Saving the Turtles

The black sea turtle, a species once on the verge of extinction due to rampant exploitation, is experiencing a resurgence along the Michoacan coast of Western Mexico. Thanks to a dedicated coalition of local communities, biologists, conservation organizations and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the population of these turtles has increased from a mere 78 nesting females in 1988 to an estimated 32,000 in recent years, with nearly 100,000 nests protected.

“This synergy contributed significantly to recovering the black turtle population within a philosophy called community-based conservation,” says Carlos Delgado-Trejo, a biologist at the Michoacan University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo who has dedicated 35 years to studying and recovering the black sea turtle.

While it is not a separate species, the black sea turtle, scientifically known as Chelonia mydas agassizii, is a subspecies of the green sea turtle. It is distinct in physical appearance and behavior, characterized by its dark shell and smaller size. Black sea turtles are only found in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and Colola Beach in Mexico is the world’s most important nesting beach for them.

Sea turtles play a vital role in the marine environment as ecosystem engineers, facilitating nutrient flow by grazing on seagrass.

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“They are the spark plug for that nutrient flow,” says Jeffrey Seminoff, leader of the Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment program for NOAA, who has also worked with black sea turtles. “We hear this cliché when we talk about diversity—never knowing what each animal’s role is in the grand puzzle of biodiversity. But, for black turtles, we know exactly what their role is, and it’s super important.”

Historically, the black sea turtle faced severe threats from illegal egg harvesting and fishing quotas that allowed for the capture of hundreds of turtles each year for consumption. “In the 1970s, up to 70,000 eggs were taken nightly from Colola beach, significantly reducing hatchling recruitment,” explains Delgado-Trejo.

Hope emerged in the early 1980s when biologists from the Michoacan University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo set up camps to protect turtle nests. At first, some locals were unsure about these efforts, but gradually, local communities, especially the indigenous Nahua, started to see the importance of saving these turtles by understanding their vital role in the ecosystem. Adults took measurements of the turtles and marked females—even the kids got involved.

Children from the community regularly accompanied the biologists to the camp to collect nests, which were then moved to a hatchery to be watched and protected until they hatched and could be released, says Delgado-Trejo. In a short time, they had up to 60 children collecting nests. The kids were financially rewarded for each nest collected. “By getting the community involved, especially the kids, they helped create a new respect and appreciation for the turtles,” he adds.

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SEE Turtles, a U.S.-based conservation nonprofit that is the primary funder for the work at Colola Beach, offers opportunities for travelers to participate in the important work being carried out there.

“SEE Turtles believes the work at Colola Beach is one of the world’s most successful wildlife conservation projects and is a model for community engagement and restoration of sea turtle populations,” says Brad Nahill, SEE Turtles president. “We continue to fund this important work because sustaining this success is critical to the recovery of black sea turtles.”