Marine turtles
For more than 100 million years, marine turtles have covered vast distances across the world’s oceans, and have been an integral part of tropical coastal ecosystems. Over the past 200 years, human activities have tipped the scales against the survival of these ancient mariners.
Australian marine turtles
Six of the world’s seven species of marine turtle occur in Australian waters, including the:
• flatback turtle (Natator depressus)
• green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
• hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
• leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
• loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
• olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Marine turtles facts
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Common name
Marine turtles ; Tortues marines (Fr); Tortugas marinas (Sp)
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Scientific name
Cheloniidae / Dermochelyidae families
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Habitat
Open water and coasts
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Status
IUCN: from Data Deficient, Vulnerable, Endangered to Critically Endangered
Only a few large nesting populations of the green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles remain in the world. Australia has some of the largest marine turtle nesting areas in the Indo-Pacific region and has the only nesting populations of the flatback turtle. 1
Raine Island, in the northern Great Barrier Reef, is home to the world’s largest green turtle rookery, with an annual nesting population of 30,000 females. 2
In the southern Great Barrier Reef, a separate genetically distinct group of green turtles favours nesting sites in the Capricorn/Bunker group of islands, where annual populations are estimated at 8,000 females.
Loggerhead turtles breed and nest mainly in the southern Great Barrier Reef (Capricorn/Bunker group) and adjacent mainland near Bundaberg. These nesting beaches support the only significant population of the species in the South Pacific Ocean. However, numbers have declined since the 1970s from about 1,000 breeding females to a few hundred females and any increase in mortality poses a risk of extinction. 2
1. http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/species/turtles/index.html
2. http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/key_issues/conservation/natural_values/marine_turtles/marine_turtle_species_descriptions
Raine Island, in the northern Great Barrier Reef, is home to the world’s largest green turtle rookery, with an annual nesting population of 30,000 females. 2
In the southern Great Barrier Reef, a separate genetically distinct group of green turtles favours nesting sites in the Capricorn/Bunker group of islands, where annual populations are estimated at 8,000 females.
Loggerhead turtles breed and nest mainly in the southern Great Barrier Reef (Capricorn/Bunker group) and adjacent mainland near Bundaberg. These nesting beaches support the only significant population of the species in the South Pacific Ocean. However, numbers have declined since the 1970s from about 1,000 breeding females to a few hundred females and any increase in mortality poses a risk of extinction. 2
1. http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/species/turtles/index.html
2. http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/key_issues/conservation/natural_values/marine_turtles/marine_turtle_species_descriptions
Lastest News
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Floods, mining boom key suspects in marine deaths
WWF-Australia today called for urgent action to address the high numbers of dying fish, turtles and dugongs in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage ...
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New partnership to help Great Barrier Reef marine turtles
The health and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef’s marine turtles is the focus of a new partnership launched in Townsville today between James ...
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Australia's north and northwest teeming with rare and threatened marine life – new reports
Two new reports released today, Wild Blue Yonder: Fifteen underwater places for protection in Australia's north west and Twelve Tropical Sea ...
Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) laying eggs on beach, Lady Elliott Island, Queensland, Australia.
Our past olive ridley's tracking program
In the week of 19 April 2004, after five olive ridley's (Milika, Kitirayuwu, Milly, Jika and Mel) finished laying their eggs, transmitters were attached to their shells in preparation for their departure into the unknown.
Read more on our past program on turtle conservation (archived)
Read more on our past program on turtle conservation (archived)
