Sea Turtles: Species at Risk
Flatback sea turtle (Natator depressus)

Although it is illegal to intentionally kill the Australian flatback, coastal pollution and habitat degradation continue to be major threats to its survival. Flatbacks also face natural threats such as predation by saltwater crocodiles, dingos, foxes, rats and other animals that feed on sea turtle eggs and hatchlings.

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Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)

Breeding populations of green sea turtles in Florida and on the Pacific coast of Mexico are endangered with extinction, while all other populations are threatened. Globally, green turtles have declined by at least 37 percent and possibly over 70 percent during the last 140 years.

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Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Hawksbill sea turtles are in danger of extinction and are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Capturing and killing hawksbills for their valuable shell, which is used to make hairclips, combs, jewelry, decorative art and even cowboy boots, is a major threat to the recovery of the species.

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Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)

In 1961, 40,000 female Kemp's ridley turtles emerged from the ocean at Rancho Nuevo, the only known major nesting site for this species, to lay eggs. However, by the late 1980's, only a few hundred adult females returned, demonstrating the population's dramatic decline.

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Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

In 1982, scientists estimated that there were 115,000 adult female leatherbacks worldwide. Recent estimates have placed the number between 20,000 and 30,000. The Pacific leatherback is in such severe decline that scientists believe they will become extinct in the Pacific Ocean within the next 30 years unless significant actions are taken to protect them very quickly.

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Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)

Loggerhead sea turtles are currently listed as being threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act. Their numbers are rapidly declining. Loggerhead sea turtles, like other sea turtle species, face many natural and human-induced threats. Scientists have determined that the capture in fishing gear and the loss of nesting habitat are major causes of the loggerhead's decline.

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Olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Olive ridley sea turtles, which are named for their olive-colored shell, are listed as threatened, with the exception of a single population that nests in Mexico, which is endangered. The decline of this species is primarily due to capture in commercial fisheries, loss of nesting habitat and continued killing of adults and poaching of eggs.

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