Updated global conservation status and priorities for marine turtles

Assessing conservation status and pursuing applicable management priorities for marine megafauna across multiple scales pose significant challenges. Because marine turtles exemplify these challenges, the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) developed the ‘conservation priorities portfolio’ (CPP) framework in 2011 to evaluate population risk and threats for regional management units (RMUs). Here, the MTSG has updated the 2011 CPP framework through an inclusive assessment process. Expert elicitation results involving 145 individuals from 50 countries suggests that marine turtle conservation status appears to be improving, but significant challenges remain. Since the previous assessment, long-term abundance trends increased on average, and threat impact scores improved for nearly twice as many RMUs (53%) as worsened (28%) (≥10% threshold for changes in numeric scores). While expert-assessed threat impacts have generally decreased, fisheries bycatch remains the highest scored threat across regions and species. Risk-threat staus improved for most (54%) RMUs. Over 40% of RMUs were scored as low risk-low threats, of which 8 were green turtles Chelonia mydas RMUs. Less than 20% of RMUs were scored as high risk-high threats, of which 4 were leatherback turtles Dermochelys coriacea . Most high risk-high threats RMUs were in the Pacific Ocean, while most low risk-low threats RMUs were in the Atlantic Ocean. Eleven RMUs were evaluated as having critical data needs. Our results—also provided through an interactive data dashboard—underscore the importance of context-specific planning to effectively target limited conservation resources. Future assessments should further prioritize inclusion of under-represented topics, researchers, and regions to better address multi-faceted conservation challenges.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Endangered Species Research
Published
2025-01-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01385
Citations
26
Primary Topic
Turtle Biology and Conservation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
60.14

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Updated global conservation status and priorities for marine turtles

RIT Prince, David V. Feliciano, ZA Posnik, L West et al.
26 citations
Endangered Species Research
Turtle Biology and Conservation
60.14
article

Updated global conservation status and priorities for marine turtles

RIT Prince, David V. Feliciano, ZA Posnik, L West, Gail Schofield, Julia Azanza Ricardo, BP Wallace, Christophe Eizaguirre, Simon Demetropoulos, NJ Pilcher, Brendan J. Godley, Neuza Maria Miranda dos Santos, S. Hoekstra, Scott D. Whiting, Liliana P. Colman, Diane Le Gouvello, Milagros López‐Mendilaharsu, Graeme C. Hays, Oğuz Türkozan, Nupur Kale, Paolo Casale, Maria Ângela Marcovaldi, Aliki Panagopoulou, Hideaki Nishizawa, Aoife Foley, Joanna Alfaro‐Shigueto, Gélica E Inteca, BM Shamblin, Joana M. Hancock, Kartik Shanker, Anton D. Tucker, Arjan de Groene, Tânia Luna, CD Allen, Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes, Takeshi Ishihara, Michel Anthony Nalovic, Sara Vieira, Alexsandro Santana dos Santos, Maximilian M. R. Polyak, Isa Serrano, Imed Jribi, F. Alberto Abreu‐Grobois, Héctor Barrios–Garrido, R. J. FERNANDES, Nicole Esteban, Sara M. Maxwell, Luis G. Fonseca, Paulo Lara, Catherine Edwina Hart, R Herrera, Betânia Ferreira‐Airaud, Muralidharan Manoharakrishnan, Annette C. Broderick, Patricia M. Zárate, Ana R. Patrício, Martin Stelfox, Patricia Huerta‐Rodríguez, BA Stacy, Stephanie Köhnk, F Moncada, C Miranda, Andrea D. Phillott, IK Kelly, Shaleyla Kelez, Mark Hamann, Isidore Ayissi, BJ Hurley, C. Dı́ez, AN Bandimere, Carlos Carreras, Ana Cláudia Dias, Andrew DiMatteo, I Rodriguez, Carlos Delgado Trejo, Myriam Mondragón, B. Alejandra Morales-Mérida, Eduardo Cuevas, Michael P. Jensen, Natalie Wildermann, Lalith Ekanayake, Encarnación Buendía, Ronel Nel, Randy Calderón Peña, JA Mortimer, Karen A. Bjorndal, Gustavo Stahelin, Richard D. Reina, Sabrina Fossette, Melania C. López‐Castro, Marc Girondot, Juan M. Rguez‐Baron, Sandra Hochscheid, Jacques Akiti, Yakup Kaska, A Mancini, Alexandre Girard, AA Cortés-Gómez, AM Lauritsen, SKK Murakawa, Albert Taxonera, Alphina Liusamoa, CMM Louro, Erick Vargas, Hernando Acosta, MH Godfrey, C.J. Madden, K R Stewart, BJ Hutchinson, RP van Dam, SA Ceriani, RB Mast, Luis G. Crespo, JA Seminoff, KL Eckert, AU Whiting, A. Mastrogiacomo, M Ogou, EH Raynus, AE Robbins, AL Sarti-Martínez, KG Barrientos-Muñoz, MK Staman, CH van de Geer, L Wienand, SR Wijntuin, Ayu Istia Dah, JS Dossou Bodjrenou, MM Early Capistrán, J Gaglo, D Gidsicki, M Akomedi, M Lasfargue, D Mahabir, RC Martínez-Portugal, EIPP Matilde, D Angenda, B Mawunyo Adzagba, S Mbungu, R Ngafack
article en
26 citations

Abstract

Assessing conservation status and pursuing applicable management priorities for marine megafauna across multiple scales pose significant challenges. Because marine turtles exemplify these challenges, the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) developed the ‘conservation priorities portfolio’ (CPP) framework in 2011 to evaluate population risk and threats for regional management units (RMUs). Here, the MTSG has updated the 2011 CPP framework through an inclusive assessment process. Expert elicitation results involving 145 individuals from 50 countries suggests that marine turtle conservation status appears to be improving, but significant challenges remain. Since the previous assessment, long-term abundance trends increased on average, and threat impact scores improved for nearly twice as many RMUs (53%) as worsened (28%) (≥10% threshold for changes in numeric scores). While expert-assessed threat impacts have generally decreased, fisheries bycatch remains the highest scored threat across regions and species. Risk-threat staus improved for most (54%) RMUs. Over 40% of RMUs were scored as low risk-low threats, of which 8 were green turtles Chelonia mydas RMUs. Less than 20% of RMUs were scored as high risk-high threats, of which 4 were leatherback turtles Dermochelys coriacea . Most high risk-high threats RMUs were in the Pacific Ocean, while most low risk-low threats RMUs were in the Atlantic Ocean. Eleven RMUs were evaluated as having critical data needs. Our results—also provided through an interactive data dashboard—underscore the importance of context-specific planning to effectively target limited conservation resources. Future assessments should further prioritize inclusion of under-represented topics, researchers, and regions to better address multi-faceted conservation challenges.

Endangered Species ResearchVol. 56
Florida State University (US), NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (US), United Nations Development Programme (US), University of Pisa (IT), Griffith University (AU), Akwa Ibom State University (NG), Fauna and Flora International (GB), Sea Turtle Conservancy (US), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia (BR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US), WWF Colombia (CO), WWF-India (IN), Wildlife Conservation Society (US), North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (US), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (US), Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences (CU), University of Lisbon (PT), University of Sfax (TN), Universidad Veracruzana (MX), Deakin University (AU), University of North Carolina Wilmington (US), Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (GT), Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (US), University of Douala (CM), Universidad del Zulia (VE), University of Georgia (US), Queen Mary University of London (GB), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (US), Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (MX), Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (MX), University of Dar es Salaam (TZ), Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (KH), InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico (PR), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (BR), University of Colorado Boulder (US), George Washington University (US), Kyoto University (JP), University of Exeter (GB), Universidad Científica del Sur (PE), Mediterranean University (ME), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), Oceanography Society (US), Zen-Noh (Japan) (JP), University of French Guiana (GF), Marine Conservation Institute (US), Puerto Rico Department of Health (PR), Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (MX), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (IT), Flame University (IN), Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SA), Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico (PR), Lúrio University (MZ), Universidad Autónoma del Carmen (MX), University of Florida (US), Swansea University (GB), University of Oxford (GB), The Ocean Foundation (US), Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation (SA), Art College kobe (JP), Ecologie, Société, Evolution (FR), Universidad UTE (EC), Department of the Premier and Cabinet (AU), Departament de Salut (ES), Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia (CO), Institute for Biodiversity (DE), Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (MX), Karumbé (UY), Cultura (MX), Save Our Seas Foundation (CH), Guanacaste Conservation Area (CR), Marine Research Foundation (MY), ecOceánica (PE), Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre (IN), Fundação Bahiana de Infectologia (BR), French National Agency for Water and Aquatic Environments (FR), Centro Nacional de Endemias (ST), Agile RF Systems (United States) (US), Ridley College (AU), Pronatura Noroeste (MX), Maze (United States) (US), Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (KE), Universidad Iberoamericana del Ecuador (EC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (FR), Clitheroe Community Hospital (GB), NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (US), Parc de Salut (ES), Dejusticia (CO), Hellenic Society for the Study of Bone Metabolism (GR), Centro Terra Viva (MZ), University of Washington Bothell (US), American Samoa Government (AS), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (BJ), Systems Engineering Associates Corporation (United States) (US), Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz (MX), Pacific University (US), Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (AU), École d'Informatique, d'Électronique et d'Expertise Comptable (CD), Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (CL), Multi Electrical System (Suriname) (SR), Progamme National Contre le Tuberculose (BJ), New Iridium (United States) (US), Asha Foundation (IN), University of Seychelles (SC), Instituto de Investigaciones Avícolas (CU), Social Action (NG), WWF-Indonesia (ID), International Union for Conservation of Nature (CH), Institut Supérieur de Technologie Médicale (CM), El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (MX), Pamukkale University (TR), Monash University (AU), Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (IN), University of Algarve (PT), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (SA), Universitat de Barcelona (ES), Adnan Menderes University (TR), James Cook University (AU), Aalborg University (DK), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX), University of South Carolina Beaufort (US), Perrigo (United States) (US), Nelson Mandela University (ZA)
Office Français de la Biodiversité
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Turtle Biology and Conservation
60.14
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.