Co-Editors, Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter
iotn.editors@gmail.com
Welcome to IOTN44, which includes articles on different threats to sea turtles. The first article reports on dead turtles from the southwest coast of India and the rescue of a live turtle found entangled in abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear associated with a fish aggregating device. This article also the tests the use of DNA barcoding for species identification for species identification of decomposed turtles.
With microplastic pollution an emerging threat on nesting beaches, our second article compares the efficiency of different salt solutions in isolating particles from sand samples in India and presents preliminary data on the abundance in surface sand. Next, The Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) shares its annual turtle diary describing the highs and lows, which include high nest temperatures and many stranded turtles, during their 2026 nesting season.
In more optimistic news, IOTN44 also includes a note describing the sighting of a rare leatherback turtle in the Lakshadweep Archipelago. We report on the recent 44th International Sea Turtle Society Symposium in Hawaiʻi and announce the 45th symposium will be held in South Africa, which is closer to home for most IOTN readers.
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