bottom) both covered in scutes – tough keratin plates tightly attached to the bone The bone forms a unique “sandwich” of dense outer bone and a lightweight buoyancy and protection for the turtle’s muscles But what is it about these material properties that give marine turtles’ shells such remarkable protection and agility While much has been studied about the shells of freshwater turtles and land tortoises marine turtles have received comparatively little attention To fill this gap, researchers from Florida Atlantic University dove deep into the biomechanical properties of the carapaces of three common sea turtle species from the North Atlantic: green turtles (Chelonia mydas) loggerheads (Caretta caretta) and Kemp’s ridleys (Lepidochelys kempii) Their findings have revealed surprising new insights into the development of these ocean-dwelling titans Using advanced compression tests and statistical models stiffness and strength of these turtles’ shells across many stages of life – from juveniles to adults Their results, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology show that the shell bone complex of marine turtles plays a crucial role in balancing biomechanical trade-offs such as lower stiffness and a high degree of flexibility to protect them against predators and environmental stressors while also optimizing their ability to move efficiently through water This unique adaptation highlights the complex and dynamic nature of marine turtle morphology where the shell’s design must accommodate the demands of both survival and efficient locomotion in their aquatic habitats Although all three species share a similar structural design they each display striking differences in how their shells respond to stress a design that is more compliant under pressure These variations likely reflect each species’ evolutionary response to their unique environments and the threats they face the toughness of a turtle’s shell remains constant as it grows within each species “We believe this variation is likely a result of their evolution and the environments they inhabit,” said Ivana J. Lezcano, first author and doctoral student in the FAU Department of Biological Sciences within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science “The differences in shell stiffness across these species may be connected to their distinct life histories with each species adapting to unique environmental challenges and predation risks.” their shells become even stiffer and stronger as they grow larger offering greater defense – especially as subadults and adults experience a faster increase in shell stiffness as they grow possibly because they mature earlier and shift to foraging in riskier coastal waters “What’s fascinating is that their shells evolve to provide more protection over time,” said Lezcano “The stiffness of juvenile green turtle shells may be especially important because their shells lack the protective spines and keels which young loggerheads and ridleys sport to armor themselves against predators It’s a dynamic interplay of form and function that ensures these turtles are built for survival.” didn’t show a significant change in shell stiffness across life stages This slower development in shell stiffness could explain why they stay in the open ocean for a longer period avoiding the more dangerous coastal habitats until they are larger and better protected Researchers also discovered that marine turtles’ shells respond to compression in a similar way to those of land turtles which have a similar basic shell structure The shell’s internal porous layer is key to its strength which helps protect turtles from attacks like biting or clawing “The shells of adult sea turtles are surprisingly compliant compared to their land relatives,” said Jeanette Wyneken co-author and a professor of biological sciences “But here’s the cool part: while their shells become stronger over time they don’t become completely rigid like the shells of land turtles This flexibility is key – because it enables them to ‘flex the shell’ under pressure which is crucial for navigating the harsh and varying conditions of underwater environments.”  This study not only uncovers the fascinating design of sea turtle shells but also reveals how nature has intricately fine-tuned these creatures for survival “Our study provides new insights into why sea turtles have thrived over time,” said Marianne Porter co-author and an associate professor in the FAU Department of Biological Sciences “Their shells are adapted to their aquatic lifestyle and stiff enough to defend against predators while being tough enough to absorb shock This remarkable balance of strength and flexibility has allowed them to survive in the ocean for millions of years – an example of evolution shaping species in an environment.” Tags: students | faculty and staff | research | science If you are experiencing difficulty accessing information on the Florida Atlantic University website due to a disability, visit the website accessibility page. Amber Pitt grew up swimming in New England rivers and lakes alongside freshwater turtles and appreciating their presence The Trinity College associate professor of environmental science is now among leading tortoise and turtle researchers globally to be recognized for her expertise by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) “Being part of the IUCN is a powerful reminder of the urgent need for effective conservation strategies,” said Pitt “It is vital that we continue to monitor and evaluate their status to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect these incredible species.” The IUCN’s Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group plays a key role in evaluating the status of more than 300 species providing essential science-based recommendations to determine appropriate threat level categories for the species The evaluations are critical for informing conservation priorities and guiding policy decisions At the most recent international IUCN gathering at the Turtle Conservancy’s headquarters in Ojai Pitt presented an assessment of the Northern Map Turtle a species of special concern in North America Turtles face increasing threats from habitat loss Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go DEAD TURTLE PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS NEED TO REPORT IT WHEN YOU SEE IT HONOLULU – A social media post from an “anonymous participant” on a Hawai‘i-based Facebook page shows a dead sea turtle with its shell missing has generated more than 3,000 reactions and 660 comments The person who posted the image says he/she walks Hau Bush beach in ‘Ewa Beach daily “I have never seen anything like this until tonight,” the post said The problem for federal and state law enforcement agencies is the incident was not reported to them directly which makes it difficult for officers to build a case and pursue prosecution Chief Jason Redulla of the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) explained “We have the DLNR TipApp which allows people who see suspected violations to report them when they see them Witness information and photographs can help us investigate a case and potentially bring charges.”  The DLNRTipApp did receive an after-the-fact notification which just copied the original social media post and NOAA also have reporting hotlines for violations against marine mammals administrator of the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) “We know it’s frustrating when people only report violations via social media and nothing happens in most cases there’s not enough information to conduct thorough investigations.” DAR also encourages witnesses of criminal violations to report them when they see them People who report violations by phone or on the app can also do so anonymously reporting parties are prompted to provide the who and where needed by law enforcement for successful prosecutions shell-less turtle is encouraged to follow-up by contacting either DLNR or NOAA law enforcement to provide more information “Most of these egregious violations that we become aware of through social media channels so we can’t even know where to begin looking,” Redulla added “Without the perpetrator coming forward and self-reporting our hands are unfortunately tied,” he said and NOAA encourage everyone who spends time in and around the ocean to download the free reporting application and to input reporting hotlines into their phone directories so reports to authorities can be received quickly “We really need everyone’s kōkua to find people who are committing crimes against our protected marine species,” Neilson said Green sea turtles are protected and listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act ·      Download the DLNRTip App on your Apple or Android Smart Phone ·      DLNR 24-Hour Hotline: 808-643-DLNR (3-5-6-7) ·       FWS Hotline: 1-844-FWS-TIPS (3-9-7-8-4-7-7) or https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips ·      NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline: 888-256-9840 Email: Dlnr.comms@hawaii.gov Photos by Jamie Wick I would need to bring two things: muck boots and patience “And not necessarily in that order,” said Brian Parr over the phone The natural resource specialist with the Nature Conservancy in Asheville was managing my expectations before I visited him in the northwest corner of the state Amid the vast forests carpeting the corrugated slopes of the Appalachians sit some of the country’s only remaining mountain bogs and a rare threatened species of turtle living in them For slogging through knee-deep mud in search of an animal no larger than a softball I had assumed that bog turtles were slow-moving and therefore easy to find Even experts can have a hard time locating the turtle, Glyptemys muhlenbergii in the few remaining Appalachian habitats where it’s holding on—despite its Day-Glo orange neck muscular limbs easily propel it through a landscape that proves far more challenging to humans: mud festooned with sedges that poke the skin of the unwary with their prickly seedpods and half-buried tree limbs waiting to trip traversers For more than 200 years, farmers have ditched and drained what seemed like swampy hellscapes not investing in their potential as riparian refugia and buffers for floods or as carbon sequesterers and nutrient recyclers There were once about 5,000 acres of bog habitat in North Carolina the numbers of bog turtles and other rare species that call these mountain bogs home have plummeted with them white-flowered bunched arrowhead and the endangered carnivorous mountain sweet pitcher plant Researchers in North Carolina have found fewer than 100 bog turtle populations across the state the turtles also face poachers who seek to sell the imperiled animals on the black market and Emilly Nolan (left to right) walk through a recently established bog area in North Carolina Northern bog turtles have federal protection, but their southern counterparts, bafflingly, don’t Biologists could boost their numbers by facilitating baby-making at local zoos and protecting hatchlings during their precarious first year Parr and his colleagues at the Nature Conservancy began creating a fen—a type of wetland that is closely related to a bog but has more nutrients and less acidic soil and is fed by seeping underground water rather than rainwater (Since both habitats exist in western North Carolina most people refer to them indiscriminately as bogs many ecological forces had conspired to create bog turtle habitat Restoring this habitat is challenging because scientists have not been able to pin down exactly how it arose from this landscape Some historians think that beavers—before the animals were trapped to near extinction—played an important part by damming creeks and streams to slow water flow which made parts of the ground too saturated to hold trees patches of sphagnum moss and sedges grew in poking above the waterline to serve as turtle nests and allowing the animals to bask in the sun When conservationists with the Nature Conservancy and other wildlife groups began their bog-building project over a decade ago they had to perform every ecological task that the now-absent flora and fauna normally would Despite growing awareness of the importance of wetlands as buffers against the effects of anthropogenic climate change Appalachian bogs and fens haven’t been able to shake their reputation as wastelands Across the country, restoration ecologists are shifting from focusing conservation efforts on single species to rebuilding holistic ecosystems for a range of species under threat: beavers in the forests and rivers of the Mountain West Gulf sturgeon and black rails in Louisiana’s vanishing wetlands and burrowing owls in the grasslands on the central California coast The animals and their homes may be disappearing The ridiculously cute bog turtle—the smallest turtle species in North America—has become a mascot for Appalachian wetlands in particular similar to the Florida panther and the manatee two charismatic but threatened species whose protection benefits large swaths of landscape “[Bog turtles are] a good animal to represent their habitat,” said Manley Fuller vice president of conservation policy at the North Carolina Wildlife Federation his gravelly voice tinged with more than a hint of Southern twang The survival of Glyptemys muhlenbergii depends on this love more than ever The May 2023 ruling of the US Supreme Court in Sackett v Environmental Protection Agency stripped the government of its ability to protect many wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems under the Clean Water Act many state protections have also been stripped the future of the few remaining Appalachian Mountain bogs is more perilous than ever because everyone from state officials to local landowners could pollute and ditch these rare waters with few repercussions just as the decade-in-the-making bog turtle efforts began to really pick up steam last year Hurricane Helene barreled across Florida and Georgia before stalling out over Tennessee and western North Carolina the storm dumped 40 trillion gallons of water in the region enough to fill 80 million Olympic swimming pools The catastrophic flooding erased some communities from the map no one knew whether the half-built bogs had been enough to shelter turtles from the storm the peaks of the Appalachians rivaled the Andes in size but eons of wind and rain have worn them down to the far more modest heights we now see Shifting tectonic plates left the weathered rock creased and folded like a once-crumpled piece of paper that someone failed to fully smooth out The eastern side of the Appalachians bears many steep slopes which typically encourage waters to flow swiftly as they sprint toward the Atlantic The mountains’ ubiquitous wrinkles force creeks and rivulets to pause on their mad dash to the Mississippi River—the perfect hydrology for creating some of the region’s wetlands  Adult bog turtles are about four inches long and weigh around four ounces Scientists have theorized that deep cuts in the corrugated rock provided opportunities for underground seeps to burble out onto the surface What likely resulted was a massive network of small fens that were individually transient but collectively stable enough to support flora and fauna that survive in wet environments at high altitudes Carbon samples taken from wetlands in Nantahala National Forest in western North Carolina suggest parts of this landscape have been wetlands for around 8,000 years with beavers terraforming a deeper habitat that later gave way to the shallower one bog turtles prefer and that would have been OK,” said Mike Knoerr a wildlife biologist with the US Forest Service The changes that settlers brought to the landscape When the first wagon trains creaked across the Cumberland Gap Early migrants to Southern Appalachia likely soon realized that the area had agricultural potential and developed swaths of the region’s land for their corn Local landowner Ron Linville pointed out that modern developers are guilty of the same thing invariably digging ditches and draining the fens so potential buyers can better view their purchase [people have] not seen and recognized the value that wetlands have It’s only more recently that we’ve started to protect our wetlands and started to understand their biodiversity and the plethora of flora and fauna that they host,” said Julia Vineyard a field biologist at the Nature Conservancy’s Massachusetts chapter The disappearance of these valuable wetlands isn’t a problem for just bog turtles. Their loss creates a domino effect of damage for all species that depend on bogs and fens—including humans. Wetlands store vast quantities of both water and carbon, and their microhabitats drive a biodiversity engine a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity “The Southeast is the biodiversity hot spot of the world for freshwater species like bog turtles “We just need to give [this ecosystem] space KNOERR SPENT his childhood roaming the wetlands and savannas of northern Illinois in search of all creatures scaled and slimy He went on to pursue a master’s in fish and wildlife conservation at Clemson University had recognized the need to better understand the bog turtle Knoerr was thrilled to begin researching such an elusive creature Biologists knew the Southern turtles were in decline but they needed to know why—and how close they were to vanishing “As long as we’ve been monitoring bog turtle populations bog turtle populations have been disappearing They’re tough to keep on the landscape,” Knoerr said Brian Dempsey points out signs of turtle activity The patchwork of bogs that once decorated the Southern Appalachians like pearls on a string is now only a handful of pearls separated by lengths of string The obvious explanation for bog turtle decline would seem to be bog destruction but researchers have also found plenty of suitable habitat in nearby intact bogs where they have never observed turtles to understand the network of factors affecting turtle numbers Knoerr began studying a site that had been privately protected from development for many decades researchers requested to keep the location anonymous.) Time had healed some of the bog’s wounds and Nature Conservancy workers tackled the remaining issues which included the Sisyphean task of removing the invasive multiflora rose that had choked out native vegetation Interns fired up chainsaws to remove the large stands of poplar and pine that had popped up since humans ceased their ditching and quarrying—all of that would have to go to make room for the turtles Within months of their initial efforts—with the addition of a few log dams—the soil dampened No baby turtles were being born to replace the adults that had died off Knoerr spent every waking hour at the protected bog He befriended every orb weaver spider and the rivulets that braided through the muck which partly explained what was happening to the next generation of turtles The midsize predators loved to dine on turtle eggs With these animals moving in even faster than humans the sheer volume of predators was making it impossible for turtles to sustain their numbers Knoerr watched the bog closely in 2016 and 2017 and throughout his vigil only a single turtle egg survived to adulthood Most of the other hundred-odd eggs were eaten or destroyed by predators Witnessing this loss was a crushing blow for Knoerr “An entire generation of turtles can disappear in a single night,” said Brian Dempsey a field biologist with the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy Knoerr began to wonder why he bothered trying to help the turtles he recognized that his project wasn’t just about a single species at risk The scope of that endeavor was too much work for a single person After he talked to Nature Conservancy researchers about his discoveries they recruited a team of local biologists from Defenders of Wildlife and the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy to help out where Knoerr had found the bulk of the eggs in previous years the team erected a knee-high electric fence to keep out foraging predators They covered nests outside the perimeter with bucket-shaped chicken-wire enclosures The contraptions kept hatchlings safe from even the most dexterous raccoon The team installed cameras to monitor the turtles from afar Knoerr chopped down a few additional trees and trimmed back the sedges and other grasses This time- and labor-intensive experiment showed that such holistic conservation efforts pay off biologists would have to not only maintain their efforts at this initial bog but also replicate them elsewhere to fill out the pearl necklace once again SCENIC OVERLOOKS decorate the two-lane highways that meander through northwestern North Carolina offering views of the indigo hills that give the Blue Ridge Mountains their name I had high hopes when I parked next to a well-traveled byway to stake out my first bog in August 2024 If I hadn’t been following Parr’s battered pickup I would never have known there was anything special here Helen Morris holds a bog turtle found at a site in North Carolina Some researchers think that unique orange neck patches can help identify individual turtles the Southern Appalachians program coordinator at the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy had been monitoring the revamped site along with Helen Morris from Defenders of Wildlife and Hope Killian from Tangled Bank Conservation Their purpose that day was to ensure that Knoerr’s fence was still functioning and to replace batteries in camera traps We pushed our way through dense undergrowth that swallowed the sounds of passing cars Every step required us to wrestle a giant bramble patch for possession of shirt sleeves and pant legs Tree-covered peaks surrounded the bog like the sides of a bowl humid air clung to our sweaty limbs like silk We stopped in a clearing a few hundred yards from the side of the road extending his bronzed and tattooed arms in welcome I recognized a quote from his email signature inked on his right arm: “Think like a mountain,” a tribute to the famous conservationist Aldo Leopold this one to Henry David Thoreau: “In wilderness is Earth’s salvation.” The site looked no more distinct than the pullout where we left our cars A maze of chest-high rushes and sedges occupied an area the size of several football fields—a kaleidoscope of green broken only by a few deep-purple blooms of New York ironweed What wasn’t there was just as noticeable: There were no ponds or lakes or any appreciable accumulations of precipitation and other insects gave way to a faint gurgle and just in front of my feet flowed a rivulet of espresso-colored water Parr told us we were looking at what is likely the state’s densest population of Glyptemys muhlenbergii the turtles were lurking just beneath the surface the acidic soil—these natural defenses don’t just make up the bog turtle’s home but also act as its shield from the elements and predators alike I splashed mine in the middle of a small puddle and immediately sunk calf-deep in muck The mud reluctantly released my foot with a greedy slurp We step-slurped our way deeper into the bog instinctively holding our hands up to avoid the saw grass The line of us inching our way along resembled a group of bank robbers surrendering after a heist We stopped at a short electric fence surrounding a grass patch that sat an inch or two above the rest Dempsey spotted a small skull lying in the dirt just outside the boundary He picked it up and wiped away mud with a gloved thumb Appalachian bog turtles get a helping hand squinting at the sizable incisors and protruding orbits and hung it on a fence post at a jaunty angle to create a cheeky Standing in front of a spot the group had nicknamed “the Honey Hole” for its reliable turtle population Nolan extended a lanky arm deep into the mud and rummaged around heedless of her long braid dipping into the mud Its shell was the size of a jumbo golf ball and its limbs no larger than a thumb dripped with slug slime left over from breakfast Every bog turtle sports a similar neck pattern and some researchers think that the precise outlines can be used like a fingerprint to identify individual turtles thanks to its squat tail and the indentation on the bottom of its shell that accommodates a female below during mating Nolan was confident he was full-grown based on the yearly growth markers on its shell called annuli “[They’re] kind of like tree rings,” she said The bog turtle can live up to 60 years in the wild she counted eight annuli on the one she had caught This animal already sported a microchip—smaller than a grain of rice—that allows researchers to track the turtle’s identity and growth she found a younger turtle (with only six annuli) that hadn’t been tagged I realized the turtle was almost certainly one of the animals Knoerr shepherded to hatching in 2018 While Dempsey tested the fence and swapped out batteries Holding his right front leg with her pointer finger and his right back leg with her thumb she injected the chip into the middle portion of his shell—tagging an unknown turtle with a 15-digit number The omnipresent efforts of conservation groups in this area mean that the turtle’s future looks bright at this bog But when the site hits its carrying capacity and the team want to create nearby refugia for excess turtles to colonize The reality is that much of the surrounding land wants to be boggy such as restoring streams and working with farmers to fill ditches much of the nearby land could once again form a healthy bog aren’t owned by the Nature Conservancy and aren’t on protected state or federal lands Lax enforcement of conservation laws means that landowners who eliminate those “wet spots” out back (and their turtle populations) face few consequences but it’s nothing compared with convincing recalcitrant farmers to undo the agricultural efforts of previous generations ONE OF THE FEW people who didn’t need convincing was Ron Linville After a stint on riverboats in Vietnam with the US Navy Linville spent his career working in hydrology and habitat conservation at the state and county level in North Carolina His work frequently took him to the northwestern corner of the state he bought 33 acres on the side of a mountain then added 121 additional acres to keep the area from being developed I’ve seen a few places that had bog turtles that just dried up and died,” he said “It wasn’t the bog turtles that got me here Linville’s time in the navy and his years working for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Division of Water Quality gave him a love for the living world as well as earning him the nickname “River Rat Ron.” After he learned about the plight of the bog turtles and the importance of bringing back wetlands evangelizing their importance to neighbors Landowners can participate in a voluntary program of conservation easements a legal agreement that limits future development of the area In the wake of the Sackett court decision this type of public-private collaboration is being eyed by groups trying to protect other vulnerable species spread across large landscapes said Harlan from the Center for Biological Diversity Knoerr found another potential addition to the refuge in northwestern North Carolina when he was allowed to restore a bog on a sympathetic farmer’s property Two service-minded locals spent a weekend hacking back trees and brush To create an ersatz dam across the small creek they simply left the felled trees where they landed the area turned from a tree-lined stream of minimal farming value into a thriving wetland of great potential value to turtles Knoerr doesn’t think any turtles have moved in yet but knowing that the area is waiting for them gives him hope must also exist within the urgent realities of climate change This is what the bog turtle team is facing as it endures the slow cleanup process in the wake of Hurricane Helene Life for residents of western North Carolina turned into a series of question marks in the immediate aftermath of the storm: When will we have power But Nolan had another question pinballing around in her brain: Did any of the turtles survive the storm Debris-laden and washed-out roads have made travel impossible and the fate of the turtles unknown Nolan is confident some turtles are hanging on in North Carolina but she is also bracing herself for massive population losses Many bogs are buried under feet of mud and floodwaters it could be months until biologists get a full accounting of the damage As the community shifts to preventing future disasters the region’s wetlands loom large in official discussions Bogs and fens wouldn’t have stopped the rain but they could have given the water someplace to go is that instead of building homes next to rivers we should be building bogs and fens and wetlands Carrie Arnold (@edbites) is a science journalist based in Virginia Jamie Wick is a freelance photographer and computer specialist based in Virginia His work focuses on nature and conservation themes and has been published in Living Bird and Virginia Wildlife Coastal residents are conflicted over the planned location of a facility that advocates say will help launch Maine's offshore wind industry Knee deep in a Florida swamp saved by the Nixon administration Sierra Club® and "Explore, enjoy and protect the planet"® are registered trademarks of the Sierra Club. © Sierra Club 2025.The Sierra Club Seal is a registered copyright Sign up to receive Sierra News & Views to get articles like this one sent directly to your inbox These findings challenge existing hypotheses and provide important data for assessing risks from human activity and informing conservation efforts Biology researchers from the College of Sciences’ UCF Marine Turtle Research Group studied the dispersal movements of four juvenile sea turtle species revealing that they may be active swimmers during their early life stage known as the “lost years.” The study, funded largely in part by Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program, was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B representing the largest satellite tracking dataset of wild-caught juvenile sea turtle behavior from the Gulf of Mexico during this life stage “One of the main findings is where these sea turtles are and where they go in this life stage because we haven’t known much about it,” says Katrina Phillips ’22PhD, who led the study alongside Nathan Putman and Kate Mansfield Phillips says understanding these movement patterns among juvenile sea turtles will help guide conservation efforts to protect critical habitats for these species sea turtles are known to leave their nests on land and enter the ocean where they spend their early years This shift from terrestrial to oceanic habitat marks a critical transition in their life cycle to a life stage that has been understudied and director of the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group we are still learning about this life stage and it’s more complex than assumed “We don’t know what they’re eating if and when they associate with floating algae called sargassum which provides some protection,” Mansfield says The team of researchers tagged 131 juvenile sea turtles — 94 green turtles and four hawksbills — and tracked their movements using satellite-equipped solar-powered platform transmitter terminals These movements were compared with those of oceanographic surface drifters floating objects used to study how sea turtle movements are influenced by ocean currents Researchers believe juvenile sea turtles swim offshore as an adaptive behavior to avoid predators such as birds which are more abundant near the shoreline Their small size makes them particularly vulnerable so offshore waters can provide a safer refuge is that juvenile sea turtles stay far offshore Researchers call this the ‘oceanic life stage,’ which means off the continental shelf in waters deeper than 200 meters,” Phillips says what we found was that the turtles in this life stage are crossing over the continental shelf into neritic zones a lot more than we expected.” shallow underwater area that extends between the shoreline and the continental slope where the seabed drops steeply into the deep ocean at the shelf break which is the part of the ocean closest to the coast characterized by nutrient-rich waters and a high concentration of marine life Phillips says the sea turtles were found crossing over to shallower waters and closer to shore but it did not appear that they were transitioning to their next life stage where they typically move to shallow habitats and feed off the bottom “That was interesting because we had these passive drifters that we released with them and many of them washed up shore and none of the turtles did,” Phillips says She adds that if the turtles don’t behave like passive particles drifting with the currents and can actively swim and control their position then existing movement models could consider both factors to correct errors in projections Existing hypotheses about the early life stage of most sea turtle species suggested they live exclusively in oceanic environments drift passively with ocean currents and typically do not return to their previous habitat once they transitioned to a new one these assumptions lack research into actual movement behavior all our information about this young life stage has been limited to opportunistic sightings of these little tracking work on hatchlings in the first 24 hours after leaving nesting beaches Previous work also focused on the North Atlantic and on loggerheads a species that commonly nested on the east coast of the U.S “I think it’s important to get data from different places and put the puzzle together to get a bigger picture of what’s going on,” Phillips says “Researchers tracking this species were finding that they were staying offshore But now that turtles are tracked from more places we are finding that there are more nuances to what goes on we found stay off the continental shelf located in the west coast of Florida.” Mansfield says sea turtle tracking can be costly “It’s really hard to follow and manually track a little turtle over time,” Mansfield says “You have to fuel a boat with researchers who have a strong stomach to go into the ocean technology just wasn’t there to put a tag on a turtle and use satellites to be able to remotely track where they went Tags were battery powered and as big as a brick.” Mansfield figured out a method to safely tag and effectively track small turtles thanks to more reliable tagging technology which played a role in conducting this study and achieving its results She also credits their partnership with Inwater Research Group in helping to catch and track smaller sea turtles This research into sea turtle movement during the “lost years,” provides data for conservationists to assess and manage risks from human activity “The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 was a bit of the origin story of this project,” Mansfield says we need to know whether these animals [will be] transient through an area Data from this study is already driving conservation efforts including a proposal for critical habitat designation under the Endangered Species Act for green sea turtles This designation would complement earlier tracking data led by Mansfield which established critical habitat for loggerheads — the sargassum algae nursery Mansfield and Phillips say if assumptions are that these animals are strictly oceanic then they may not be protecting them completely or addressing what they need for their eventual recovery “If sea turtles are occurring on the continental shelf we suggest renaming this life stage to ‘dispersal stage’ to account for their behavior,” Mansfield says “This is important nuance in their life history and the new terminology reflects a better understanding of sea turtle behavior Funding and support for this research was provided in part by the NOAA Oil Spill Supplemental Spend Plan NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program administered through the Florida Institute of Oceanography, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Microwave Telemetry Christiane Howey Rising Scholar Award National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program National Research Council Research Associateship Program Marine Turtle Research Group; and Davis-Shine Endowed Professorship in Conservation Biology Thank you!We have emailed you a PDF version of the article you requested You can also addnewsletters@iflscience.comto your safe senders list to ensure you never miss a message from us Some Good News: Sea Turtle Populations Are Recovering Around The WorldComplete the form below to listen to the audio version of this article IFLScience needs the contact information you provide to us to contact you about our products and services You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time For information on how to unsubscribe, as well as our privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, check out ourPrivacy Policy IFLScience HomeJoin for Exclusive Dr. Katie Spalding FacebookemailKatie has a PhD in maths, specializing in the intersection of dynamical systems and number theory. FacebookemailEditedbyLaura SimmonsLaura Simmons emailLaura is an editor and staff writer at IFLScience She obtained her Master's in Experimental Neuroscience from Imperial College London Image credit: KensCanning/Shutterstock.com Having evaluated 48 populations of six sea turtle species around the world the results are in: if you’re a marine turtle life is probably on the up for you right now.  Marine turtles have been around a while. They survived dinosaurs; they made it past the mass extinction event that by rights should have taken them out; and they’ve made peace with the new mammalian upstarts that took over the world ever since – except one “Threats to turtles are numerous, but the greatest risk to their survival is us,” confirms the Natural History Museum (NHM) London “Among the issues are entanglement in fishing gear and other trash we leave in the ocean,” NHM explains “They also accidently consume plastics and juveniles can get plastic rings caught around them that deform their shells as they grow oil spills lead to health problems and they live in an environment we have filled with pollution.” our very presence can mess with their survival: “Sea turtle tourism can […] negatively impact them with people flocking to see and photograph females as they lay their eggs,” says NHM “Light and noise pollution around nesting sites can also disorient nesting turtles and hatchlings.” Climate change is an existential threat, too, since sea turtles’ sex depends on the temperature at which their eggs are incubated. As temperatures rise, populations may swing extremely female-heavy leading to a crash in reproduction rates.  a bleak picture for these ancient marine reptiles – but after decades of conservation efforts across the world “Overall, this is excellent news that decades of sea turtle conservation have paid off,” said Roderic Mast, co-chair of the MTSG and president of Oceanic Society, in a statement this week it is a call to action and a reminder that we must keep up the work we have been doing and redouble our efforts for the most threatened populations.”  So what specifically did the study find? Well, you can see for yourself, since the report authors created an interactive data dashboard to highlight their results – but overall: risk is down 40 percent of RMUs [regional management units] were classified as low risk-low threats which means that these RMUs are characterized by relatively high abundance and relatively low population-level impacts of threats,” the paper reports That figure is close to twice as high as it was in 2011 – an improvement the IUCN labels “promising” – and the proportion of high threat RMUs has nearly halved moving from nearly two-thirds of those surveyed to less than one-third in the same time span three-quarters of RMUs showed improved status for risk “This work demonstrates the profound impact of local conservation efforts around the world,” said Bryan Wallace “It reflects the dedication of countless individuals and organizations who have worked on the ground and in the water to protect these ancient and iconic mariners.” The report doesn’t just have good news – it also comes with a handful of warnings.  Leatherback turtles stood out in the data as being in a particularly precarious situation: all groups were found to be high risk and close to half were high risk-high threat Populations around the world seem to be declining – even in places where we previously thought they were pretty healthy – and in contrast to the general trends the species has been reclassified from “least concern” to “endangered” since 2011 efforts still need to continue if we want to ensure sea turtles’ survival and increased conservation capacity,” Mast recommended “particularly in areas that are important for sea turtles and also face socio-economic challenges.” Areas of highest importance include enhanced fisheries management and international cooperation with a need for formalized protection measures and investment in community-led research and conservation it’s good news for sea turtles – and a validation for the decades of conservation efforts and work that have gone into protecting them particularly if collaborative efforts that address relevant threats and build resilience in sea turtle populations are sustained in the long-term,” Wallace said The study is published in the journal Endangered Species Research animalsFemale Bonobos Can Elevate Their Status By Teaming Up To Gain Power Over Males50 minutes agolink to article VideoanimalsBiofluorescence vs Bioluminescence1 hour agolink to article Biofluorescence vs Bioluminescencelink to article T. Rex Leather, Glow-In-The-Dark Gas Clouds, And Musical Sea Lionslink to article © 2025 IFLScience. All Rights Reserved. RSS No sea turtle hatchling releases are currently scheduled. Check back on this page in June 2025 for future sea turtle hatchling releases. To help ensure the safety of the sea turtle hatchlings, adhere to the following guidelines:  No white clothing. Hatchlings rely on the moon or sunlight shining on the water and white foam of the waves to help them find their way. White clothing or shoes can confuse them.   No flashlights or flash photography. Flashlights and camera flashes emit intense light that can momentarily blind and disorient turtles and people.   No food on the beach. Large gatherings of people attract gulls and people eating food will keep their attention on the beach. If a gull is near you, do not wave your arms to make it leave; waving will attract more gulls because they associate large gatherings of other birds with the availability of food.   Plant your feet. As the hatchlings get close to the surf’s edge, waves can sweep in and quickly carry them into the crowd. If a wave comes in around you, please keep your feet planted in the sand and stand very still so you don’t step on a hatchling. Trained NPS staff or volunteers will find any hatchlings that get swept into the crowd.   Look, but don’t touch. If NPS staff or volunteers come around to show you a hatchling, do not attempt to touch it. A newly hatched sea turtle can be easily injured.   Stay behind the physical release barriers. Conditions in the authorized endangered species permit allow only qualified, specifically trained, permitted individuals in the release area with the hatchlings. Stay out of the water. For the safety of the sea turtle hatchlings, do not enter the water in front of or near the release site.  When hatchling releases are scheduled, they will be posted on this page, on the park's social media pages, and on the recorded Hatchling Hotline at (361) 949-7163.  Hatchling releases typically take place at sunrise which is around 6:45 am during the summer months.  Hatching is a difficult process to predict.  It can take 1-4 days from the time a nest begins to hatch until the hatchlings are ready to be released. Once a nest begins to hatch, sea turtle biologists monitor the nest closely. As hatching progresses, biologists try to estimate when the hatchlings will be ready. If, by mid-day, it looks like hatchlings will be ready for release within the next 12-16 hours, a public release may be scheduled for the next morning.  Hatching is a slow process. It can take 1-4 days for the baby turtles to break through the eggshell, emerge from the egg, and be ready for release. Once they are fully emerged from the egg, hatchlings are released as soon as they are ready, usually within 24 hours.  The NPS only releases sea turtle hatchlings during the summer months. During other times of the year, area non-profit organizations who operate under US Fish and Wildlife Service permits may release juvenile and adult sea turtles that have been rescued and rehabilitated. Sea turtle releases by these organizations do not take place in the national seashore.   No. Only trained biologists and volunteers who are authorized by federal endangered species permits may handle the turtles.   Photos and video are allowed during the hatchling release as long as the camera’s flash and other light sources are turned off. Lights, including flash photography or video, disorient the hatchlings and can even reduce their chances of survival by causing them to wander and burn off their limited energy reserve. When you arrive at the release site, please make a point to ensure any flash or lights are turned off on all cell phones, cameras, and video equipment.  Yes, the park offers free loan of two beach wheelchairs and a walker on a first-come, first served basis (no reservations). These devices are specifically designed for use on the beach by individuals with mobility concerns. The wheelchairs cannot be self-propelled and require another person's assistance. An accessible ramp goes from the visitor center pavilion down to the beach where the public releases are held.   No. For the safety of the sea turtles, pets are not allowed near the hatchling release site.  Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go. We don’t flood you with panic-inducing headlines or race to be first We focus on being useful to you — breaking down the news in ways that inform We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today Researchers are hoping they may unlock one of animal biology’s greatest mysteries by Benji Jones LinkA green sea turtle. Ron Masessa/Getty ImagesBenji Jones is an environmental correspondent at Vox covering biodiversity loss and climate change he was a senior energy reporter at Business Insider Benji previously worked as a wildlife researcher.Each year female sea turtles will crawl out of the ocean under moonlight to lay their eggs in the sand often returning to the same beach on which they were born many years earlier researchers like Julianna Martin are watching patiently from the shadows a PhD student at the University of Central Florida So on several summer nights in 2023 and 2024 she’d stake out beaches and wait for the turtles to start laying eggs the reptiles enter a sort of “trance,” she said allowing scientists like her to collect samples Martin told me she would army crawl up to the turtles on the sand and dab around their eyes with a foam swab Sea turtles regularly shed tears as a way to expel excess salt from their bodies Martin would then take those tears back to her lab for analysis Martin is examining sea turtle tears to see if they contain a specific kind of bacteria could help unlock one of biology’s biggest and most awe-inspiring mysteries: how animals navigate using Earth’s invisible magnetic field they dig their way out of the sand and crawl into the ocean where they embark on an epic journey that can take them thousands of miles across the open sea swim across the Atlantic and reach islands off the coast of Portugal before eventually returning to Florida’s beaches as adults to nest the turtles typically return to the same region of Florida or even to the same beach “These young turtles can guide themselves along that 10,000-mile migratory path despite never having been in the ocean before and despite traveling on their own,” said Kenneth Lohmann a biologist at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who studies sea turtle navigation Researchers like Lohmann have learned that sea turtles, like many other species seem to navigate using Earth’s magnetic field That’s the subtle magnetic force — generated by the planet’s molten metal core — that surrounds Earth The intensity and direction of the field vary across Earth’s surface the magnetic field is present even when other spatial cues What remains a mystery, however, is how animals sense these magnetic forces. Decades of research have failed to turn up a mechanism for so-called magnetoreception or any kind of specialized organ that can sense magnetic force. As Martin’s adviser Robert Fitak has written it’s like knowing an animal can respond to something visual but not finding any eyes “It’s the last sense we effectively know nothing about,” sensory biologist Eric Warrant has said about magnetoreception “The solution of this problem I would say is the greatest holy grail in sensory biology.” Scientists have proposed a number of theories for how this might work The prevailing theory is rooted in quantum mechanics The theory posits that when certain light-sensitive molecules known as cryptochromes absorb light they produce something called radical pairs — two separate molecules each with one unpaired electron Those two unpaired electrons are quantumly entangled which essentially means that their spin states are interdependent: They either point in the same direction or opposite directions Another theory suggests that animals have bits of magnetic material in their bodies those magnetic bits are influenced by Earth’s magnetic field — just like a compass — and animals can sense those influences to figure out where they’re going Martin and Fitak’s research is exploring this latter theory They suspect that sea turtles and other animals might rely on magnetite to sense Earth’s magnetic field but may not produce the magnetite themselves sea turtles may have a symbiotic relationship with magnetite-producing bacteria — literally living compasses — that sense the magnetic field and somehow communicate information back to the turtle This isn’t an outrageous idea. Magnetic bacteria — more technically, magnetotactic bacteria — is real, and quite common in aquatic environments around the world. Plus, there’s evidence that magnetotactic bacteria help another microscopic organism These microscopic organisms have what are essentially built-in compass needles a microbial ecologist at the French research institute CEA The needles comprise chains of magnetic particles produced by the microbes which you can see under a microscope (shown in images below) those needles align the bacteria with Earth’s magnetic field lines they move in line with the direction of the planet’s magnetic force Magnetic sensing is useful for the bacteria Magnetotactic bacteria need specific levels of oxygen to survive the direction of the magnetic field is at least somewhat perpendicular to Earth’s surface — meaning up and down — allowing the bacteria to move vertically through their environment to find the optimal habitat You can actually see this in the video below. It’s not clear how the magnetic bacteria are actually guiding the protist, said Monteil, the study’s lead author. Now, returning to the turtles: The theory that Fitak and Martin are exploring is that sea turtles, like protists, might also have magnetotactic bacteria — those living compasses — in their bodies, and somehow be able to read them. Some microbes in the microbiome aid in digestion. Others provide directions. Maybe. One idea, Martin says, is that the bacteria could aggregate near nerves in the turtles that provide information about their position in space. Some of those nerves are near the tear ducts, she said — which is ultimately why she was army crawling on the beach to collect turtle tears. The goal, she said, is to figure out if those tears contain magnetotactic bacteria. That would be one indication that these animals might be using bacteria for navigation. “We’re not entirely sure how magnetotactic bacteria could be facilitating a magnetic sense, but that seemed like a good place to start,” Martin said. While her research is still underway, Martin has yet to find evidence of magnetotactic bacteria in the tears of the 30 or so turtles she’s analyzed so far. That’s disappointing, she said, but it doesn’t rule out the possibility that these bacteria exist somewhere in the body of a turtle and help them navigate. “There are so many other ideas about ways that magnetotactic bacteria could provide information to an organism about Earth’s magnetic field,” she said. “There’s a variety of other locations and other taxa that might be better for studying this theory.” Other scientists who study animal navigation are skeptical. It’s unlikely that symbiosis with magnetotactic bacteria is what enables sea turtle navigation, said Monteil. Part of the problem is that there’s no known mechanism through which the bacteria would communicate with the turtle. It’s also not clear what magnetotactic bacteria would get out of this relationship, if it is indeed symbiotic — could sea turtles provide the conditions bacteria need to survive? Maybe. Maybe not. What’s more, Monteil said, is that magnetotactic bacteria are widespread in the environment, so even if Martin did find them in sea turtle tears, it would do little to prove the theory. Just because magnetic bacteria are present doesn’t mean they’re helping the animal navigate. But then again, other theories are still entirely unproven, too — and some of them are a lot weirder. “I don’t think it is impossible,” Monteil said of sea turtles and other organisms using magnetic bacteria to navigate. “Nothing is impossible. Life is amazing and has found ways to do things that we couldn’t imagine centuries before.” Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins. The aggressive push to privatize public lands, explained. A federal program killed nearly 2 million wild animals last year. The reason might surprise you. California researchers grapple with losing a landscape they love in real time. The government says it’s for the animals’ own good. Trump says he’s pro-America. Will his administration protect its most iconic butterfly? The bizarre link between your anti-anxiety drugs and salmon. An official website of the United States government –  A Pennsylvania man was caught with a turtle concealed in his pants when the Transportation Security Administration body scanner triggered an alarm in the area of the man’s groin on Friday A TSA officer administered a pat-down of the area of the man’s body where the alarm was triggered and in doing so determined that there was something concealed in the area of the man’s groin When asked if there was something hidden in his pants reached down the front of his pants and pulled out a live turtle that was wrapped in a small blue towel The turtle was estimated to be about 5-inches in length The man told officials that it was a red-ear slider turtle.  took possession of the turtle and indicated that they would contact the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and local animal control officials The man missed his flight and was escorted out of the checkpoint by police “I commend our officer who conducted the pat-down in a very professional manner in an effort to resolve the alarm,” said Thomas Carter TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey “We have seen travelers try to conceal knives and other weapons on their person however I believe this is the first time we have come across someone who was concealing a live animal down the front of his pants the turtle was not harmed by the man’s actions.”  Internet Explorer lacks support for the features of this website please use a modern browser such as Chrome A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States Turtle populations still face unpredictable effects of climate change Once hammered by overhunting and habitat loss sea turtles have persevered with new protections and conservation efforts Their populations are now rebounding even as oceans change “Sea turtles are a shining light of marine conservation with recoveries of many nesting populations,” said Graeme Hays, Distinguished Professor and Chair in Marine Science at Deakin University in Australia. He and Jacques-Olivier Laloë from Deakin and NOAA Fisheries researcher Jeffrey Seminoff reviewed the status of the seven species of sea turtles around the world in Nature Reviews Biodiversity They found most sea turtle populations rebounding worldwide, with more turtles nesting at beaches with stronger protections in place. For instance, artificial lighting that can confuse baby turtles trying to find the ocean has been reduced or removed in many locations. Hunting turtles has fallen out of favor in some areas and many fisheries around the world have adopted measures to avoid catching turtles The findings illustrate an important conservation success and support NOAA Fisheries’ responsibility to track protected marine species The data on sea turtles helps biologists shape fishing seasons that reduce the risk of mistakenly catching them in fishing nets Pacific leatherback turtles—which make a treacherous round-trip migration from Indonesia to feed along the Pacific Coast of North America—are declining Rare leatherbacks in the Caribbean are also on the decline but many populations are now in better shape to weather the impacts the first word that comes into my mind is resilience,” said Jeffrey Seminoff a research scientist who specializes in sea turtles at NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center “They are sensitive because they depend on the marine ecosystem but give them a chance to thrive and they will take advantage of it.” Seminoff said the increasing numbers of sea turtles around the world also reflect a change in public values Younger generations don’t see turtles as commodities to hunt and eat they see them as parts of a marine ecosystem that provides both environmental and economic benefits to coastal communities Former poachers in some places now lead visitors to view nesting turtles as a part of ecotourism that provides alternative livelihoods sea turtles were so numerous in the Caribbean they kept sailors up at night by knocking into the wooden hulls of boats Indiscriminate hunting quickly eliminated about 95 percent of the 19–33 million green sea turtles thought to live in the Caribbean at the time Other sea turtle species around the world declined with commercial hunting countries began more widely protecting the species as laws such as the Endangered Species Act in the United States took hold in the 1970s and 1980s Conservation initiatives in many areas helped protect and monitor sea turtle nests to better understand their status Scientists reviewed records from nesting beaches around the world and other data on sea turtle populations “These global evaluations show a generally encouraging picture of stable or upward trends across species and subpopulations,” the scientists wrote They analyzed almost 300 different records of turtle numbers over time finding that “significant population increases were three times more common than significant decreases In an updated compilation of additional time series published in 2024 significant increases were six times more frequent than significant decreases.” Four of five regional populations of green sea turtles are increasing Most nesting sites also showed increases in loggerhead turtles between 2008 and 2020 the annual number of loggerhead nests increased from around 500 to 35,000 in Cape Verde in the North Atlantic Ocean Less information is available about hawksbill but most show increases in individual populations and international endangered species protections still apply to most species These turtles can grow to the size of a small vehicle and often migrate thousands of miles across the oceans in search of prey in between nesting seasons Climate change is warming oceans and nesting beaches Higher nest incubation temperatures lead to more female offspring which could eventually interfere with reproduction new evidence shows that loggerhead sea turtles in the Mediterranean may be starting to nest in cooler areas that could keep the sex of offspring in better balance “If newly colonized sites are in cooler locations than previous sites the population could be buffered against future warming,” scientists said Turtles could also begin nesting at some beaches earlier in the year before temperatures warm to the point of skewing sex ratios “The bottom line is: When you stop hunting and otherwise harming species and they regain their ecological foothold they can again become a thriving part of the marine ecosystem,” Seminoff said but now many sea turtles have greater resilience going forward.” The scientists concluded that the priorities for sea turtle conservation and management in the future are: Hays credited the resurgence of sea turtles as “testimony to the hard work of hundreds of thousands of people around the world protecting nesting beaches reducing illegal trafficking of sea turtle products driving informed designation of conservation zones So humankind can reverse declines in biodiversity It might sound hyperbolic to say that finding even one female turtle can revive an entire species nothing could be truer for the critically endangered Yangtze softshell turtle a species for which no known female individuals are left on the planet scientists and conservationists have ramped up efforts in recent years to find any unknown individuals that could help rewrite the fate of the turtle a method specifically developed for this purpose might provide a faint glimmer of hope for the world’s largest freshwater turtle Scientists have developed and tested a portable environmental DNA kit to help detect the presence of the Yangtze softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) in large bodies of water they hope to find any as-yet-unknown turtles that might be swimming around undetected in the lakes of Vietnam “Their future existence really hinges on finding additional animals that may still exist in unexplored lakes both in terms of protecting the animals and securing a captive breeding population,” Tracie Seimon director of the molecular laboratory at the Wildlife Conservation Society A study published in the journal Environmental DNA describes how the kit was developed and validated the kit “bypasses the need to export samples to laboratories” and “allows researchers to obtain results within hours.” The kit uses quantitative polymerase chain reaction technology which is often used for the detection of the DNA of targeted species the team yielded a positive result for a turtle that was already known to exist in Vietnam The team has now put the kit into the hands of conservationists on the ground who are collecting samples from lakes across Vietnam to detect any unknown individuals The Yangtze softshell turtle is native to China and Vietnam where it symbolizes longevity and resilience The turtle also plays a significant role in Vietnam’s folklore Legend has it that a magical sword given to the king by a turtle guard helped defeat Chinese forces So ubiquitous was the turtle in historical times that children were asked to tread with caution while swimming lest they be pulled down by the giant creature Despite its significance, wildlife trade and loss of habitat linked to the construction of dams have led to a precipitous decline in the species’ population. In April 2023, the last known female turtle was found dead in Lake Dong Mo in northern Vietnam effectively rendering the species functionally extinct only two or three individuals are known to exist: a male at Suzhou Zoo in China; another individual Vietnam; and one believed to live in Dong Mo Since the turtles are highly elusive and spend much of their time submerged in the water traditional tracking methods have proved challenging Sampling and analysis of environmental DNA have long been used to detect animals living across larger landscapes Scientists collect soil or water samples that likely contain genetic material shed by animals through their feces They extract the DNA from these environmental samples and check it against established reference libraries to detect the presence of animals in any given region will help reveal any undiscovered female turtles that can potentially be used to revive the species’ population The portable eDNA kit for the Yangtze softshell turtle was developed as a collaboration between WCS’s Zoological Health Program at Bronx Zoo and Vietnam’s Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies The kit can be used and tested even by those not trained in molecular biology enabling the team to deploy it more widely “It was a pie-in-the-sky idea,” Seimon said It took years to develop a mechanism that would work specifically for these turtles The teams started working together in 2016 when they first collected samples from softshell turtle exhibits at Bronx Zoo Once they were able to use those samples to successfully detect turtles the team started working with samples collected from bigger lakes in New Jersey and Florida “All of this was to really build up and optimize our protocols so that we could develop the rapid test,” Seimon said the teams took the kit to Vietnam to train local conservationists on how to deploy and use it the team learned that the test was sensitive to inhibitors in water which could interfere with the extraction and analysis process and lead to false results They then worked to redesign the kit to address this concern local teams have used the kit to collect 500 samples from seven lakes in Vietnam They’ve also been taking the time to communicate with local communities to get any additional information that might be crucial to spotting the turtles “We interview local people about the last time they saw something big floating in the lake,” Hoang Bich Thuy but also persuades and convinces people as to why we need to work rapidly on this.” If and when they eventually get a positive test result the teams there would work to prioritize the monitoring and potential capture of the animal for a health checkup and sex determination This will be done to develop a breeding program that will potentially help the species return from the precipice of extinction Seimon, T. A., Long, N. V., Le, M., McCormack, T. E. M., Nguyen, T. T., Ngo, H., … Calle, P. P. (2024). Development and application of a portable environmental DNA test for the detection of Rafetus swinhoei in Viet Nam. Environmental DNA, 6(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.70011 Scientists find unexpected biodiversity in an African river, thanks to eDNA The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced the settlement of an investigation involving the unlawful possession of a sea turtle skull CDFW’s investigation was conducted in cooperation with the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and prosecuted by the Butte County and Napa County district attorney’s offices and the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of California resulting in a conviction fines and probation for all involved suspects CDFW’s investigation began in November 2023 when two of its canine officers from the Northern Enforcement District were flying back to northern California from a training in San Diego The officers were dressed in plain clothes and seated in front of a couple who were discussing hunting A conversation with the officers and the unsuspecting couple ensued that ultimately led to the couple disclosing that they were transporting a sea turtle skull from the East Coast in their luggage The couple also discussed their unlawful take of a mountain lion which is a specially protected species in California illegal to hunt or possess in whole or in part The couple then spoke openly about a close family member’s unlawful possession of multiple taxidermized mountain lions a wolverine and wolves at the family member’s residence in Napa County The couple then proceeded to share a video with the wildlife officers of the family member’s “trophy room” where the illegal mounts were displayed the wildlife officers asked if the couple would show them the sea turtle skull The suspects acknowledged the potential unlawful possession and waited until after any Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers could see before showing the officers the sea turtle skull concealed in a jacket inside their carry-on luggage a federally listed endangered species illegal to possess and transport the wildlife officers authored search warrants for the couple’s residence in Chico and the family member’s residence in Napa County The warrants were signed by judges in Butte and Napa counties In the process of serving the search warrant in Butte County wildlife officers found the couple processing a deer that was taken illegally earlier in the day wildlife officers found mountain lion claws an illegal spike buck and several unlawfully taken deer with tagging violations Ringtail cats are a fully protected species in California Mounted raptors and raptor parts are illegal to possess without appropriate state and federal permits At the family member’s residence in Napa County full-bodied taxidermized mountain lions and one full-bodied taxidermized wolverine Wolverines are another fully protected species in California illegal to possess All the unlawfully possessed animals and parts of unlawful animals were seized as evidence for the prosecution in Napa County Butte County and in federal district court Formal complaints were filed against 24-year-old Byron Lee Fitzpatrick 28-year-old Shannon Lee Price and 64-year-old Harry Vern Fitzpatrick by the Butte and Napa County district attorney’s offices which initiated prosecution of the poaching crimes portions of deer parts and the owl violations were turned over to the U.S Byron Lee Fitzpatrick was convicted of violating Fish and Game Code section 2000(a) and 2002 receiving a $1,865 fine and one-year probation prohibiting hunting or being around those engaged in hunting Shannon Lee Price was convicted of violating Fish and Game Code section 2002 receiving a $1,015 fine and one-year probation prohibiting hunting or being around those engaged in hunting District Court for the Eastern District of California Byron Lee Fitzpatrick and Shannon Lee Price were each fined $1,000 for violations of federal wildlife regulations and laws Harry Vern Fitzpatrick was convicted of two counts of Fish and Game Code section 4800(b) ordered to serve six-months probation and forfeited all unlawfully possessed and transported wildlife as a result of the convictions “This case exemplifies the unwavering preparedness and swift action demonstrated by our wildlife officers,” said CDFW Chief of Law Enforcement Nathaniel Arnold “It highlights a broad spectrum of natural resource violations and underscores the critical role our officers play in safeguarding our resources not only here in California but elsewhere throughout the country and abroad These violations encompass the take of deer out of season and the illegal possession of taxidermy including endangered and protected species wildlife trafficking of both live animals and animal parts is known to fund transnational criminal organizations and their violent activities all over the world The individuals involved exhibited a flagrant disregard for laws governing natural resources and are now being held accountable for their actions.” CDFW is thankful for the support from the Butte and Napa County district attorney’s offices as well as the U.S which started as a casual conversation among airline passengers led officers to serious violations of state and federal wildlife laws Anyone witnessing a poaching or polluting incident or any fish and wildlife violation or who has information about such a violation should immediately dial the toll-free CALTIP number subscribe to our newsletter to receive news and updates The Rio Grande cooter is found in the Rio Grande drainage basin Photo courtesy of the New Mexico BioPark Society The next time Christian Isely takes his young daughter, Josefa, to the ABQ BioPark in Albuquerque they’ll be sure to stop by the habitat where the Rio Grande cooter lives This turtle species is designated as threatened—it’s listed by the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish as a “species of greatest conservation need.” And it’s listed as “near threatened” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species The Rio Grande cooter is also a focus of conservation efforts involving Chevron the ABQ BioPark and the New Mexico BioPark Society “This support is really crucial,” said Isely a Chevron state government affairs representative “Preserving an aquatic species is especially important in New Mexico because it’s such a dry state.” Chevron made a three-year financial commitment to help support preservation efforts for the Rio Grande cooter funds will be spent making life a little more comfortable for the turtles that the ABQ BioPark is raising as part of its commitment to safeguarding this threatened species This includes the purchase and installation of fiberglass aquatic tanks and the creation of fortified outdoor areas so the turtles have access to sunlight christian iselynew mexico state government affairs representative Rio Grande cooter hatchlings born at the facility will be released into the wild the turtles will continue to be researched and monitored depletion and pollution have critically altered the quantity and quality of the water that the Rio Grande cooter needs for survival Chevron’s $200,000-per-year commitment to helping New Mexico’s wildlife thrive is meant not only to support the preservation of the Rio Grande cooter but also to support conservation and education efforts related to native plants the ABQ BioPark is creating specialized environments to house collections of native New Mexico plants Its goal is to support the plants’ growth and reintroduction into nature The facility is also planning to add a controlled breeding area for threatened species of butterflies Subscribe to our newsletter to receive news and updates © 2001 – 2025 Chevron Corporation Archived News was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for his role in smuggling protected turtles from the United States to Hong Kong Tin pleaded guilty in December to four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law.  According to the government’s filed sentencing memorandum and evidence presented during today’s hearing aided and abetted turtle smugglers in the United States from February 2018 to June 2023 Tin trafficked approximately 2,100 turtles to three addresses in Hong Kong for the illegal Asian pet trade contemporary market valuation of $2,000 per turtle the smuggled reptiles were valued at $4.2 million.   U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) agents arrested Tin on Feb. 25, 2024, on his arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. On March 8, 2024, a grand jury indicted Tin on the present charges which focused on four packages shipped in June 2023 containing 40 eastern box turtles USFWS wildlife inspectors at an international mail facility in Torrance California, intercepted the packages which were falsely labeled as containing almonds and chocolate cookies Three of the packages contained between eight and 12 live eastern box turtles each all bound in socks to restrict movement to avoid alerting authorities The fourth package contained seven live eastern box turtles and one dead one.  USFWS agents obtained a search warrant to seize Tin’s cell phones which indicated that Tin came to the United States to smuggle turtles and Washington — familiarizing himself with tourist locations to present a false story if apprehended His ultimate plan was to pay for turtles in cash He had detailed information on how to soak turtles to reduce odors and bind them in socks with tape Tin was associated with international turtle smuggler Kang Juntao, of Hangzhou City, China, who was extradited from Malaysia in 2019 and later sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to money laundering Kang caused at least 1,500 turtles — with a market value exceeding $2.25 million — to be shipped from the United States to Hong Kong Tin trafficked primarily eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) a subspecies of the common box turtle and native to the United States Turtles with colorful markings are highly prized pets and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) China and the Unites States are parties to CITES Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) McNally for the Central District of California and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of the USFWS’ Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement The USFWS investigated this case with assistance from Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors and Trial Attorney Lauren Steele of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S Attorney Dennis Mitchell for the Central District of California prosecuted the case The final two of four Dominican nationals were sentenced for Lacey Act trafficking and smuggling wildlife from the United States after they attempted to smuggle tropical birds from San Juan.. Department of Justice950 Pennsylvania Avenue Office of Public Affairs Direct Line202-514-2007 Department of Justice Main Switchboard202-514-2000 Signup for Email UpdatesSocial Media Multilingual Resources-->Have a question about Government Services January 3, 2025JPEG The hummocky highlands that straddle the border between the U.S state of North Dakota and the Canadian province of Manitoba are called the Turtle Mountains part of a plateau that rises just 600 to 800 feet (180 to 240 meters) above the surrounding plains The forests stand out in this snowy view of the plateau, captured by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite on January 3 appearing darker than the surrounding snow-covered wetlands providing habitat for a variety of animals including fox Stagnant glaciers sculpted the plateau’s many kettle lakes and prairie potholes during the last ice age As debris-covered blocks of ice slowly melted they left the surface pockmarked with small depressions The resulting wetlands cover about a quarter of the plateau and support populations of turtles on the southeastern part of the plateau near Belcourt NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Adam Voiland View this area in EO Explorer buried glaciers left North Dakota’s Turtle Mountains pockmarked with depressions that became ponds and lakes this true-color image shows snow covering the ground from Missouri to the beyond the Great Lakes Uniform snow cover in the southwest gives way to a mixture of snow and forest in the northeast Metrics details Sea turtles experienced myriad human impacts during the twentieth century that caused extreme mortality across all seven species Extensive conservation efforts have been undertaken to protect sea turtles and reverse the major declines seen in many of their populations In this Review we assess the status and trends of global sea turtle populations and identify conservation interventions that have been linked to population recoveries but threats posed by climate change and loss of nesting habitat continue to escalate Both the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments and an analysis of sea turtle abundance time series have revealed that sea turtle populations are rebounding worldwide with nest numbers increasing at many nesting sites certain populations are still declining dramatically such as leatherback turtle populations in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea Key unresolved questions include whether sea turtles can adapt to climate change the magnitude of climate warming’s impact on adult sex ratios and the effect of growing threats such as increasing plastic pollution cautious optimism is advised when considering the future of sea turtles in a rapidly changing world Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Historical overfishing and the recent collapse of coastal ecosystems Marine turtles in Malaysia: on the verge of extinction Estimating the historic size and current status of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) population Convention on Biological Diversity. Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Decision CBD/COP/DEC/15/4. United Nations Environment Programme https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf (2022) Gilbert, N. Nations forge historic deal to save species: what’s in it and what’s missing. Nature 19, https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-04503-9 (2022) Key issues in assessing threats to sea turtles: knowledge gaps and future directions Marine Turtle Regional Management Units 2.0: an updated framework for conservation and research of wide-ranging megafauna species Sporadic nesting reveals long distance colonization in the philopatric loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) Fidelity to foraging sites after long migrations Large‐scale movements and high‐use areas of western Pacific leatherback turtles Pan-Atlantic analysis of the overlap of a highly migratory species Open ocean reorientation and challenges of island finding by sea turtles during long-distance migration Migrations de la tortue vertes Chelonia mydas dans l’Ocean Indien Sud-Ouest observees a partir des marquages sur les sites de ponte Europa et Tromelin (1970–1980) Reproductive investment by green turtles nesting on Ascension Island A global review of green turtle diet: sea surface temperature as a potential driver of omnivory levels Algivory in hawksbill turtles: Eretmochelys imbricata food selection within a foraging area on the Northern Great Barrier Reef Spongivory in hawksbill turtles: a diet of glass Diet of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Gulf of California A paradigm shift in the trophic importance of jellyfish Bottom or midwater: alternative foraging behaviours in adult female loggerhead sea turtles Migration routes and foraging behaviour of olive ridley turtles Lepidochelys olivacea in northern Australia Satellite tracking can inform population-level dispersal to foraging grounds of post-nesting Kemp’s ridley sea turtles Predation of loggerhead sea turtle eggs across Georgia’s barrier islands Predation of sea turtle eggs by rats and crabs Forensic determination of shark species as predators and scavengers of sea turtles in Florida and Alabama Expanding information on the prey items and hunting tactics of the eastern tropical pacific killer whale (Orcinus orca) ecotype Global patterns of illegal marine turtle exploitation The historical development of complex global trafficking networks for marine wildlife Long-term decline of the western Pacific leatherback Dermochelys coriacea: a globally important sea turtle population Effects of illegal harvest of eggs on the population decline of leatherback turtles in Las Baulas Marine National Park Conservation and biology of the leatherback turtle in the Mexican Pacific So excellent a fishe: a global overview of legal marine turtle fisheries Protecting the breeders: research informs legislative change in a marine turtle fishery in Sea Turtle Research and Conservation (ed Illegal tortoiseshell harvest of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in Southeast Asia: evidence from Baturua Reef Impacts of fisheries bycatch on marine turtle populations worldwide: toward conservation and research priorities Small-scale fisheries bycatch jeopardizes endangered Pacific loggerhead turtles Incidental capture of leatherback sea turtles in fixed fishing gear off Atlantic Canada Disentanglement network data to characterize leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea bycatch in fixed gear fisheries coordinated conservation efforts required to avoid extinction of critically endangered Eastern Pacific leatherback turtles Quantifying the effects of fisheries on threatened species: the impact of pelagic longlines on loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles Global analysis of anthropogenic debris ingestion by sea turtles Understanding individual and population-level effects of plastic pollution on marine megafauna Disease risk analysis in sea turtles: a baseline study to inform conservation efforts Management strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on sea turtle’s terrestrial reproductive phase Climate change and marine turtles: recent advances and future directions Population viability of sea turtles in the context of global warming in The Biology of Sea Turtles (eds Wyneken Temperature‐dependent sex determination in sea turtles in the context of climate change: uncovering the adaptive significance Climate warming and sea turtle sex ratios across the globe Influence of incubation temperature on sea turtle hatchling quality Population viability at extreme sex-ratio skews produced by temperature-dependent sex determination and temperature-linked hatchling mortality at a globally important sea turtle nesting site Beach reprofiling to improve reproductive output at the world’s largest remaining green turtle rookery: Raine Island Assessing climate change associated sea-level rise impacts on sea turtle nesting beaches using drones Extreme thermal conditions in sea turtle nests jeopardize reproductive output Impact of marine heatwaves for sea turtle nest temperatures Marine heatwaves threaten key foraging grounds of sea turtles in Southeast Asian Seas Vulnerability of marine turtles to climate change Tropicalization of temperate ecosystems in North America: the northward range expansion of tropical organisms in response to warming winter temperatures Conservation interventions to reduce vessel strikes on sea turtles: a case study in Florida Characterizing watercraft-related mortality of sea turtles in Florida Shipping is on the rise: four steps to curb ‘ocean roadkill’ Coastal light pollution and marine turtles: assessing the magnitude of the problem Long-term changes in body size of green turtles nesting on Trindade Island An evaluation of nest predator impacts and the efficacy of plastic meshing on marine turtle nests on the western Cape York Peninsula Community engagement: an integral component of a multifaceted conservation approach for the transboundary western Pacific leatherback A half-century of demographic changes in a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) foraging aggregation during an era of seagrass decline How numbers of nesting sea turtles can be over-estimated by nearly a factor of two Inter-annual variability in breeding census data across species and regions Trophic status drives interannual variability in nesting numbers of marine turtles A pulse check for trends in sea turtle numbers across the globe New methods to derive sea turtle nester abundance from nest counts: ground truthing and the bias of current approaches First spatial distribution analysis of male sea turtles in the southern Gulf of Mexico Adult sex ratios of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in two Mediterranean foraging grounds Detecting elusive aspects of wildlife ecology using drones: new insights on the mating dynamics and operational sex ratios of sea turtles Evidence of adult male scarcity associated with female-skewed offspring sex ratios in sea turtles and computer simulation to evaluate conservation outcomes Drones for research on sea turtles and other marine vertebrates — a review and mark–recapture to estimate abundance of elusive species HotSpotter: using a computer-driven photo-ID application identify sea turtles Citizen-sourced sightings and underwater photography reveal novel insights about green sea turtle distribution and ecology in southern California warmer turtles: using drone-mounted thermal infrared sensors to monitor sea turtle nesting activity Seminoff, J. 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IUCN https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/11533/155057916 (2019) Tourism and marine crises: the impact of Sargassum invasion on Caribbean small island developing states An evaluation of the perceived effectiveness of international instruments for sea turtle conservation Loggerhead sea turtle abundance at an offshore foraging hotspot in the eastern Pacific Ocean: implications for at-sea conservation Translating marine animal tracking data into conservation policy and management Estimates of sea turtle nesting populations in the south-western Indian Ocean indicate the importance of the Chagos Archipelago A continual engagement framework to tackle wicked problems: curtailing loggerhead sea turtle fishing bycatch in Gulf of Ulloa When good intentions are not enough… Insights on networks of “paper park” marine protected areas A review of a decade of lessons from one of the world’s largest MPAs: conservation gains and key challenges Addressing tagging location bias to assess space use by marine animals Mexico proclaims total ban on harvest of turtles and eggs Exploring connections among the multiple outputs and outcomes emerging from 25 years of sea turtle conservation in Northern Cyprus Exploring drivers and deterrents of the illegal consumption and trade of marine turtle products in Cape Verde and implications for conservation planning Challenges in the impact evaluation of behaviour change interventions: the case of sea turtle meat and eggs in São Tomé Marine turtles of Brazil: the history and structure of Projeto TAMAR-IBAMA The impact of turtle excluder devices and fisheries closures on loggerhead and Kemp’s ridley strandings in the western Gulf of Mexico Decline in on-demand fishing gear costs with learning Rapid assessments of leatherback small-scale fishery bycatch in internesting areas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean Uptake of proven bycatch reduction fishing gear: perceived best practices and the role of affective change readiness Investigating the effectiveness of a well‐managed hatchery as a tool for hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) conservation The conservation of sea turtles: practices and problems Some of them came home: the Cayman Turtle Farm headstarting project for the green turtle Chelonia mydas First successful head‐start program of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in Thailand and proposed dietary strategy Shading and watering as a tool to mitigate the impacts of climate change in sea turtle nests Optimism for mitigation of climate warming impacts for sea turtles through nest shading and relocation Jeopardizing the environment with beach nourishment Ernest, R. G. et al. Changes in loggerhead sea turtle nesting behavior on a nourished beach in southeast Florida. J. Coast. Res. https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-23-00092.1 (2024) The thermal impacts of beach nourishment across a regionally important loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) rookery Aligning habitat use with management zoning to reduce vessel strike of sea turtles Evidence-based marine protected area planning for a highly mobile endangered marine vertebrate Measuring of the effects of a sea turtle conservation education program on children’s knowledge and attitudes in Grenada Talking turtles with tourists: evaluating the relative conservation impacts of different types of sea turtle education programs at Jekyll Island Satellite tracking sea turtles: opportunities and challenges to address key questions A dynamic ocean management tool to reduce bycatch and support sustainable fisheries Connecting international priorities with human wellbeing in low-income regions: lessons from hawksbill turtle conservation in El Salvador turtles helping people: understanding resident attitudes towards sea turtle conservation and opportunities for enhanced community participation in Bahia Magdalena female breeding periodicity helps mitigate offspring sex ratio skews in sea turtles Can a present-day thermal niche be preserved in a warming climate by a shift in phenology Adaptation of sea turtles to climate warming: will phenological responses be sufficient to counteract changes in reproductive output Going west: range expansion for loggerhead sea turtles in the Mediterranean Sea under climate change Environmental changes in the Mediterranean Sea could facilitate the western expansion of loggerhead turtles Download references is supported by the Bertarelli Programme in Marine Science (BPMS) Deakin Marine Research and Innovation Centre did conceptualization; all authors did original draft preparation The authors declare no competing interests Nature Reviews Biodiversity thanks Frank Paladino and the other reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Indian Ocean-South-East Asian Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding: https://www.cms.int/iosea-turtles/en Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles: http://www.iacseaturtle.org/ a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-024-00011-y Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science Conservationists are searching for more Swinhoe’s softshell turtles—only two are known to exist in the world researchers successfully detected the species in the wild and are now using this portable eDNA test to search for additional individuals Read more at Wildlife Conservation Society. teeth and skulls on platforms like Facebook Tasmanian devils and quolls among affected species One-third of birds in the nation are of conservation concern Sign up to stay up-to-date on wildlife science FILM AND TV STARS IGNITE SOCIAL MEDIA FUROR WITH TURTLE TOUCHING (HONOLULU) – Two actresses and their father/manager contacted the DLNR this afternoon to apologize for creating a social media outburst by posting one of the women touching a sea turtle The Instagram post by actress China McClain was taken down as of midday after garnering tens of thousands of likes and more than many of which pleaded for the video to be taken down and for them to apologize for potential cultural insensitivity “I was not fully aware of the situation until today The video was from two years ago when we visited Hawai‘i and I came across it in my phone and decided to post it.” McClain has more than seven million followers on Instagram China and Sierra McClain both say they are sorry as they didn’t understand the impact the video had and I understand the pain that comes with not having your culture respected Those are never lines that we cross intentionally so that part of this situation is hurting us right now “We have an immense amount of respect for the residents of Hawai’i and their intent to safeguard their land & their wildlife and we plan to take the necessary precautions in the future when traveling,” Sierra said State and federal agencies charged with protecting marine species like Hawaiian sea turtles became aware of the post on Monday The DLNR made multiple phone calls and sent e-mails to the McClain sisters record labels and production companies to ask that the post be taken down “We want people to know that China was not aware of the laws and we appreciate that people and the agencies reached out.” “All our family loves and respects Hawai‘i and we apologize for inadvertently causing this pain,” he added Touching turtles is not necessarily breaking the law unless law enforcement agencies determine that the actions are a “take.”  For example if a person’s actions in some way harm a turtle or alter a turtle’s behaviors there are a variety of state and/or federal laws that a person could be charged with “On its face their activity may not have been a violation of state or federal rules that protect endangered or threatened species like turtles but it certainly ignored wildlife viewing guidelines developed by NOAA As this was not directly witnessed or reported by someone it is difficult for state or federal conservation law enforcement agencies to establish intent the agencies have conducted extensive outreach on Hawai‘i wildlife viewing protocols DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources Administrator said “Although we understand it was probably not intentional this is not a pono way to interact with Hawaiian wildlife We encourage the sharing of positive behaviors on social media to inspire others to appreciate and protect our beautiful surroundings.” Learn how you can help protect Hawaiʻi marine wildlife through reporting: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/how-guide-reporting-potential-marine-wildlife-harassment-hawaii Email: Dlnr.comms@hawaii.gov Mary Dixon+1 (347) 840-1242mdixon@wcs.org Stephen Sautner T: +1 (718) 220-3682C: +1 (908) 247-2585 ssautner@wcs.org John DelaneyT: +1 (718) 220-3275 C: +1 (347) 675-2294 jdelaney@wcs.org Steve FairchildT: +1 (914) 263-8179sfairchild@wcs.org Nat MossT: +1 (718) 741-1897 C: +1 (917) 922-4670 nmoss@wcs.org Max PulsinelliT: +1 (718) 220-5182 C: + (571) 218-7601 mpulsinelli@wcs.org Scott Smith T: +1 (718) 220-3698 C: +1 (718) 220-3698 ssmith@wcs.org Jackie D'Agostino T: +1 (845) 661-9830 C: +1 (845) 661-9830 jdagostino@wcs.org Meghan Gabel+1 (617) 633-8660mgabel@wcs.org Chip WeiskottenT: +1 (202) 347-0672 x8172cweiskotten@wcs.org MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and influential networks building a more just MacArthur is placing a few big bets that truly significant progress is possible on some of the world’s most pressing social challenges and significantly increasing capital for the social sector In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program the Foundation continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsible and responsive democracy; the strength and vitality of our headquarters city Chicago; and generating new knowledge about critical issues the ultimate online destination for animal lovers and pet owners; the Animal Planet Go app that allows viewers to catch up on full episodes of their favorite shows anytime anywhere; Animal Planet L!VE the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock unfiltered access via live cameras around the globe in a variety of animal habitats; Animal Planet Social including Facebook Twitter and Instagram via @AnimalPlanet and on Snapchat as AnimalPlanetTV The Mission of ACE is to honor and appreciate a legacy of conservation through recognition of men and women who share their passion to conserve the great outdoors and have made extraordinary contributions to the sustainability of nature and wildlife The Award will recognize a conservationist’s long-term commitment to making our planet a better place and empower people in both local and international communities to advance wildlife conservation Founded in 2012, Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS) is a dedicated non-profit organization based in Denver committed to safeguarding the world’s most vulnerable species and ecosystems We leverage innovative technology and expertise to monitor and help preserve biodiversity across more than 200 locations globally Our mission is to build and deploy practical technology for the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems globally. At WPS we understand that the challenges facing wildlife and ecosystems are complex and require smart Our team works tirelessly to develop and deploy wpsWatch a monitoring tool featuring artificial intelligence workflow and integration tools to facilitate the protection of wildlife and their habitats and an EarthRanger implementation provider we help our field collaborators turn field information into actionable insights enabling them to make data-driven decisions to protect endangered species and their environments and drive innovation in the field of wildlife protection the only hope for the long-term survival of this species is finding additional Swinhoe’s softshell turtles to assist in breeding efforts Links to photos HERE. Link to Study HERE one of the two last known Swinhoe’s softshell turtles (Rafetus swinhoei) This photo was taken in May of 2022 in Dong Mo Lake 2025 – Scientists have developed and validated a, first-of-its-kind portable environmental DNA (eDNA) test to help detect the world’s rarest turtle the Swinhoe’s softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) which is teetering on the brink of extinction. Two of these turtles are currently known to exist one wild animal in Vietnam (sex unknown) and one captive male in China (over 100 years old) Additional Swinhoe’s softshell turtles need to be found in order to breed these turtles successfully in captivity and rescue this species This new test will help determine if others may still be living in unexplored and understudied lakes can also be adapted to inform field surveys or help find other elusive and threatened species EDNA testing was first initiated by the Asian Turtle Program of Indo-Myanmar Conservation (ATP-IMC) in 2013 In collaboration with a laboratory at Washington State University they obtained the first positive result for the Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei Softshell Turtle DNA in a water sample collected from Xuan Khanh Lake “Our early data showed the feasibility that eDNA testing could be used to detect this turtle species in its natural environment Although challenging in large lakes and bodies of water we did have some success with this technique; importantly this showed that eDNA could be a viable method in confirming additional Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtles in the wild at other locations with every individual important if this species is to survive.”  The breakthrough portable DNA test was developed through a multi-year collaborative effort started in 2016 by the WCS Zoological Health Program based at the Bronx Zoo, WCS Vietnam and the Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (CRES) in Vietnam The goal of the project was to develop a sensitive and specific portable eDNA water test to detect a known individual of Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle confirmed through a previous capture and regular photographing of the individual living in Dong Mo Lake a massive 3000 acre (1260 hectare) body of water located in the outskirts of Hanoi Turtles shed their DNA into the environment through urine, feces, and skin cells, but DNA can degrade over time and be diluted in such large water bodies, presenting challenges when detecting in environments with very few individuals. The partners, as noted in a newly published scientific paper in Environmental DNA explain how the new portable eDNA test kit was successfully applied to detect eDNA from the Swinhoe’s softshell turtle in a massive body of water which stands for quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and is a technology used for detecting DNA of targeted species eDNA methodology has been suggested to be one of the most cost-effective approaches to species detection for both enhancing and reducing the cost of traditional survey methods with traditional methodologies particularly challenging for very rare species most eDNA methods require transporting samples to specialized laboratories leading to long lag periods between sample collection and result reporting Head of Department of Natural Resources and Conservation -  CRES:  “The portable eDNA test has allowed conservationists to be trained in and carry out the qPCR testing in real-time on the ground This also bypasses the need to export the samples out of the region or country to specialized labs This project has also enhanced our in-country lab capacity to undertake additional testing that is needed to confirm results.”  with two known Swinhoe’s softshell turtles one (male) at the Suzhou Zoo in China and the other (sex unknown) in Xuan Khanh Lake the only hope for the long-term survival of this species is finding additional as yet undiscovered animals that have thus far eluded detection by traditional survey methods Teams are continuing to use this new test in additional lakes in Vietnam to hopefully find other Swinhoe’s softshell turtles.  Previous attempts with artificial insemination several years ago with a captive male and female at the Suzhou Zoo in China were unsuccessful Director of the WCS Zoological Health Program’s Molecular Laboratory and lead author of the paper said: “This project proved that we could use eDNA to detect an extremely rare species in a very large lake and demonstrates that portable eDNA testing can be applied as a conservation tool to help detect the rarest of the rare of species in a natural environment This is truly groundbreaking for conservation research.” Director of WCS Vietnam and a co-author of the Environmental DNA paper: “The goal of this study was to develop a test that conservationists can use to enhance our survey work by shortening the time needed to confirm the presence of a species at a site we learned from our study that pooling multiple samples together from one habitat before testing is a cost-effective strategy to enable detection over a much larger area while using fewer tests We plan to continue eDNA testing in our search for the Swinhoe’ Softshell Turtles in other unexplored and understudied lakes with the hope of finding more individuals which is to prevent the species from going extinct.” The authors emphasized in their report: “Using this test can expand the search for R swinhoei in unexplored and understudied lakes reservoirs and other bodies of water where this species may be present and could inform field surveys utilizing eDNA for other threatened species that are rare in nature.” Marine Corp Veteran Jimmy Maloney volunteered more than 622 hours at the Milwaukee VA’s hematology-oncology clinic Maloney’s passion for helping others coupled with a belief rooted in Native tradition staff – and just about anyone he meets – into his self-proclaimed “turtle power” club.  he is often seen distributing turtle charms and spreading his mantra for patient advocacy.  Maloney split his time between various construction jobs in Madison The West Virginia medical school – where his wife was a professor of pharmacology – hosted Native American pow wows.  It was at one of these pow wows that Maloney got the inspiration and symbolism for his turtle club He assisted an elder from the Seneca Nation with unloading his truck and asked about the significance of the turtle in Native traditions.  and they give good advice,’” Maloney said.  The turtle’s attributes resonated deeply with Jimmy he approached the dean of schools to propose adopting the turtle as the school’s mascot.  Though the request for a turtle mascot was ultimately denied it sparked the beginning of Jimmy’s personal mission to spread “turtle power” He bought bulk quantities of turtle keychain charms and distributed them to medical students on campus Each turtle charm Maloney presented was meant to be a reminder for the new doctors to be good listeners and to give good advice.  Maloney’s own health condition deteriorated and dialysis appointments at the Milwaukee VA became a regular thing in his life he matched for a kidney transplant and his health improved Eventually this second chance at life inspired him to give back by volunteering at the VA hospital.  the turtle power mission was introduced to this new setting.  Maloney started by giving turtle charms to doctors as a token of appreciation but soon he expanded his efforts by including fellow Veteran patients.  Jimmy made it a tradition to welcome new staff — particularly those in the oncology department— to his “Turtle Club.”  “You can’t work here until you see me first,” Jimmy joked referring to the turtle charm he gives to everyone who joins the team.  His lighthearted approach brings joy and camaraderie to the VA and his turtle charms can be seen adorning lanyards or shirt buttons throughout the facility.  a voluntary services assistant thinks that turtle power is an amazing concept and she is a turtle-charm carrying member of Maloney’s unofficial club.  “Jimmy’s volunteer support is monumental because he is a consistent and positive force every day,” Zamora said by just being friendly and letting everyone know that he loves them.” During a facility-wide hospital inspection Jimmy made sure that even the inspectors got their turtles “At first they were skeptical,” Maloney said once they learned the meaning behind the token turtle they quickly embraced the spirit of turtle power.”   Maloney’s unique blend of Marine seriousness adopted Native wisdom and genuine empathy makes him the perfect ambassador for patient advocacy at Milwaukee VA  Maloney explained his intentions for the recipient of a turtle charm “Hopefully it gives them the motivation to speak up advocate for themselves – especially in this age of medicine.”  Jimmy ensures that everyone who joins his Turtle Club feels like they’re part of something bigger – united by the strength of “turtle power.” His hope is that collectively members of the Turtle Club will embody the symbolic qualities of the turtle patience and protection to form a strong health care team.  “The care and support he (Maloney) shows is not put on,” Zamora said and I feel that echoes through the hospital; everyone’s mission here is greater than our own.”  the New England Aquarium partners with a number of organizations to rescue and rehabilitate hundreds of cold-stunned sea turtles with the goal of returning them to the wild several species of sea turtles (including green and Kemp’s ridley) enter Cape Cod Bay as they begin to inhabit coastal New England waters the Bay offers ideal foraging and temperatures for these turtles As fall approaches and water temperatures drop sea turtles will start their migration back to warmer waters Since turtles and other reptiles are ectothermic (cold-blooded) they rely on their surroundings to regulate their internal temperature When a turtle’s body temperature drops too low This condition occurs frequently on the bay side of Cape Cod when migrating sea turtles are not able to move out of our cold waters in the fall Sea turtles that use their innate navigation instincts will swim south to try to reach warmer waters not realizing they need to navigate around the geographical “hook” shape of Cape Cod Trapped in the cooling water of Cape Cod Bay these turtles become cold-stunned and wash up on the area’s beaches a turtle is found that also has damage from boat strikes the primary triage facility for cold-stunned turtles in New England the turtles are slowly warmed up to normal temperature around 75 °F Rescue biologists monitor each turtle’s swimming ability and activity level daily until they are comfortably navigating the recovery pools Once turtles are in the recovery pools for at least 24 hours we start offering small amounts of food to help them combat weight loss and regain strength Food is also used to hide medications that would otherwise possibly require injections our Animal Care staff creates individualized treatment plans consisting of fluid therapy and antibiotics such as surgery or additional imaging like CT scans the goal is to successfully rehabilitate and release these turtles back into warm waters Every turtle that is rescued and released has the potential to reproduce and make a positive impact on its population and sea turtles are crucial to the health of the ocean See more about the Sea Turtle Hospital in the following news outlets: Senator Cornyn Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) reintroduced their bipartisan and bicameral Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act, legislation to establish funding at the Department of Commerce for the rescue, recovery and research of sea turtles in Texas and across the United States. Text of the bill can be found, here. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Cory Booker (D-NJ, and Tom Tillis (R-NC). In January, Representative Bill Keating (MA-09) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.  An error occurred, please check your information and try again. I’ll take the day shift. The Kemp’s ridley is the only sea turtle that nests primarily during the day. Find out why! (NPS Photo) What’s in a name? The green sea turtle is brown, not green! So why was it named the "green" sea turtle? (NPS Photo) The turtle with the iron stomach. What does a hawksbill eat? (NPS Photo) Throw your weight around. A leatherback can get how big?!? (Caroline Rogers Photo) What a big head you have! A loggerhead is named after what?!? (NPS Photo) It is essential that you report these observations immediately so that biologists can arrive as quickly as possible to protect the turtles and eggs. Also, please report the nesting turtle as soon as you see her, so that biologists can try to get to the site to examine her before she re-enters the sea. Protect the nesting turtle and hatchlings from passing traffic. Hatchlings and nesting turtles can be difficult to see. If necessary, ask motorists to take another route to avoid damage to the turtles or nests. After the nesting turtle has started to lay the eggs or when she is returning to the water, photograph or video her and examine her for tags. Photograph or video the hatchlings as they are emerging from the nest or crawling towards the water. Mark where the turtle nested or where the hatchlings emerged from. Make sure that the turtles safely enter the water, but do not place them in the water or touch them. If possible, stay at the site until a park representative arrives. Your assistance is greatly appreciated and could make all the difference in protecting these threatened and endangered turtles! The Surprising Importance of This Adorable Sea Turtle Dance Sea turtles are capable of creating GPS-like magnetic maps to guide them back to foraging grounds and they do a little dance when they recognize those spots By Jack Tamisiea edited by Andrea Thompson & Sarah Lewin Frasier a tasty squid might as well be a disco ball When they sense food—or even think some might be nearby—these reptiles break into an excited dance open their mouth and flap their front flippers in a swim stroke that resembles a doggy paddle Researchers recently used this distinctive behavior to test whether loggerheads could identify the specific magnetic field signatures of places where they had eaten in the past. The results, published in Nature reveal that these rambunctious reptiles dance when they encounter magnetic conditions they associate with food According to the study’s lead author Texas A&M University marine biologist Kayla M the findings show that loggerhead sea turtles can learn locations’ magnetic signatures This information helps them create a magnetic map akin to a GPS If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today Loggerheads and other sea turtles are renowned for their far-ranging migrations in which they travel thousands of miles without losing track of where they started Many sea turtles come back to specific foraging grounds year after year and females often return to lay their own eggs at the same beaches where they hatched Scientists have known for decades that sea turtles use Earth’s magnetic field to orient themselves as if they have a built-in magnetic compass But accurately navigating back to a specific location requires knowing not just the direction in which they are traveling but also the precise coordinates they are heading to Some scientists have theorized that sea turtles can learn specific magnetic coordinates of foraging grounds and nesting beaches perhaps sensing factors such as magnetic field intensity To put that idea to the test, Goforth and her colleagues collected several loggerhead hatchlings on an island off North Carolina (The turtles were returned to the wild the following summer.) In the laboratory the turtles were placed in buckets that were hooked up to a magnetic coil system; running an electric current through the system created a magnetic field in the bucket The scientists calibrated these fields to replicate the magnetic conditions of various locales along the Eastern Seaboard such as spots in the Gulf of Mexico or along the coast of Maine A loggerhead sea turtle "dancing" in response to the magnetic signature of a spot it associates with food Each juvenile loggerhead was exposed to two distinct magnetic fields the turtles spent equal amounts of time in each field—but got food in only one of them during experimental trials over several consecutive days the team re-created the two magnetic fields but did not feed the turtles Goforth says they just “get really excited in any situation when you’re giving them food like that.”) The researchers tested the loggerheads again after several months without reexposing them to the two magnetic fields to determine whether the turtles retained these coordinates over a longer period The animals still danced when they encountered the magnetic conditions associated with food these turtles can probably remember magnetic coordinates for several years or even decades they retain feeding information from when they are hatchlings to adults which is a 20-year time span,” she says who studies sea turtles at Florida Atlantic University and was not involved in the new research says the ability to learn geomagnetic coordinates emphasizes how crucial food sources are for growing sea turtles “It’s very important for young sea turtles to outgrow [the size of] predator mouths as quickly as possible,” she says The turtles “need to efficiently locate food to sustain their development and increase their chances of survival.” Goforth and her colleagues also wanted to determine whether the sea turtles’ magnetic mapping capabilities were linked to their internal magnetic compass The researchers ran similar experiments but added radio-frequency waves which disrupted the animals’ ability to orient themselves via magnetic fields They discovered that the turtles could still recognize specific magnetic coordinates The findings suggest sea turtles possess two distinct senses for detecting magnetic fields—one for sensing direction and one for other magnetic features Past work has indicated some songbirds and newts also possess dual magnetoreception systems Because birds and amphibians are only distantly related to sea turtles Goforth and her colleagues think magnetic compasses and maps might be a common feature in the vertebrate travel toolbox Jack Tamisiea is a science journalist based in Washington, D.C., who covers natural history and the environment. Follow Tamisiea on Twitter @jack_tamisiea Subscribe to Scientific American to learn and share the most exciting discoveries innovations and ideas shaping our world today Scientific American is part of Springer Nature which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at www.springernature.com/us) Scientific American maintains a strict policy of editorial independence in reporting developments in science to our readers When they sense food—or even think some might be nearby—these reptiles break into an excited dance A loggerhead sea turtle \\"dancing\\" in response to the magnetic signature of a spot it associates with food Jack Tamisiea is a science journalist based in Washington, D.C., who covers natural history and the environment. Follow Tamisiea on Twitter @jack_tamisiea Sarah Lewin Frasier is Scientific American's senior news editor assigns and edits the Advances section of the monthly magazine Before joining Scientific American in 2019 she chronicled humanity's journey to the stars as associate editor at Space.com she was a print intern at Scientific American.) Frasier holds an A.B in mathematics from Brown University and an M.A in journalism from New York University's Science Health and Environmental Reporting Program She enjoys musical theater and mathematical paper craft Magnetic maps help turtles find where to eat Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here A loggerhead sea turtle hatchling emerges from the egg cover the nest with sand and then return to the ocean leaving them to develop and hatch on their own From nest predators to rising temperatures are more likely to survive because they spend less time on risky beach sands Research shows that both air and sand temperatures crucially impact sea turtle hatchlings while warmer temperatures accelerate hatching and offer predator protection For endangered loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles cooler and moister conditions result in stronger hatchlings rising temperatures might shorten incubation periods Balancing temperature and moisture is vital for the health of these vulnerable sea turtles Too much moisture can be deadly for embryos An internationally collaborative study by Florida Atlantic University and led by the University of Tübingen in Germany delves into how fluctuating rainfall impacts the development of sea turtle hatchlings revealing that it has a more profound effect than changes in air temperature which spans data from 37 beaches worldwide – a longitudinal study in Florida and experimental studies on the Cape Verde Islands – shows that precipitation plays a crucial role in determining hatchling body size Rainfall cools the beach surface and enhances the moisture needed for egg development making it a better predictor of body size than temperature Results of the study, published in BMC Ecology and Evolution reveal that the impact of rainfall varies between species heavier rainfall results in hatchlings with smaller carapaces (shell) but greater weight while green turtle hatchlings grow smaller carapaces without a change in body mass “Findings from our study highlight the need for more localized data on how regional weather influences incubation and hatchling development,” said Jeanette Wyneken, Ph.D., co-author and professor, Department of Biological Sciences, FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science “These data are essential for refining conservation strategies to protect sea turtles amidst global warming.” The study started with data from Boca Raton data were collected from 19 beaches with loggerhead hatchlings and 17 beaches with green turtle hatchlings A third part of the study looked at hatchlings in Cabo Verde after a few days of rain during their dry season to see how precipitation affected their size particularly on the beaches of Cyprus and Turkey the dry season brings very little rain from the North Atlantic the effects of precipitation become noticeable only after the dry season ends precipitation levels stay fairly consistent throughout the nesting season due to local weather patterns though droughts and heatwaves typically occur in July and October “It's not clear exactly how rain affects hatchling size,” said Wyneken which can change the temperature and impact the sex ratio of the hatchlings This could lead to differences in hatchling size and shape similar to how male and female hatchlings of other turtles As climate change shifts rainfall patterns – making wet areas wetter and dry areas drier – the impact on sea turtle nesting sites suggests that global conservation strategies for loggerhead and green sea turtles likely need to be updated “Effective management units for conservation should focus on regularly updating and including important nesting sites highlighting the importance of local conservation efforts,” said Wyneken “Analyzing local data from various nesting sites is crucial for understanding sea turtle nesting patterns These local databases should be made more accessible and widely shared to improve our knowledge and support local conservation efforts.” Study co-authors are first author Omar Rafael Regalado Fernández The Humboldt University of Berlin; and Ingmar Werneburg The research is supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft WE 5440/6-1) Tags: science | faculty and staff | research You've heard of someone having ants in their pants, but what about a turtle? Well, a Pennsylvania man is accused of hiding a live turtle in the crotch area of his pants and trying to sneak it past Transportation Security Administration officers in New Jersey The man, who was not identified by name, tried to sneak the animal past security on Friday, March 7,  at Newark Liberty International Airport, according to a TSA press release and it was determined that he was concealing something in his groin area The man pulled a turtle wrapped in a blue towel out of his pants when asked if there was something hidden in them Port Authority Police questioned the man and confiscated the turtle The man accused of attempting to smuggle the turtle missed his flight and was escorted out of the security checkpoint by police Police did not say where the man was planning to travel What does TSA do? How the agency keeps travel in the US safe What kind of turtle was allegedly in his pants?The man told officials that the turtle was a red-ear slider turtle and officials estimated it to be 5 inches long The turtle is "probably the most popular pet aquatic turtle," according to the Veterinary Centers of America (VCA) Animal Hospitals' website The turtles are native to the southern United States and are found living in the following areas in the wild the turtles are an invasive species in other countries Their popularity as a pet has made it easy for them to invade every continent except Antarctica Its introduction to a region is usually due to people releasing their pet turtles into the wild the turtles grow into large adults with complex needs which pet owners may fail to foresee release into the wild," stated the center on its website The turtle can then wreak havoc on an ecosystem by spreading diseases to native wildlife While this story might be a little unhinged it isn't unheard of for TSA to find people accused of trying to bring stowaway animals onto flights In February, TSA in California found 37 giant beetles concealed inside packages of Japanese snacks The beetles were around 4 to 5 inches long At Miami International Airport, TSA officers found two snakes inside of an ironically camouflage-patterned pouch, according to a post it made on Instagram. The scaly discovery made the TSA's list of Top 10 Best Catches of 2024 video "There’s nothing ssssssensational about choosing to hide danger noodles in the pants you’re wearing," TSA wrote in its post This story has been updated to correct a spelling Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund; USA TODAY Max Augugliaro is the public safety and government watchdog reporter at the Pocono Record. Reach him atMAugugliaro@gannett.com Will Harlan, (828) 230-6818, [email protected] Lawsuit Aims to Protect North America’s Tiniest Turtle in Southern Appalachia Suit Also Seeks Decision for Critically Endangered Southern Fish ASHEVILLE, N.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service today for delaying critically needed Endangered Species Act protections for the southern bog turtle and roughhead shiner Bog turtles are North America’s smallest turtles measuring about the length of a human thumb They’re also one of the world’s most imperiled turtles: Their southern population has declined by 50% since 2000 The agency was required to decide more than a year ago whether to officially list the turtles “These tiny turtles are on the brink of extinction and they need federal protection now,” said Will Harlan “They’ve spent 20 million years in the Appalachian Mountains but we could lose them in our lifetime if the Fish and Wildlife Service doesn’t act soon.” Bog turtles live in mountain wetlands that are being drained for development Only 500 acres of mountain bog habitat remain across the turtles’ entire southern range and many of the bog turtles’ remaining wetlands have recently lost federal and state protections Only 14 viable sites are left across the turtles’ range in Virginia Today’s lawsuit also challenges the Service’s delay in issuing a decision for the roughhead shiner an olive minnow named for the bumps on its head They’re found only in the upper James River watershed in western Virginia where they’re being displaced by an invasive fish A decision on whether to list the shiner was due on March 21 “Time is running out for both roughhead shiners and bog turtles and the many threats they face are only getting worse,” said Harlan “They can’t wait any longer for urgently needed protections.” The southeastern United States is a global hotspot of diversity for fish More than 40% of the country’s fish and turtles are at risk of extinction primarily because of habitat loss and development The Center for Biological Diversity is a national nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places More Press Releases With the help of a diverse group of partners and volunteers a juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle found stranded in the Netherlands is returning to her home waters in the Gulf of Mexico in early November The sea turtle was first found thousands of miles from home in October 2023 when a group of commercial fishermen discovered her entangled in their nets off the southwestern coast of the Netherlands was transported to the Rotterdam Zoo for medical treatment for minor injuries.  Over the last year, the Zoo oversaw her rehabilitation while staff from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordinated the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) import permits that she needs to come home After journeying across the Atlantic in late October veterinary staff with the Houston Zoo will be evaluating and clearing her for release and the Texas A&M University at Galveston’s Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research will be attaching a tracking device to monitor her future movements.  With the help of Rotterdam Zoo curator Mark de Boer Boeier will be diving back into her native waters from a Galveston beach lined with supporters including members of the public and the organizations that helped arrange her long journey home rehabilitated and deemed healthy enough to release so that she can rejoin the reproductive population and potentially contribute to the recovery of the species,” said Mary Kay Skoruppa the Service’s Sea Turtle Coordinator for Texas “An added benefit is the opportunity to increase the Service’s and NOAA Fisheries’ knowledge about survival and movements of juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtles that strand in areas far outside of their normal migration routes.” Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are the smallest and one of the most endangered species of sea turtles in the world Primarily found in the Gulf of Mexico and in coastal waters of the Atlantic along eastern North America the juvenile turtles are occasionally carried across the Atlantic by the powerful Gulf Stream While Boeier’s journey is a little unusual she isn’t the only sub-tropical sea turtle or even the only Kemp’s ridley to be found stranded in European waters last year.  This increase in Kemp’s ridley sea turtle strandings isn’t just an issue across the pond researchers have found an increasing number of cold-stunned sea turtles in New England where they are seasonal residents in summer and early fall instead of migrating south for the winter the juveniles are becoming trapped within the bay in waters that are too cold for them.   According to Fish and Wildlife Biologist Cynthia Rubio with the Service’s Texas Coastal and Central Plains Ecological Services Field Office Boeier may be an example of what can happen when the juveniles end up too far from home “I would bet that Boeier is probably one of those juveniles that was trapped there and drifted across the Atlantic.” the annual average of Massachusetts cold-stunned turtles in the last 5 years is 739 compared to 20 years ago when it was only 139 One reason for this increase is that the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than most other bodies of water in the world These warm waters likely result in more sea turtles moving into the area more sea turtles need to be transported to rehabilitation facilities nationwide These rescue efforts and eventual releases involve significant coordination and collaboration among hundreds of staff and volunteers from various organizations “In addition to working with a great group of international partners dedicated to recovering sea turtles turtles like Boeier help to educate and spread the word about what everyone in the public can do to help these imperiled species.” Cold-stunning is just one threat sea turtles like Boeier face Entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris also pose significant dangers everyone can take simple actions like proper waste disposal Anyone who encounters a sick, injured, stranded, or deceased sea turtle should report it immediately to a local stranding network These organizations have trained professionals who can respond promptly and take appropriate action to help the animal.   Sea Animal Rescue Team Foundation (Netherlands) The Friends of Rotterdam Zoo (Vrienden van Blijdorp) Texas A&M University at Galveston’s Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research Customs and Border Protection,  Padre Island National Seashore and the Texas Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Image Details Unraveling the Mysteries of the Alligator Snapping Turtle: Innovations in ConservationCutting-edge research and technology guides scientists to protect and understand these ancient creatures ensuring their survival in a changing world.Nov 14 undisclosed corners of the American wilderness a Mississippi biologist and other researchers trapped and released hundreds of hulking dino-like alligator snapping turtles in the spring and summer of 2024 Fish and Wildlife Biologist Luke Pearson, the turtle expert studying this species, works at the Mississippi Ecological Services Field Office in Jackson Pearson’s inspiration to become a champion for turtles came from above.  Image Details“I actually had a hawk drop a box turtle into our backyard when I was little,” said Pearson and we literally watched it fall into the backyard “That kind of stuck with me,” said Pearson.  The surveys in 2024 were part of an ongoing effort to understand more about its population size and health. When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service first proposed to list the species as threatened in 2021 the agency relied on expert opinion to form its models “That is kind of the point of the surveys here in Mississippi and elsewhere,” said Pearson. “After going through the species status assessment after going through the expert elicitation these are the things we know near nothing about Pearson started studying alligator snapping turtle populations as a part of his Ph.D Having identified several populations of these turtles in the state the agency hired him to continue his work.  Under his charge, he and grad students from the University of Southern Mississippi have been going to these populations in Mississippi to do “mark and recapture” studies They continue surveys in these areas comparing the marked ones to the unmarked ones so they can estimate the population’s size.  Image DetailsThe other agencies involved in this program are the United States Geological Survey and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.  This is challenging work because the species spends most of its time under water and they can weigh hundreds of pounds.  Pearson said he has been the lead on this program but plans on handing over more responsibility to the incoming grad students stood out with some innovative ideas to help study the creature One idea that earned him a runner-up award at the Turtle Survival Alliance International Conference involved using game cameras to study populations.  they pointed the game cameras at the water and set it to take pictures every 60 seconds for around five days By counting how many times an alligator snapping turtle came up for air they were able to use that data to create a model to estimate the population size.  Image DetailsThe result was a near match to the mark and recapture estimates.  This kind of innovation drives scientists closer to answering the questions the conservation community has about the species One question is the impact of fishing hooks on the species scientists brought some special equipment with them: metal detectors and a portable X-ray machine “We were getting hits for hooks in throats,” said Pearson.  This information is important because the primary threat to the species comes from bycatch on fishing equipment Pearson said people know that these turtles drown on trot and limb lines but less is known about what happens with hook swallowing Image Details“Some people get to their lines before the turtle drowns but it's an alligator snapping turtle,” said Pearson “You're not reaching your hand into its mouth to get a hook out Looking inside the alligator snapping turtle will tell scientists more about the fishing hook threat They will learn how many turtles are being affected and what types of hooks they are swallowing the most “Maybe the hooks that we are seeing inside the turtles are all J hooks and not circle hooks,” said Pearson “Maybe they are all circle hooks and not J hooks.”  This data will help state and federal agencies and potentially even fishing gear manufacturers develop regulations to help the species The alligator snapping turtle suffered from overharvesting in the 1960s and 1970s throughout a turtle soup fad Pearson said this species is misunderstood – a noble reason for all this hard work and innovation.  “A lot of people think that these turtles aren’t good for anything “They think that they eat all their game fish and they're big and mean and want to bite everybody Pearson said they are more evolved than their cousins and they are the largest freshwater turtle in the United States They are the only species that use their tongue as a lure to catch prey.  “They’re really cool,” said Pearson.  Image DetailsAuthor’s note: This story omits specific locations to safeguard vulnerable alligator snapping turtle populations from poaching This photo provided by the Oceanic Society shows a young green sea turtle in Guyana in 2007 This photo provided by the Oceanic Society shows a loggerhead turtle underwater in Belize in 2021 This photo provided by the Oceanic Society shows a leatherback sea turtle on a beach in Trinidad in 2007 This photo provided by the Oceanic Society shows a leatherback turtle in Trinidad in 2007 This photo provided by the Oceanic Society shows a hawksbill turtle underwater in Indonesia in 2019 This photo provided by the Oceanic Society shows a young olive Ridley turtle in Costa Rica in 2018 This photo provided by the Oceanic Society shows olive Ridley turtles nesting in La Escobilla (Ashleigh Bandimere/Oceanic Society via AP) This photo provided by the Oceanic Society shows a young leatherback turtle in Trinidad in 2019 This photo provided by the Oceanic Soceity shows a loggerhead turtle underwater in Belize in 2021 “Many of the turtle populations have come back though some haven’t,” said Duke ecologist Stuart Pimm the sea turtle story is one of the real conservation success stories.” Sea turtle populations in the Atlantic Ocean are more likely to be recovering than those in Pacific waters And leatherback turtles are not faring as well as other species leatherbacks are considered vulnerable to extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature All seven of the regions where leatherbacks are found face high environmental risks a wildlife ecologist at Ecolibrium in Colorado Leatherback turtles are famous for making the longest known marine migrations of any animal – with some individuals swimming as many as 3,700 miles (5,955 kilometers) each way That feat moves them through a wide swath of regions and may expose them to unique risks green turtles are still considered endangered globally but their populations show signs of recovery in many regions of the world “By ending commercial harvests and allowing them time to rebound their populations are now doing really well” in coastal waters off many regions of Mexico and the U.S. said co-author Michelle María Early Capistrán a Stanford University researcher who has conducted fieldwork in both countries and Mexico banned all captures of sea turtles in 1990 But it took a few decades for the results of these actions – alongside efforts to protect nesting beaches and reduce accidental bycatch in fishing – to show up in population trends the problem of sea turtles dying after accidentally becoming entangled in fishing gear remains a major threat New technologies are being developed to spare turtles but they must be accepted and used regularly by diverse fishing communities to be effective The survey was published in the journal Endangered Species Research and is the first update in more than a decade The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content In north-central New Jersey, Maurice Rodrigues has a sizable backyard and it's filled with enclosures and tanks he's built Rodrigues walks over to an outdoor pen filled with shrubs and plants each with a dark shell splashed with bright yellow or orange "I would put this species up against any other turtle species on the planet in terms of beauty," says Rodrigues This pen contains 98 box turtles that were among those confiscated at the LAX airport last year "They were headed out to the pet trade in Asia," says Rodrigues Fish and Wildlife Service found these turtles stuffed into multiple suitcases each one had been duct taped shut and placed in a sock "Smuggling trade is just a cruel thing for the animals with the stress and everything This is where Rodrigues enters the picture. He's co-founder of the Turtle Conservancy a group that cares for illegally trafficked turtles once they're confiscated The team nurses them back to health with the hope of returning them to the wild DNA technology has become good enough and cheap enough that Rodrigues and his colleagues can use the genetics of certain species to pinpoint an individual's rough origins Rodrigues points to eight wood turtles in a temporary tub. They've been matched to a population living in Pennsylvania and the state has agreed to release them into the wild. Another release recently occurred in New Jersey turtles come from a part of the world in turmoil or without sufficient law enforcement so repatriation isn't feasible since they'll just be poached again the Turtle Conservancy houses 32 turtles from outside the U.S. One of Rodrigues' favorites comes from Myanmar — a big green Burmese roofed turtle with a distinctive upturned nose and what looks like a perpetual smile This is the only animal that Rodrigues has named "Her name is Ruby because Myanmar is known for its ruby trade," he says "It's like the most precious gem that they have and she's my most precious gem here at my house." Rodrigues has plans to build a special greenhouse for her "I want to build it big enough where I can go snorkel with her," he says "Just go swimming whenever I want with her." can attest to the fact that he's a turtle softie the two of them have fed sick turtles with chopsticks "Do you know he hauls all the leaves from my neighborhood so that he can pile the leaves in the turtle pen?" she says warm blanket over them during the winter," he says this exposure to the seasons is necessary for breeding "Give them that cool period where they go a little dormant that's when they get active in the breeding season." Rodrigues says breeding is "important if a turtle is becoming extinct or there's a problem in the habitat You need to be able to set up an insurance colony." Rodrigues holds up a saw-shelled turtle from Australia It's probably gonna be in the next few weeks she'll want to lay those eggs." "We're going to raise those babies up until they're strong enough where a bird can't get them," he says He admires the mother turtle for a moment longer before he lowers her back into the water She slips away to create a new batch of little turtles — babies that Rodrigues will shower with the affection that all the turtles here have come to flourish on It was a balmy summer day when my life changed fresh from a trip to New Jersey’s Korean Woori Market the knowledge of tasty stir fry in my future But that’s when I saw the warning on the back of the Turtle Chips package: Consuming this product can expose you to chemicals including Acrylamide which is known to the state of California to cause cancer How many times have I eaten this snack and never noticed I first discovered it in my friends’ suite watching them all pop perfectly bite-sized pieces in their mouths and then twist their faces trying to decide whether they liked it or not I loved how strong the sweet corn flavor was how perfectly the layered structure of the chip crunched between my teeth The snack was my break from a childhood of intensely American snacks—greasy potato chips goldfish that implanted itself in the grooves of my molars I had finally found a snack that satisfied me and I thought Sweet Corn Turtle Chips and I would live in harmony forever Not only had I already bought the bag when I found the cancer warning label so I resolved myself to uncomfortably eat the rest just so someone would craved how they folded under the press of my tongue and wondered what it would be like to walk the few blocks from campus to H Mart and find them again I told myself I would buy one last bag of Sweet Corn Turtle Chips and do a simultaneous snack review and farewell letter I could savor every bite and then try to let the Sweet Corn Turtle Chips go out into the world without me.  and white are the primary colors of the design though corn yellow makes her appearance through photos of the chip on the bag anthropomorphic turtle takes up much of the bag with a tear gently falling from its left eye as if it’s wonderstruck by the beauty of the turtle chip Just next to it is a larger-than-life photo of the chip itself with an arrow pointing to it to highlight its “4 layered super crispy structure.” The shape of the chip is akin to a turtle shell but it’s more like four very thin turtle shells stacked on top of each other My favorite part of the bag is at the bottom where they write in a newspaper style about corn soup but it eventually just devolves into them saying “corn soup” over and over again It’s akin to opening a can of creamed corn to make soup or cornbread (for those who have done so) The chips are scraggly looking and aren’t all identical you can choose to either bite it (the boring way) or crush it against the roof of your mouth (the fun but unsustainable way) Sweet corn flavor will flood your mouth and linger before eventually fading into a slightly sweet that question is a bit hard for me to answer On the basis of the snack experience alone they are the ultimate corn-y snack because they carry the flavor so distinctly For people who hate corn or are ambivalent and then find yourself eating a few handfuls more.  The student lifestyle requires being sedentary for much of the day to attend classes and complete coursework and prolonged periods of sitting are known to increase the risk of cancer What’s a few bags of Sweet Corn Turtle Chips in the long run but I won’t judge anyone who chooses not to.  I also end my relationship with Sweet Corn Turtle Chips Maybe the divorce will be long and arduous Maybe we’ll be in a toxic relationship for years to come I fear I may never replace the hole that Sweet Corn Turtle Chips will forever leave in my heart What matters is that our paths intersected at all and Sweet Corn Turtle Chips will go one cancerous way @Kyle Acrylamide is created by heating potatoes (among other foods) It’s nice of them to add the warning It’s a naturally occurring compound found in many foods but completely avoiding foods with it is unnecessary @Anonymous So acrylamide is a naturally occurring compound that is created in the cooking process It’s nice of them to add that warning but I wouldn’t be too concerned about it Yes it is suggested consuming too much acrylamide can contribute to cancer When potatoes are cooked to a certain temperature Chips and fries have the most acrylamide due to being the highest heated whereas baked and boiled potatoes are generally safer I would be more worried about artificial flavorings and dyes personally @lina im high eating a bag of turtle chips and this was a funny and very entertaining post to read i have a massive bag of the churro flavored ones @Anonymous just discovered the pleasures of the turtle chips. looked them up bc i never heard of them stumbled upon your article thanks for ruining the chips for me while also potentially saving my health. I’m sure they don’t contain any more acrylamide than French fries or American potato chips The only difference is they warn the consumers @Turtlina There is no known link between dietary consumption of acrylamide and cancer if you guve a very high concentration to rats they are more likely to develop cancer which is why it is not banned in countries with better health regulations than the US I am currently eating the chocolate churro ones What Should Acting President Claire Shipman's Nickname Be View Results Sea turtles can survive being struck by a boat propeller — but as they heal from the trauma bulging from air building up within their bodies That throws the animals' buoyancy off-kilter when they swim leading to "positive buoyancy syndrome," a condition known more colorfully as "bubble butt syndrome." Bubble butt can leave turtles struggling to swim normally — or unable to submerge at all rescued turtles that suffer from it are routinely deemed unable to be released back into the ocean But a "bubble butt" male turtle named Charlotte is now swimming more smoothly at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut and Charlotte found himself swimming more freely a sales engineer at 3D printing company Formlabs is to develop a template for harnesses that could help other turtles Charlotte was taken in for care in Jekyll Island He then passed from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to the Mystic Aquarium A male green sea turtle was given the name Bubble Butt at The Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys shortly after he arrived there in 1989 His dramatically deformed shell constantly pushed his rear end toward the water's surface it can damage the spinal cord and interfere with the gastrointestinal tract's function the animal's floating from the gas that's in the intestines," Bette Zirkelbach "We believe it's a neurological issue that causes ileus of the intestines which means basically that it just cannot push all the gas out but if you look at the shape of the shell and then do a radiograph you're going to see that gas and the intestines is filling up that space." The buoyancy makes it hard for the turtles to reach their food sources on the ocean floor It also makes them more prone to further boat strikes and predator attacks efforts were under way to use 3D printing to help turtles like him With harnesses like the one Charlotte now has The drive to give Charlotte a harness took around five years Formlabs worked on the project along with another 3D printing firm "New Balance provided a lot of software expertise and design work," Pestana says A 3D scan of Charlotte's shell gave engineers an early sense of the shape they would need to create But it was harder to land on a design and material that would help the sea turtle "The harness is basically made up of five or six pieces that will sort of tie in to make sure the fit is kind of equal on all sides," Pestana says One promising prototype broke when workers dropped it highlighting the need for a material that was stiff but not too brittle while also being comfortable for Charlotte the team found that adding carbon fiber to plastic powder gave the harness the durability and flexibility they were seeking other aquariums have asked for help with their bubble butt turtles Pestana says the team is looking for volunteers with CAD experience to translate Charlotte's bespoke harness into a design that can adjust to different measurements The Turtle Hospital currently has around 15 turtles that are non-releasable due to bubble butt syndrome The facility uses them to donate blood to save other turtles — and to help educate the public in hopes of lowering what she says is a rising number of boat strikes "It's important to have a spotter on the front of your boat somebody in polarized sunglasses that can see in the water," Zirkelbach says She also says boaters should obey speed restrictions dolphins and manatees "really have nowhere to get away from the boats — they can't dive down." Paul and Upper Midwest Food Magazine // Feasting on the Bounty of the Upper Midwest Indigenous cuisine restaurant Owamni hasn’t been afraid to tweak their James Beard award-winning formula and last winter’s 13-course Waníyetu tasting menu (covered in the January 19 2024 edition of the Tap).  Owamni’s latest venture is the Turtle Island Dinner Series an eight-course tasting menu the Heavy Table was invited to experience free of charge on opening night The manoomin-themed menu features some form of wild rice which is spiritually and culturally important to the Ojibwe people In keeping with Owamni’s approach to decolonized Indigenous cuisine all ingredients are indigenous to North America—in addition to wild rice A cup of evergreen wild rice tea awaited us at our table when we arrived alongside a bowl of crisps paired with duck remoulade and the wild rice left a lingering impression of sweetness The crisps included pieces of fried duck skin; airy wholesome-tasting wild rice crackers; generously salted sweet potato chips that put the mass-produced versions to shame; and my favorite fried perch skin that reminded me of sitting lakeside on an August evening Each type of crisp was enhanced by the duck remoulade’s creaminess and gentle touch of heat.  A luscious wild rice and carrot custard was garnished with a coil of thinly-sliced raw carrot that made for a lovely visual but was impossible to eat The carrot was too tough to cut with my table knife and too large to fit in my mouth in one go—ultimately I gave up and just ate the custard.  Likewise the nigiri-inspired presentation of huckleberry cured salmon atop a wild rice dumpling (above) looked beautiful The menu found its footing again with the scallop with a dollop of trout roe that added little pops of saltiness But the black bean puree on the side stole the show and eye-catching wild rice tuile garnish.   The beauty of the menu’s elk and venison tartare was in the details: the tenderness of the thin-sliced venison steak the vibrancy of the berry sauce.  The dish was garnished with perfectly ripened berries (no mean feat in the depths of winter) and the branch-like wild rice cracker garnish lent a touch of whimsy The highlight of the menu was the evergreen duck a dramatic presentation of pieces of meat threaded shish kebab-style onto a foraged juniper branch and accompanied by a slice of duck sausage Everything about this dish felt like a celebration from the luxurious fattiness and herbal flavors of the duck to the sweetness of the treacle to the beautifully stacked rounds of sweet potatoes.       Dinner finished on a high note with a chocolate wild rice pudding topped with a toasted maple marshmallow and maple duck fat caramel better to let the nuttiness of the wild rice and the slight bitterness of the chocolate shine through The sweetness of the marshmallow pulled the dish into dessert territory and the duck fat caramel lent a slightly savory undertone This wasn’t just a great refined sugar and dairy-free dessert—it was a great dessert The question with an upscale experience like this is whether or not it’s worth it.  Tickets for the Turtle Island Dinner Series are $150 per person plus tax and tip—in line with tasting menu experiences at other Twin Cities restaurants but definitely a significant splurge for most of us Something to keep in mind when considering the cost is that what you’re getting at Owamni is more than a fancy meal.  You’re supporting a restaurant that centers the Indigenous perspective, prioritizes purchasing ingredients from Indigenous producers, and is owned and operated by the non-profit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems which works to make Indigenous food more accessible book a ticket—you’re in for a delicious meal Owamni’s Turtle Island Dinner Series is offered Thursday evenings through March 27 Tickets for the eight-course meal are $150 per person and beverage pairings (n/a option offered) are available for purchase upon arrival Beverages can also be purchased a la carte Subscribe to our newsletters on Substack.