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Leatherback Sea Turtles have been here for over 65 million years. They
have witnessed the fall of the dinosaurs and the rise of humanity. Their habitat
spans the globe from the North Atlantic near the Arctic Circle to the South Pacific
around New Zealand. Extraordinary creatures, they hold important
secrets about biology and medicine. Leatherbacks are the largest turtle, reaching
a shell length of 1.7m and a mass of 700kg. In 1980 there were over 115,000 adult
females, but there are now less than 25,000 worldwide, and they are close to
extinction in the Pacific Ocean. If action is not taken soon to protect leatherbacks
in the ocean and on nesting beaches the leatherback will disappear in our lifetime.
(adult leatherback, photo credit: Leron Tonge, 21, Antigua
and Barbuda
morning leatherback, photo credit: '08 Playa Grande Field Team
)
New Turtle Website of Interest
An online library for sea
turtle journal articles, where visitors can search for primary
literature references related to sea turtles, and view the reference
abstract with a link to the full-text version. Also includes
conservation information, a discussion board, and a links page.
www.ccaretta.com
Recommended Reading
 Turtle
Summer is a delightful book about sea turtles and sea life
written by award winning author Mary Alice Monroe and with
photos by Barbara J. Bergwerf. Aimed at young readers and those
young at heart it tells the story of loggerhead turtle nesting
and the efforts by turtle people to protect their nests and
their hatchlings. It includes many lovely pictures of sea life
and birds along the Carolina shore. A must
read for all those who summer at the Shore. Learn
more...
 The
Great Turtle Race, sponsored by The Leatherback Trust, Tagging
of Pacific Predators, Conservation International, Costa Rica's
Ministry of Environment and Energy, and Yahoo! is over. Learn
how 11 leatherback turtles did on a two-week journey as they
swam from their nesting sites on Playa Grande beach in Costa
Rica to the Galapagos Islands.
Learn
more... |
Johnny Glidden, Sea Turtle Champion
Johnny Glidden first became aware of the plight
of the sea turtle during a family trip to Hawaii in 2004. By age
7, it had become his mission to save the Leatherback, after reading
Dr. James Spotila’s book, Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide
to Their Biology, Behavior and Conservation. Learn
more about this amazing young champion's efforts to help the leatherback...
Save the Leatherback Campaign
More than 1,000 scientists call for U.N. ban
on longlining in the Pacific – U.N. General Assembly adopts
resolution to benefit endangered turtles. Read
details (PDF), or learn more at SeaTurtles.org
What can one person do to save leatherbacks?
Maybe you could write books. Or start a lemonade
stand to raise money. Or perhaps you could give talks at local
schools and events to raise awareness. How about organizing an
Earth Day event and raising money? Well, one person has already
done ALL of those things, and she's still only 7 years old. Read
more about the inspiring Meghan Taschenberger...
New study by TLT scientists reveals exciting details of
the ocean-going lives of leatherback turtles.
Learn more at toppcensus.org...
Read the article published in the
Journal of Experimental Biology...
Mercury Awareness Campaign
Learn more at GotMercury.org
Leatherback Trust products now available at Zazzle
Your purchases help support the work of the Leatherback Trust...
click below...
buy
Leatherback products at Zazzle |
