Latest Research
- Cracking the mystery of the ‘Lost Years’.
- Sea turtles aren’t accidentally eating plastic; they may be choosing it!
- Not all sea turtle nesting beaches are equally at risk.
- Can fishing gear be designed to minimise threats to sea turtles?
- Sea turtles accumulate dangerous chemicals.
- Ocean pollution triggers common sea turtle disease.
- Just how bad is plastic ingestion for sea turtles?
Cracking the mystery of the ‘lost years’.
For decades, sea turtle hatchlings have vanished into the ocean leaving scientists
wondering where they go and what they do. A new study by Phillips et al. (2025) uncovers game-changing insights into this lost chapter of their lives!
Key findings:
– Young turtles use ocean currents strategically; not just drifting but actively navigating!
– They spend more time in the open ocean than previously thought; feeding on nutrient-rich surface waters.
– Climate change could impact their survival by altering these crucial habitats.
Understanding their journey helps us protect them better. Every discovery brings us closer to safeguarding these ocean wanderers!
Sea turtles aren’t accidentally eating plastic; they may be choosing it!
New research reveals that sea turtles aren’t just accidentally eating plastic — they may be choosing it. A groundbreaking study found that juvenile hawksbill turtles are more likely to bite light-colored and soft plastics, like transparent bags and white packaging, possibly mistaking them for jellyfish. Baby turtles may ingest plastic randomly. Older turtles target it.
That means that sea turtles face threats from plastic at every stage of life.
The solution? Targeted removal of high-risk debris – especially light-coloured, single-use plastic film – from our oceans.
Every piece of plastic you refuse, reuse, or recycle could save a sea turtle’s life.
Not all sea turtle nesting beaches are equally at risk.
New research shows that while some sea turtle nesting beaches are eroding fast, others are actually growing, and simple sea level rise models miss this completely. The biggest threat? Beaches that are shrinking and have nowhere to move inland. Protecting turtles means understanding how coastlines really change over time.
Can fishing gear be designed to minimise threats to sea turtles?
Sea turtles face serious threats from gillnet fishing gear but this new study dives into how turtles actually behave around nets, offering hope for smarter bycatch solutions!
What they found:
– Both green and loggerhead turtles saw and responded to gillnets during daylight.
– Most turtles avoided the nets at first, even making U-turns or reversing direction.
– Green turtles interacted with nets more often but escaped themselves.
– Loggerheads were more likely to become entangled and less likely to escape.
– Turtles slowed down near nets — a sign they visually detect them before contact.
This means bycatch might not just be about not seeing nets — it could be about recognizing risk. The study calls for gear designs that trigger avoidance and help turtles escape if necessary.
BONUS: The research offers a new model to predict and prevent turtle entanglement — focusing on all the little ‘near-miss’ moments before a turtle gets trapped.
Sea turtles accumulate dangerous chemicals.
New research from Korean waters reveals just how much sea turtles are carrying the weight of our pollution. Scientists found that loggerhead and green turtles accumulate dangerous chemicals called persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from legacy pesticides like DDT and plastic-associated flame retardants from Styrofoam.
Loggerheads, with their carnivorous diet, showed higher levels of PCBs and pesticides, while green turtles had more plastic-linked chemicals, reflecting their greater plastic ingestion.
These findings highlight sea turtles as powerful bio-indicators of ocean health and a warning sign of how plastics and pollutants move through marine ecosystems. Protecting turtles means protecting our seas.
Ocean pollution triggers common sea turtle disease.
Did you know a disease called fibropapillomatosis (FP) is affecting green sea turtles around the world?
A new study has documented the first scientific report of FP in green turtles in Curaçao, marking an important milestone for sea turtle conservation. Researchers found that 5 of the 8 turtles they examined showed signs of the disease that causes tumour-like growths and can affect a turtle’s ability to see, swim and feed.
Using radio telemetry, the Tripepi Lab team tracked both healthy and affected turtles and discovered they regularly visited the same marina to forage. While these areas provide food, they can also expose turtles to pollution, boat traffic, and other human-related stressors that may contribute to disease outbreaks.
This research highlights why protecting healthy coastal habitats is just as important as protecting nesting beaches. By reducing pollution, improving water quality, and safeguarding key foraging areas, we can help give sea turtles the best chance of thriving.
Every healthy habitat is another step toward healthier turtles.
Click below to read more, and visit https://www.instagram.com/dr.manuelatripepi_lab to learn more about the lab’s research.
Just how bad is it for sea turtles who ingest plastic.
This paper highlights the mortality risk associated with plastic ingestion and calculates the probability of mortality caused by ingestion. With over 50% of sea turtles globally ingesting plastic at various life stages, learning how it affects them and turtles already at risk from other threats is crucial.