Sea Turtles: Field Research and Conservation is a comprehensive reference of experiences with sea turtle species from global experts. This book looks at the human side of protecting and studying these unique animals around the world, as well as the challenges involved, such as cultural differences and conducting research in remote locations.Led by a renowned expert in sea turtle conservation, this book addresses the largest issue facing sea turtle species currently; nearly all species of sea turtles are endangered due to poaching, fishing snares, climate change, and more. Chapters in this book range from the use of cutting-edge technology to learn more about this elusive reptile, to working with communities with long histories of sea turtle trade and consumption. It provides readers with firsthand accounts of sea turtle conservation efforts from conservationists based around the world and offers important suggestions and solutions for ensuring the future of these sea turtle species.Sea Turtles: Field Research and Conservation is the ideal resource for field biologist and marine conservationists, specifically those working in marine herpetology and with sea turtle species. Policymakers concerned with marine conservation, wildlife protection, and sustainable development, will also find this a useful reference for efforts and directions to enact change and save sea turtles from extinction. - Offers examples of groundbreaking technology to conduct noninvasive sea turtle research - Written by global experts working in the field to study and protect sea turtle species - Includes human-to-human case studies and advice for collaborating with cultures and communities to save these endangered animals

"Turtle Conservation provides a comprehensive analysis of threats to turtles and tortoises worldwide. Considering the most significant problems facing the group, Michael Klemens and eighteen international experts on turtle biology and conservation chart successes and failures of past conservation programs, discuss the use of genetics and demography in turtle conservation, and propose more effective strategies that take into account chelonian biology as well as the economic and social situations affecting turtle conservation efforts. They review the outlook for marine, freshwater, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial species; show how turtles make poor candidates for most wild-harvest programs; and propose that turtle and tortoise conservation efforts be integrated into more broadly focused, locally supported land-use projects." "For land and wildlife managers as well as herpetologists and conservation biologists, this book provides a wide-ranging survey of efforts to conserve one of the world's most ancient and endangered groups."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Marine biologist James R. Spotila has spent much of his life unraveling the mysteries of these graceful creatures and working to ensure their survival. In "Sea Turtles," he offers a comprehensive and compelling account of their history and life cycle based on the most recent scientific data and suggests what we can be done to save them. Illustrated with stunning, full-color photographs. 0-808-8007-6$24.95 / Johns Hopkins University Press

The most comprehensive book ever written on leatherback sea turtles. Weighing as much as 2,000 pounds and reaching lengths of over seven feet, leatherback turtles are the world’s largest reptile. These unusual sea turtles have a thick, pliable shell that helps them to withstand great depths—they can swim more than one thousand meters below the surface in search of food. And what food source sustains these goliaths? Their diet consists almost exclusively of jellyfish, a meal they crisscross the oceans to find. Leatherbacks have been declining in recent decades, and some predict they will be gone by the end of this century. Why? Because of two primary factors: human redevelopment of nesting beaches and commercial fishing. There are only twenty-nine index beaches in the world where these turtles nest, and there is immense pressure to develop most of them into homes or resorts. At the same time, longline and gill net fisheries continue to overwhelm waters frequented by leatherbacks. In The Leatherback Turtle, James R. Spotila and Pilar Santidrián Tomillo bring together the world’s leading experts to produce a volume that reveals the biology of the leatherback while putting a spotlight on the conservation problems and solutions related to the species. The book leaves us with options: embark on the conservation strategy laid out within its pages and save one of nature’s most splendid creations, or watch yet another magnificent species disappear.

Here Plotkin and her colleagues reveal the nature of these species and the steps needed to make sure they remain a permanent part of the marine environment.

'This extraordinary book sets a new benchmark for science writing in India.' - RAMACHANDRA GUHA Tigers, elephants, lions and other large mammals have so far been central to India's conservation story. In spite of the country's vast coastline and millions being dependent on marine resources for their livelihoods, such species and habitats have been largely neglected in writings on wildlife. From Soup to Superstar provides the first comprehensive account of marine conservation in India, focusing on sea turtles, which are at once a fishery resource, a religious symbol and a conservation icon. Worshipped as Kurma, the incarnation of Vishnu, by several communities, these creatures have been part of folklore and mythology for over 2,000 years. Until the 1970s, there were large- and small-scale turtle fisheries in Odisha and the Gulf of Mannar, while eggs and meat were consumed along the rest of the coast. Since then, several conservation programmes have been led in these regions by naturalists, scientists, activists and concerned citizens with diverse, often conflicting, approaches. Globally, attention has centred on the mass-nesting beaches in Odisha, where over 1,00,000 turtles may nest simultaneously. New threats have emerged and elicited responses at local, national and international levels. Bringing together a range of issues and actors that have affected the world of sea turtles, filled with fascinating insights into scientific research and human-animal ecologies, this is a definitive chronicle of the efforts that have been made to protect these mysterious creatures in the last fifty years.

The green sea turtle is a majestic creature that has been in existence for more than 100 million years. Today, however, green sea turtles are in danger of extinction because of the careless actions of humans. This volume presents facts about the green sea turtle's biology, habitat, mating and nesting habits, and diet, before describing the harmful human behavior that threatens its very existence. With beautiful colorful photographs and practical applications for helping to save this and other endangered creatures, readers will learn the importance of conservation.