The Western Pacific leatherback turtle is the focus of new international research. Photo: Nathan Pettigrew/supplied. Australian researchers are working with US and NZ colleagues to help save the critically endangered Western Pacific leatherback turtle. As the world’s most migratory and largest turtle, the leatherback is under threat from unintentional fisheries capture, harvesting of adults and…
The turtle is returned to the sea under the watchful gaze of rangers. Photos, video: Qld Environment Department A pregnant critically endangered Hawksbill turtle trapped under a dead tree (driftwood) on remote Womer Cay was returned to the ocean by rangers in the far northern Great Barrier Reef. Qld rangers had been on visit to Queensland’s…
Population declines was also observed in the freshwater turtle populations. Picture: CSIRO HIGH levels of PFAS (‘forever chemicals’) contamination is killing off freshwater turtles, a new CSIRO-Qld study reveals. The three-year study found biochemical changes in adult turtles and hatchlings, and noticed a drop in population of contaminated animals. Dr David Beale, Senior Research Scientist…