green turtle conservation efforts

In a significant positive development, the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), a keystone marine species and a vivid indicator of ocean health, has been rescued from the brink of extinction.

The green turtle has been downgraded from Endangered to Least Concern at the recent IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) world congress in Abu Dhabi, thanks to green turtle conservation efforts.

The green turtle is a large, long-lived marine reptile found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide, best recognised for its olive or brown shell and distinctive greenish body fat, which gives the species its name.

These turtles inhabit shallow lagoons, seagrass meadows, and coastal coral reefs. They are distributed throughout the tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea.

Adult green turtles can reach 1–1.5 meters long and weigh up to 300–350 kilograms, making them the second largest sea turtle after the leatherback. Their shells, or carapaces, are teardrop-shaped and often patterned in brown, olive, or black hues, with yellowish undersides.

They are known for long-distance migrations, travelling hundreds or even thousands of kilometres between feeding grounds and their natal nesting beaches, often returning to the same beach where they hatched. Females come ashore at night to lay about 100 to 200 eggs per clutch, typically every two to four years.

Another way to remember green turtles is for their plant-based (green) diet. They are herbivorous as adults, feeding mainly on seagrasses and seaweeds, which contributes to the healthy maintenance of seagrass beds by promoting regrowth.

This is why environmentalists and conservationists call them ecosystem engineers, as they cut and maintain seagrasses for marine biodiversity and nutrient cycling.

Unfortunately, these ecosystem engineers were classified as Endangered by the IUCN from 1982 to 2023. They faced many threats from illegal hunting for food, bycatch in fishing gear, habitat loss, shipping lanes, marine debris, and climate change.

Thanks to global conservation efforts, from protecting eggs and releasing hatchlings on beaches to reducing accidental capture in fishing nets, new IUCN data shows a revival of green turtle populations.

Credit to organisations like Sea Turtle Conservancy, World Wide Fund for Nature, Oceanic Society, and Turtle Foundation are actively working to conserve green turtles and their habitats, focusing on protection, research, and local engagement.

The green turtle conservation efforts include patrolling beaches, protecting females and their eggs at nesting sites, and releasing hatchlings into the sea. They also involve educating and raising awareness to reduce the killing of turtles for meat and eggs, as well as implementing measures to prevent turtles from being captured in fishing nets.

The reclassification of green turtles offers hope. It validates that sustained efforts are essential to secure long-term survival amid ongoing threats, including fishing, habitat loss, pollution, and climate impacts.

However, despite the positive development, experts caution that some regional populations remain vulnerable or endangered, such as those in the North Indian Ocean and Central South Pacific, highlighting the need for ongoing vigilance and targeted conservation.

Additionally, many other turtle species remain critically endangered, such as the Burmese Roofed Turtle (Batagur trivittata), the Yellow Pond Turtle (Mauremys mutica), the Arakan Forest Turtle (Heosemys depressa), and the Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), among others.

Therefore, though the green turtle conservation is a commendable milestone, species preservation requires consistent global and regional commitment.