Turtles

March, 2011

• 8 March

  Killer Plastic Bags Choke Rare Phuket Leatherback

  

  The nigthmare of human pollution was exposed for all to see today when Phuket veterinarians cut open a giant leatherback turtle in a post mortem.  Inside the stomach, the cause of the wonderful creature”s death became apparent. Six plastic bags obstructed the 15-year-old turtle”s digestive system, preventing food from being …
• 1 March

  Kemp’s ridley among four sea turtles killed by boat propellers

  

  With warm temperatures and clear skies, last weekend was perfect for local boaters to return to the water, but it was deadly for four sea turtles, including two Kemp”s ridley turtles, the world”s most endangered sea turtle. The turtles were sliced by boat propellers….

January, 2011

• 27 January

  Report: Gulf oil spill was deadly time for turtles; full impact of crude still unclear

  

  More sea turtles were killed or injured in the Gulf of Mexico in the months following the BP oil spill than in any similar period during the past two decades, a report released Wednesday found. While the report suggested many of the 600 turtles were hurt by the spill, it”s …
• 17 January

  Sea turtles, ‘strong back’ and extinction

  

  Sea turtles were once abundant in Jamaican waters and the island”s beaches hosted huge nesting populations of the spectacular and prehistoric creatures. But centuries of over-exploitation — mostly during the 1600s to 1800s — decimated regional populations. Recent estimates suggest that Caribbean stocks of Green and Hawksbill sea turtles — …

November, 2010

• 13 November

  Thousands of turtles captured in Madagascar despite ban

  

  New research has revealed up to 16,000 endangered turtles are being caught each year by villagers in just one region of Madagascar, despite a government ban. Researchers from the University of Exeter and Blue Ventures Conservation say the figure, thought to be a conservative estimate, is the first direct assessment …
• 9 November

  Sea Turtle Herpes Tumors Linked to Sewage?

  

  Tumors that have plagued green sea turtles worldwide for decades may be caused by pollution, a new study says. Nitrogen-rich runoff from sewers and farms is fueling a rise in invasive seaweed that, when consumed by the reptiles, may trigger an otherwise dormant herpes virus. This virus in turn causes …
• 4 November

  Plastic debris ‘killing Adriatic loggerhead turtles’

  

  One in three loggerhead turtles in the Adriatic Sea has plastic in its intestine, according to researchers studying the impact of debris on marine life. The shallow waters of the Adriatic are important feeding grounds for the turtles as they develop into adults. But the sea-floor is one of the …
• 3 November

  Indigenous Colombians shun turtle meat to save species

  

  Indigenous Wayuu people living on South America”s northernmost tip are dropping their age-old tradition of eating turtle meat as a main protein source because the reptile is dying out. “This really is rejecting the culture of my ancestors. I grew up eating turtle, and raised my kids on the money …

October, 2010

• 29 October

  Atlantic sea turtle population threatened by egg infection

  

  An international team of Mycologists and Ecologists studying Atlantic sea turtles at Cape Verde have discovered that the species is under threat from a fungal infection which targets eggs. The research, published in FEMS Microbiology Letters , reveals how the fungus Fusarium solani may have played a key role in …
• 8 October

  Climate change affects turtles

  

  The “turtle and dugong capital of the world”, the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and Torres Strait region, faces increased pressure under climate change from human actions such as fishing, hunting, onshore development and pollution. “Depletion of turtle and dugong numbers increases their vulnerability to other threats and lowers their …

July, 2010

• 22 July

  Dozens of Turtles Found Dead on Guatemala’s Southern Coast

  

  Guatemala’s National Council of Protected Areas, or CONAP, said Wednesday it found more than 30 dead sea turtles washed up on the country’s southern coast. The animals, which are dying because of fishermen’s incorrect use of Turtle Excluder Devices, become trapped in nets and suffocate, the organization said, adding that …
• 15 July

  Greater Protection Sought for Sea Turtles Imperiled by BP’s Oil Spill

  

  Scientists Fear Double Whammy of Drowning in Oil and Shrimp Nets Will Lead to Extinction in the Gulf of Mexico With BP’s massive oil spill in the Gulf pushing rare sea turtles closer than ever to extinction, two environmental groups today petitioned the federal government for an emergency extension of …