Long before humans appeared in the Coral Triangle, marine turtles were already swimming the region's seas and laying eggs on its beaches. These CORAL TRIANGLE TURTLES iconic species are not only crucial links in the Coral Triangle's ecosystems, MARINE TURTLES & IN THE CORAL TRIANGLE they also attract visitors from all around the world. THEIR PROTECTION STATUS MARINE TURTLE LIFE-CYCLE Number of marine Number of marine turtle species that either Hawksbill This life cycle is based on a green turtle life-cycle. Leatherback adults forage in turtle species in open seas as well as coastal areas, and some loggerheads may too. forage, breed or nest in Eretmochelys imbricata CRITICALLY the world the Coral Triangle ENDANGERED Coastal shallow Developmental water foraging 7 6 migration ( immature and ( 5-20 years ) adult turtles ) Leatherback OVER 3000 Dermochelys coriacea Number of leatherbacks nesting Breeding CRITICALLY migration Adult migrate to per year in the late 1960s in Deadly threats at ENDANGERED (2 - 8 years) mating areas Terengganu, Malaysia adults return to foraging areas every life stage

0 Illegal trade and direct consumption Loggerhead Number of leatherbacks (meat, eggs, shell, leather, curios) Caretta caretta nesting in the same Lost Years ENDANGERED ( 5-20 years ) location in 2000 Bycatch (trawlers, longlines, gill nets)

Dr Chan Eng Heng Mating areas (based on data from the Department of Fisheries Habitat destruction and alteration ( shallow waters ) of Malaysia) (coastal tourism, industrial development) Green turtle Chelonia mydas

20,000+ km Pollution ENDANGERED Hatchlings Nesting Distance travelled by a female leatherback Disease on beach over the course of trans-Pacific migration from Jamursba Medi Beach (or Bird’s Climate change head peninsula, Papua in Indonesia) to Olive ridley the northwest coast of USA Lepdochelys olivacea Benson et al, 2007 VULNERABLE

Eggs incubated above about 30o C tend to Warming regional ocean temperatures Number of turtles caught each 90% develop into females, and those incubated could lead to long-term decreased 4,950 year as bycatch by Indonesian o Flatback Percentage of hatchlings below about 28 C develop into males. Global food supply and reduced loggerhead longline vessels only Natator depressus

that do not survive for warming could skew sex ratios, resulting in turtle nesting. Research Centre For Capture Fisheries DATA DEFICIENT more than a year. more females. Chaloupka et al, 2008 Indonesia Ministry of Marine Affairs Hawkes et al, 2007 and Fisheries (PRPT)

© 1986 Panda symbol WWF ® "WWF" is a WWF Registered Trademark. More information, along with a downloadable version of this factsheet, The Coral Triangle - the nursery of the seas - is the most diverse marine region on the planet, covering some 2 can be found at www.panda.org/coraltriangle 6 million km of ocean across 6 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This ecological wonder is home to 76% Credits: Catalyze Sustainability Communications of the world's reef-building coral species and 6 out the 7 known species of marine turtles.