Between the Atolls: Sea Turtle Nesting in the Maldives from 2018 to 2024

Sea turtles are a vital part of the marine ecosystem in the Maldives. While five species have been recorded in-water in the country, only two have been historically known to nest here: hawksbills and greens. In this study, we present cumulative data from targeted nest monitoring in combination with ad hoc reports from citizen scientists and marine biologists from 2018 to 2024, with the aim of providing the first comprehensive multi-year dataset on sea turtle nesting activity in the Maldives. Sea turtle nests were recorded from nearly all atolls. The majority were laid by green turtles (n = 1086), in addition to a small number of hawksbill (n = 47), olive ridley (n = 14) and unknown species (n = 65) nests. Nesting occurs year-round, with a peak during the southwest monsoon season from June to September. Median hatching success rate was 90.91% (SD = 15.87) and incubation lasted a median of 59 days (SD = 4.79). Nest inundation and illegal take were identified as the main threats to sea turtle nests, while incidences of egg predation were an exception. The findings of this study will help to clarify conservation priorities and management strategies for sea turtles in the Maldives.