Situated about 500 km off the Malagasy east coast, the island of Tromelin is a key nesting site for the endangered green turtle, Chelonia mydas, in the south Western Indian Ocean. Nesting turtles found in this isolated island have been closely monitored since the 1970s, but the most recent estimates of nesting parameters date from 1986.

The most recent climate change projections show a global increase in temperatures along with precipitation changes throughout the 21st century. However, regional projections do not always match global projections and species with global distributions may exhibit varying regional susceptibility to climate change. Here we show the effect of local climatic conditions on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) at four nesting sites encompassing the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. We found a heterogeneous effect of climate.

Threatened species are dependent on conservation, with strategic approaches underpinned by the principle of complementarity to find efficient solutions. But are paper-efficient designs always field-effective? After 51 years of monitoring a 56-km-long overlap of two turtle rookeries, there are contrasting population-recovery trends: Vulnerable loggerhead abundance is increasing; and Critically Endangered leatherback abundance is remaining constant, despite leatherback individuals having a higher reproductive output.

To refine our understanding of the spatial structure of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) populations in the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO), we analysed patterns of mitochondrial DNA (396 base pairs control region fragment) variation among 171 samples collected at five distinct locations (Kenya, Northern Mozambique, and three locations in the Republic of Seychelles: the Granitic, Amirantes, and Farquhar groups) and compared them to genetic data (n = 288), previously collected from 10 southern locations in the SWIO.

Knowledge of the interrelationships between habitats and life-stage development in marine turtles requires an understanding of recruitment, size and age at maturity, sex ratios, growth and sexual development rates, survivorship and nesting probabilities. These data may be used to determine the status and survival of turtle populations during earlier life stages and for the development of appropriate conservation strategies.

Normal reference ranges of biochemical parameters are considered important for assessing and monitoring the health status of sea turtles. For this study, plasma biochemistry determinations were analyzed in normal adult nesting and foraging hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). Blood samples were collected in March–April during (nesting season) and December–November (foraging season). Differences in plasma biochemistry values, except for creatinine and lipase, were statistically different (P < 0.05) between the two periods.

Over recent years, the national and international illegal trade in marine turtles has been largely under-reported by the 35 Signatory States of the Indian Ocean South East Asia Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding (IOSEA MoU), despite indications that the illegal trade in the region was expanding.

In total, there are 11 confirmed records of the olive ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea, from the Persian Gulf through June 2015, including 9 and 2 records from northern and southern coasts of the Gulf, respectively. Furthermore, on 16 May 2013, nesting was recorded from Nayband Marine-Coastal National Park, which is the first record of olive ridley nesting in the Gulf and is also the most northerly nesting account for the species in the Western Indian Ocean. Although few, these records suggest that the species lives and reproduces in the Persian Gulf.

In total, there are 11 confirmed records of the olive ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea, from the Persian Gulf through June 2015, including 9 and 2 records from northern and southern coasts of the Gulf, respectively. Furthermore, on 16 May 2013, nesting was recorded from Nayband Marine-Coastal National Park, which is the first record of olive ridley nesting in the Gulf and is also the most northerly nesting account for the species in the Western Indian Ocean. Although few, these records suggest that the species lives and reproduces in the Persian Gulf.

Five species of marine turtle are reported to occur in the territorial waters of Bangladesh: the olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), the green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) (Ahmed et al. 1986; Groombridge & Luxmoore 1986; Rashid 1997; Rashid et al. 1999). Sea turtles were omitted from the list of protected species of the Bangladesh Wildlife Preservation Amendment Act, Schedule III, of 1974.