Species fact sheet: Marine turtle

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WWF

Marine turtles have swum in the world’s oceans for over 100 million years. The only widely distributed marine reptiles, manyspecies migrate f or thousands of kilometres — and even across entire oceans — between feeding and nesting grounds. An integral part of coastal and marine ecosystems, they have also been fundamental to the culture of coastal societies for millennia. But human activities over the past 200 years have massively tipped the scales against the survival of these ancient mariners. Slaughtered in the millions for their eggs, meat, skin, and shells, their already reduced populations still suffer from poaching and over-exploitation, as well as incidental capture in fishing gear and habitat loss and alteration. Today, six of the seven living species are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered. Concerted conservation efforts have seen turtle populations recover in some areas, but without urgent global action the future of these magnificent animals looks increasingly grim.