Endangered Species Research (Dec 2023)
Key issues in assessing threats to sea turtles: knowledge gaps and future directions
- MMPB Fuentes,
- E McMichael,
- CY Kot,
- I Silver-Gorges,
- BP Wallace,
- BJ Godley,
- AML Brooks,
- SA Ceriani,
- AA Cortés-Gómez,
- TM Dawson,
- KL Dodge,
- M Flint,
- MP Jensen,
- LM Komoroske,
- S Kophamel,
- MD Lettrich,
- CA Long,
- SE Nelms,
- AR Patrício,
- NJ Robinson,
- JA Seminoff,
- M Ware,
- ER Whitman,
- D Chevallier,
- CE Clyde-Brockway,
- SA Korgaonkar,
- A Mancini,
- J Mello-Fonseca,
- JR Monsinjon,
- I Neves-Ferreira,
- AA Ortega,
- SH Patel,
- JB Pfaller,
- MD Ramirez,
- C Raposo,
- CE Smith,
- FA Abreu-Grobois,
- GC Hays
Affiliations
- MMPB Fuentes
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA
- E McMichael
- ECS Federal in support of Office of Science and Technology, NOAA Fisheries, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA
- CY Kot
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516, USA
- I Silver-Gorges
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA
- BP Wallace
- Ecolibrium, Inc., 5343 Aztec Drive, Boulder, Colorado 80303, USA
- BJ Godley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
- AML Brooks
- Cape Eleuthera Institute, PO Box EL-26029 Rock Sound, Eleuthera, The Bahamas
- SA Ceriani
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701, USA
- AA Cortés-Gómez
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, Equipe de Processus Ecologiques et Pressions Anthropiques, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Bures-Sur-Yvette Cedex, France
- TM Dawson
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816, USA
- KL Dodge
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, USA
- M Flint
- One Welfare and Sustainability Center, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
- MP Jensen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg Øst, Denmark
- LM Komoroske
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
- S Kophamel
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, John Gorton Building, King Edward Terrace, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia
- MD Lettrich
- ECS Federal in support of Office of Science and Technology, NOAA Fisheries, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA
- CA Long
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-0410, USA
- SE Nelms
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
- AR Patrício
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
- NJ Robinson
- Institut de Ciencies del Mar (ICM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- JA Seminoff
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 90237, USA
- M Ware
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina 28409, USA
- ER Whitman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida 33181, USA
- D Chevallier
- BOREA Research Unit, MNHN, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, IRD, UCN, UA, Campus Martinique, 97217 Les Anses d’Arlet, Martinique, French West Indies, France
- CE Clyde-Brockway
- Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805, USA
- SA Korgaonkar
- Department of Endangered Species Management, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, Utarakhand 248001, India
- A Mancini
- Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23098, Mexico
- J Mello-Fonseca
- Reef System Ecology and Conservation Lab, Department of Marine Biology, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro 24210-201, Brazil
- JR Monsinjon
- Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Délégation Océan Indien (DOI), 97420 Le Port, La Réunion, France
- I Neves-Ferreira
- Reef System Ecology and Conservation Lab, Department of Marine Biology, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro 24210-201, Brazil
- AA Ortega
- The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- SH Patel
- Coonamessett Farm Foundation, 277 Hatchville Road, East Falmouth, Massachusetts 02536, USA
- JB Pfaller
- NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida 33149, USA
- MD Ramirez
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403, USA
- C Raposo
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE)/Aquatic Research Network (ARNET), Instituto Universitário (ISPA), 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal
- CE Smith
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland 4556, Australia
- FA Abreu-Grobois
- Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 811, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82000, Mexico
- GC Hays
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3125, Australia
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01278
- Journal volume & issue
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Vol. 52
pp. 303 – 341
Abstract
Sea turtles are an iconic group of marine megafauna that have been exposed to multiple anthropogenic threats across their different life stages, especially in the past decades. This has resulted in population declines, and consequently many sea turtle populations are now classified as threatened or endangered globally. Although some populations of sea turtles worldwide are showing early signs of recovery, many still face fundamental threats. This is problematic since sea turtles have important ecological roles. To encourage informed conservation planning and direct future research, we surveyed experts to identify the key contemporary threats (climate change, direct take, fisheries, pollution, disease, predation, and coastal and marine development) faced by sea turtles. Using the survey results and current literature, we also outline knowledge gaps in our understanding of the impact of these threats and how targeted future research, often involving emerging technologies, could close those gaps.
