Olive Ridley Turtle | Species

Marine Turtle
Olive Ridley Turtle

Marine Turtle
Olive Ridley Turtle

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Overview
Why They Matter
Threats
What WWF is Doing
How You Can Help
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Overview

Status
Vulnerable
Scientific Name
Lepidochelys olivacea
Weight
about 100 pounds
Length
approximately 2 feet
Habitats
Oceans

The name for this marine turtle is tied to the color of its shell—an olive green hue. They are the smallest of the marine turtles and currently the most abundant. Their vulnerable status comes from the fact that they nest in a very small number of places, and therefore any disturbance to even one nest beach could have huge repercussions on the entire population.

Places
Mesoamerican Reef, Coastal East Africa, Gulf of California, Coral Triangle

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Why They Matter

Marine turtles are a fundamental link in marine ecosystems and help maintain the health of coral reefs and sea grass beds. Olive ridley turtles also provide a type of refuge for many seabirds in the Eastern Pacific, allowing them to perch on their shells as the turtles surface to bask in the sun.

Threats

Extinction Risk Vulnerable
1. EX
  Extinct
  
  No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died
2. EW
  Extinct in the Wild
  
  Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population
3. CR
  Critically Endangered
  
  Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the Wild
4. EN
  Endangered
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
5. VU
  Vulnerable
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
6. NT
  Near Threatened
  
  Likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future
7. LC
  Least Concern
  
  Does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened

All stages of a marine turtle’s life are affected by environmental conditions such as temperature—even the sex of offspring. The warmer the nest beach conditions, the more female hatchlings that emerge from the eggs. Unusually warm temperatures caused by climate change could be disrupting normal sex ratios, resulting in fewer male baby turtles. Warmer sea surface temperatures can also lead to the loss of important foraging grounds for marine turtles, while increasingly severe storms and sea level rise can destroy critical nesting beaches and damage nests.

What WWF Is Doing

Eliminating Bycatch

WWF aims to reduce turtle bycatch by working with fisheries to switch to more turtle-friendly fishing hooks (“circle” hooks) and advocates for the use of devices that exclude turtles from nets. We run an international competition called Smart Gear to attract creative new ways to solve bycatch problems and to advance those ideas. Winning devices have been designed to minimize the bycatch of turtles on tuna longlines and help turtles avoid gillnets. We work with fishermen to help them save turtles caught in fishing gear. We also use satellite devices to track turtle movements to help prevent future interactions between fisheries and turtles.

Protecting Marine Turtle Habitat

WWF works around the world to establish marine protected areas (MPA) to ensure marine turtles have a safe place to nest, feed and migrate freely. We encourage governments to strengthen legislation and provide funding for marine turtle protection. WWF also supports the monitoring and patrolling of turtle nests in many parts of the world to equip local turtle conservationists. This often leads to ecotourism opportunities and offers alternative livelihoods.

Minimizing Climate Change Impacts

Here a researcher monitors the temperature of Olive ridley sea turtle nests.

WWF studies how climate change affects marine turtles and works to find the best ways to reduce their vulnerability to changing environmental conditions. We work around the world with communities to monitor and protect nesting beaches which helps to build resilience to the future impacts of climate change. In the Eastern Pacific we work to raise awareness on the threat of sea level rise on nest sites and the importance of shade for nests.

Experts

Leigh Henry Senior Policy Advisor, Species Conservation & Advocacy

How You Can Help

Take Action

Tell your members of Congress and President Obama to reject budget proposals that would slash funding for endangered species and tropical forests, clean air and water, and efforts to confront climate change.