Leatherback Sea Turtle
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Leatherback Sea Turtle
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is a highly distinctive marine turtle whose biology, migrations, nesting ecology, population status, and conservation have been studied across much of the world's tropical, temperate, and even relatively cold ocean waters. Research in the uploaded literature documents leatherbacks in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Gulf of Mexico, waters around New Zealand, coastal Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and the Americas.
Leatherbacks are exceptional among living sea turtles because of their large size, flexible shell, capacity for deep diving, and ability to remain active in relatively cold water. Physiological studies have examined their thermal regulation, oxygen transport, buoyancy control, respiratory adaptations, metabolism, insulation, vision, and diving behavior. Their unusual biology allows them to travel across entire ocean basins while feeding primarily in productive marine areas.
Despite their wide distribution and remarkable adaptations, many leatherback populations have experienced severe declines. The literature documents especially serious concerns for several Pacific populations, while also showing that sustained protection of nesting beaches, reductions in harvest, fisheries management, habitat protection, monitoring, and international cooperation can improve conservation outcomes.
Biology and Physical Adaptations
Leatherbacks differ substantially from hard-shelled sea turtles. Their flexible carapace has been studied as a specialized biological structure capable of withstanding deformation during swimming and deep diving. Research has also investigated their large body size, metabolism, circulation, insulation, and ability to maintain body temperatures above surrounding seawater.
Their respiratory system is adapted to diving. Studies describe changes in the trachea and lungs during deep dives and examine how leatherbacks regulate buoyancy and oxygen use. Other work has investigated blood chemistry, respiratory rates, muscle metabolism, eye anatomy, and body temperatures.
Leatherbacks are among the deepest-diving reptiles studied. Tracking and behavioral research has documented both routine and exceptionally deep dives. Their ability to travel between warm nesting beaches and colder feeding grounds reflects a combination of anatomical, physiological, and behavioral adaptations.
Distribution, Migration, and Foraging
Leatherbacks are highly migratory. Satellite telemetry, acoustic tagging, aerial surveys, stable-isotope analysis, and other techniques have been used to follow individuals across thousands of kilometers of ocean.
Studies have identified important feeding and migration areas in the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, waters off South Africa, French Guiana, Cape Cod, New Zealand, and other regions. Some research shows leatherbacks moving between tropical nesting beaches and temperate feeding grounds, while other studies demonstrate that individuals may remain in productive feeding areas for extended periods.
Ocean currents, water temperature, prey availability, and broader oceanographic conditions influence leatherback movements. Research has also examined juvenile dispersal and the movements of newly hatched turtles after they enter the sea.
Leatherbacks feed heavily on gelatinous prey such as jellyfish. Studies of energetic requirements show how the turtles can obtain sufficient energy from prey with relatively low energy density by consuming large quantities and locating productive feeding areas.
Nesting and Reproduction
Leatherbacks nest on tropical and subtropical beaches in many parts of the world. Long-term studies have documented nesting populations in Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad, French Guiana, Brazil, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, and other locations.
Research has examined nest-site fidelity, clutch size, nesting intervals, egg development, hatchling emergence, maternal investment, mating systems, adult sex ratios, and reproductive physiology. Genetic studies indicate that leatherback mating systems can involve multiple mates.
Nest conditions strongly influence reproductive success. Temperature, sand moisture, nest depth, egg position, gas concentrations, beach characteristics, and local climate can affect embryonic development and hatchling survival. Predation and human disturbance can further reduce reproductive output.
Because sex determination in sea turtles is influenced by incubation temperature, changing beach temperatures have important demographic implications. Research has examined strongly female-biased hatchling production, hatchery translocation, nest shading, and other management approaches intended to address increasingly warm nesting environments.
Population Status and Global Declines
Leatherback populations do not all follow the same trajectory. Some nesting areas have shown conservation gains or record nesting activity, while others have experienced severe long-term declines.
Historical research documents the collapse of the once-prominent leatherback nesting population in Terengganu, Malaysia. Studies of Eastern Pacific populations have repeatedly warned of extremely low abundance and substantial extinction risk. Research off the United States West Coast has likewise documented a major decline in Pacific leatherbacks using important feeding areas.
Atlantic populations have also received extensive scientific and governmental assessment. Status reviews from the United States, Canada, and regional marine organizations examine abundance, distribution, threats, population structure, and recovery prospects.
At the same time, recent conservation reports describe encouraging developments in some regions. Long-term protection, reduced harvesting, community conservation, habitat management, and coordinated recovery programs have produced measurable benefits in several nesting areas.
Fisheries Bycatch and Other Human Threats
Fisheries interactions are among the most persistent threats documented in the leatherback literature. Leatherbacks can become hooked or entangled in longline fisheries, small-scale fisheries, nets, and other fishing gear.
Research has mapped areas where longline fishing activity overlaps with leatherback movements and has investigated fishing behavior associated with bycatch risk. Dynamic management tools have also been developed to help fishing fleets avoid locations where interactions with endangered turtles are more likely.
Government observer programs and annual fishery determinations are used to improve monitoring of sea-turtle interactions. Management measures in fisheries such as the Hawaiʻi shallow-set longline fishery are designed to reduce leatherback mortality.
Other human-related threats include marine debris, artificial lighting, coastal development, nest disturbance, historical egg harvesting, turtle hunting, pollution, and entanglement. Reports of debris ingestion and wildlife entanglement illustrate the continuing risks created by human activity in marine environments.
Climate Change and Environmental Pressures
Climate and ocean conditions affect leatherbacks throughout their life cycle. Research has linked sea-surface temperature to nesting timing, reproductive frequency, migration, and population dynamics.
High beach temperatures can alter hatchling sex ratios while also reducing hatching success. Studies suggest that extremely warm nesting conditions may produce more female hatchlings but can simultaneously increase embryo mortality and reduce overall reproductive output.
Sea-level rise threatens nesting beaches through erosion and habitat loss. Modeling studies have evaluated the vulnerability of nesting habitat on islands and other low-lying coastlines.
El Niño and La Niña conditions can also influence reproduction, food availability, and population dynamics. Research on Eastern Pacific leatherbacks shows that large-scale climatic variation can affect how often females reproduce and how successful nesting seasons become.
Conservationists have tested management responses including nest shading, relocation, and hatcheries. These interventions can provide benefits, but the literature also cautions that some techniques may create unintended demographic effects if they alter nest temperature or sex ratios.
Genetics and Population Structure
Genetic research has greatly expanded understanding of leatherback population structure. Studies using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA have identified distinct lineages, investigated connectivity among nesting populations, and examined relationships among leatherbacks from different ocean basins.
Research in Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, and other regions has identified genetically important nesting populations and management units. Genetic monitoring can help determine whether populations are isolated, interconnected, declining, or recovering.
Phylogeographic studies also provide insight into the evolutionary history of the species. Fossil and taxonomic research places modern leatherbacks within a much longer evolutionary history that includes extinct relatives.
Genetics has additionally been used to study mating systems, parental relationships, breeding sex ratios, and reproductive success.
Research and Monitoring
Leatherbacks have been the subject of decades of increasingly sophisticated monitoring. Satellite transmitters have revealed migration corridors, high-use areas, feeding grounds, diving behavior, and connections between nesting beaches and distant marine habitats.
Acoustic telemetry offers another method for long-term monitoring, while aerial surveys can document leatherback presence over large marine areas. Photo-identification and permanent electronic tags help researchers recognize individual turtles and estimate return intervals and population size.
Stable-isotope studies provide information about diet and foraging regions, sometimes validated with satellite telemetry. Genetic monitoring, veterinary examinations, microbiome research, pathology, and blood analysis provide additional information about population health.
These techniques have transformed leatherback conservation from a discipline focused primarily on nesting beaches into one that increasingly follows turtles throughout their oceanic life cycle.
Conservation and Recovery
Leatherback conservation requires protection across international boundaries because individuals regularly move through the waters of many nations. Recovery therefore depends on coordinated management of nesting beaches, migration corridors, feeding grounds, fisheries, and coastal habitats.
Conservation programs described in the literature include nest monitoring, beach patrols, tagging, habitat protection, community-based conservation, reductions in egg and turtle harvesting, fisheries management, rescue of entangled turtles, public education, and international research partnerships.
In the United States, leatherbacks are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Critical habitat has been designated along portions of the Pacific coast, and federal recovery plans and periodic status reviews identify priority conservation actions.
Community participation is particularly important in nesting regions. Programs in Indonesia, Panama, Costa Rica, and elsewhere demonstrate how local monitoring and protection can contribute to broader international recovery efforts.
Legal strategies have also expanded beyond conventional endangered-species protections. Panama has attracted attention for rights-of-nature approaches intended to strengthen legal protection of ecosystems and wildlife, including leatherback nesting habitat.
Historical Perspective
Scientific concern over leatherback conservation extends back many decades. Research from Trinidad and other nesting areas in the twentieth century documented nesting ecology and emerging conservation problems well before modern satellite tracking became available.
By the 1990s, long-term studies from Malaysia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, South Africa, Indonesia, and other regions were documenting both important nesting populations and serious declines. Global assessments during this period warned that some leatherback populations could disappear without stronger intervention.
Subsequent research has clarified the causes of decline while also identifying effective conservation approaches. The accumulated literature shows the value of long-term monitoring because leatherbacks mature slowly, migrate across enormous distances, and respond to environmental and human pressures operating over many years.
Conclusion
The leatherback sea turtle is one of the most remarkable long-distance migrants in the marine environment. Its flexible shell, large body size, deep-diving ability, thermal adaptations, and extensive migrations distinguish it from other living sea turtles.
The research collected here also demonstrates the complexity of leatherback conservation. Threats occur on nesting beaches and throughout the open ocean and include fisheries bycatch, habitat loss, climate change, marine debris, harvesting, coastal development, and other human pressures.
Conservation successes show that decline is not inevitable. Long-term nesting-beach protection, reduction of direct harvest, fisheries management, habitat conservation, scientific monitoring, international cooperation, and community participation can improve survival and recovery prospects.
The future of leatherback populations will depend on maintaining these efforts across their entire life cycle. Because individual turtles routinely cross national boundaries and connect distant marine ecosystems, protecting leatherbacks ultimately requires sustained cooperation at local, national, and international levels.
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Conservation, Recovery, Policy & Legal Protection
1. Leatherback Turtle
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | August 3, 2026
Provides an overview of leatherback biology, distribution, migration, conservation status, threats, critical habitat, and federal recovery efforts.
2. Tracking Lucero: Scientists follow a rare Eastern Pacific leatherback sea turtle
| Bobby Bascomb | Mongabay | May 26, 2026
Follows the satellite tracking of an Eastern Pacific leatherback and explains what its movements can reveal about a critically endangered population.
3. Good News Stories for Endangered Species Day 2026
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | May 15, 2026
Describes conservation gains for Indo-Pacific leatherbacks, including major reductions in turtle and egg harvesting in Indonesia's Kei Islands.
4. Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) react to impulsive sounds
| Samir H. Patel et al. | Scientific Reports | February 5, 2026
Examines behavioral reactions of leatherbacks to impulsive underwater sounds and considers implications for understanding noise disturbance.
5. Recap of Sea Turtle and Habitat Protection Efforts in 2025 with Yayasan Penyu Indonesia
| Yayasan Penyu Indonesia | Turtle Foundation / Yayasan Penyu Indonesia | 2026
Reviews Indonesian sea-turtle protection work, including habitat conservation, monitoring, community involvement, and leatherback satellite telemetry.
6. Final Annual Determination for 2026
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | September 17, 2025
Identifies fisheries requiring observers because of interactions with endangered sea turtles, including leatherbacks, to improve bycatch monitoring.
7. Leatherback Turtle Found Stranded at Porthleven
| Cornwall Wildlife Trust | Cornwall Wildlife Trust | September 5, 2025
Reports the rare stranding of a leatherback in Cornwall and discusses the species' seasonal presence in British waters.
8. Once Tripped Up, Now Guarded: The Story of the Leatherback Turtle on Buru Island
| Naufal Dafa; Ratih Rachma Ayustina | WWF Indonesia | July 24, 2025
Describes community-based efforts to protect leatherback turtles and nesting habitat on Indonesia's Buru Island.
9. Sea Turtle Week 2025: Celebrating Sea Turtle Conservation
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | June 6, 2025
Reviews conservation programs for threatened and endangered sea turtles, including research and recovery work benefiting leatherbacks.
10. Daily briefing: Sea-turtle conservation is working
| Flora Graham | Nature | April 23, 2025
Highlights evidence that sustained conservation programs can improve sea-turtle populations while noting that important threats remain.
11. New Global Assessment Reveals Hope for Marine Turtles, Highlights Urgent Need for Continued Conservation
| IUCN | International Union for Conservation of Nature | April 17, 2025
Summarizes a global sea-turtle assessment showing conservation successes while emphasizing that several leatherback populations remain severely threatened.
12. Recovering Endangered Indo-Pacific Leatherback Turtles
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | January 30, 2025
Reviews efforts to prevent extinction and promote recovery of endangered Indo-Pacific leatherback populations.
13. Final Annual Determination for 2025
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | November 4, 2024
Sets observer requirements for fisheries known to interact with sea turtles and supports collection of leatherback bycatch information.
14. Leatherback sea turtles: Where the world’s largest turtles go to eat
| Andrei Ionescu | Earth.com | February 21, 2024
Summarizes research identifying important feeding destinations used by Northwest Atlantic leatherbacks.
15. Tagging Wildlife Part 2 – Leatherback Sea Turtles
| Rick O’Connor | UF/IFAS Extension – Panhandle Outdoors | February 9, 2024
Explains how tagging helps researchers learn where leatherbacks travel, feed, and use marine habitat.
16. Should Endangered Turtles Have Legal Rights?
| Nina Burleigh | Smithsonian Magazine | January/February 2024
Examines leatherback conservation in Panama and the emerging legal strategy of granting enforceable rights to nature.
17. First Successful Head-start Program of Leatherback Sea Turtles in Thailand and Proposed Dietary Strategy
| T. Kanghae et al. | Zoo Biology | 2024
Reports results from Thailand's leatherback head-starting program and discusses captive feeding techniques for young turtles.
18. Proyecto Yaug Galu: Leatherback Conservation in Panama
| The Leatherback Project | The Leatherback Project | 2024
Describes nesting surveys, tagging, nest protection, and community conservation work for leatherbacks along Panama's Caribbean coast.
19. Rights of nature law in Panama aims to protect leatherback sea turtles
| Teresa Tomassoni | The Washington Post | August 26, 2023
Examines Panama's rights-of-nature framework and how conservationists hope it can strengthen protection of leatherback nesting beaches.
20. Celebrating People and Partnerships Saving Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtles
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | May 25, 2023
Highlights international partnerships working to reduce mortality and protect nesting and foraging habitat used by Pacific leatherbacks.
21. Final Sea Turtle Annual Determination for 2023
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | January 25, 2023
Identifies fisheries requiring observer coverage because of sea-turtle interactions and supports monitoring of leatherback bycatch.
22. Key issues in assessing threats to sea turtles: knowledge gaps and future directions
| Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes et al. | Endangered Species Research | 2023
Reviews major threats to sea turtles, limitations in existing knowledge, and research priorities needed to improve conservation decisions.
23. From leatherbacks to loggerheads – Saving endangered sea turtles
| Fauna & Flora | Fauna & Flora | June 13, 2022
Reviews community and conservation programs protecting leatherbacks and other threatened sea-turtle species at nesting sites.
24. Short-term gain, long-term loss: How a widely-used conservation tool could further threaten sea turtles
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Biological Conservation | September 2021
Examines how relocating sea-turtle nests can provide immediate benefits while potentially creating longer-term demographic risks.
25. Species in the Spotlight Priority Actions 2021–2025: Pacific Leatherback Turtle
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | April 21, 2021
Identifies priority actions intended to halt the decline and improve recovery prospects for the Pacific leatherback population.
26. 12-Month Finding on Petition to Identify Northwest Atlantic Leatherback Turtle Distinct Population Segment
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | August 10, 2020
Reviews scientific evidence concerning whether Northwest Atlantic leatherbacks should be recognized and listed separately under the Endangered Species Act.
27. Enhanced, coordinated conservation efforts required to avoid extinction of critically endangered Eastern Pacific leatherback turtles
| Bryan P. Wallace et al. | Scientific Reports | March 2020
Assesses the severe status of Eastern Pacific leatherbacks and calls for coordinated protection across nesting and marine habitats.
28. Conserving the Leatherback Sea Turtle
| Ricardo F. Tapilatu | The Jakarta Post | May 26, 2016
Discusses the importance of Indonesian nesting beaches and conservation measures needed to protect western Pacific leatherbacks.
29. Coastal leatherback turtles reveal conservation hotspot
| Nathan J. Robinson et al. | Scientific Reports | 2016
Uses tracking data to identify intensively used coastal habitat that may represent an important conservation hotspot for leatherbacks.
30. Estimating Limit Reference Points for Western Pacific Leatherback Turtles
| K. A. Curtis; J. E. Moore; S. R. Benson | PLOS ONE | 2015
Develops population reference points that can help managers judge whether mortality levels are compatible with western Pacific leatherback recovery.
31. Leatherback Sea Turtle 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation
| NOAA Fisheries; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | NOAA Fisheries | November 11, 2013
Evaluates new scientific information on leatherback status, threats, recovery, and whether Endangered Species Act protections remain appropriate.
32. Leatherback sea turtles granted massive protected area along U.S. west coast
| Jeremy Hance | Mongabay | January 23, 2012
Reports the designation of extensive critical habitat along the U.S. West Coast for Pacific leatherback sea turtles.
33. More Than 40,000 Square Miles Protected for Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtles
| Center for Biological Diversity et al. | Center for Biological Diversity | January 20, 2012
Describes federal protection of tens of thousands of square miles of marine habitat important to Pacific leatherbacks.
34. Critical Habitat Designation for Leatherback Sea Turtles Along the U.S. West Coast
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | January 2012
Explains designation of extensive Pacific coastal waters as critical habitat because of their importance as leatherback feeding areas.
35. Acinetobacter sp. HM746599 isolated from leatherback turtle blood
| G. Soslau et al. | FEMS Microbiology Letters | 2011
Reports isolation and characterization of an Acinetobacter bacterium from leatherback turtle blood.
36. Population level flipperedness in the Eastern Pacific leatherback turtle
| A. E. Sieg et al. | Behavioural Brain Research | 2010
Examines lateralized flipper use by Eastern Pacific leatherbacks and considers evidence for population-level behavioral preferences.
37. Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific Populations of the Leatherback Turtle
| NOAA Fisheries; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | NOAA Fisheries | January 12, 1998
Establishes recovery objectives and conservation actions for Pacific leatherbacks occurring in U.S. waters.
38. Leatherback Turtles on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands: Fifteen Years of Conservation
Reviews 15 years of monitoring and protection of a small but intensively studied leatherback nesting population on St. Croix.
39. Decline of the Leatherback Population in Terengganu, Malaysia, 1956–1995
| Eng-Heng Chan; Hock-Chark Liew | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Chronicles the collapse of the once-famous Terengganu leatherback nesting population and examines factors contributing to its decline.
40. Listing of Leatherback Sea Turtles Under the Endangered Species Act
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | June 2, 1970
Documents the federal endangered listing of the leatherback turtle, establishing the foundation for later U.S. recovery and habitat protections.
Population Status, Distribution & Regional Records
41. Leatherback turtle presence in the seas of the Arabian Peninsula: A review with the first confirmed record from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea
| Juan Pablo Torres-Florez et al. | Regional Studies in Marine Science | August 2026
Reviews leatherback turtle records around the Arabian Peninsula and reports the first confirmed live record from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea.
42. Leatherback Turtle Status Assessment
| OSPAR Commission | OSPAR | 2022
Assesses leatherback distribution, abundance, threats, and conservation status within the Northeast Atlantic marine environment.
43. Leatherback Sea Turtle, Atlantic Population: COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report
| COSEWIC | Government of Canada | 2022
Reviews the status, biology, distribution, population trends, and threats affecting Atlantic leatherbacks occurring in Canadian waters.
44. First documented record of the leatherback turtle from Djibouti waters
Documents the first confirmed leatherback record from Djibouti and expands knowledge of the species' distribution in the region.
45. Pacific Leatherback Turtles off the West Coast Disappearing, New Survey Shows
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | 2021
Reports a major long-term decline in leatherbacks foraging off the U.S. West Coast and stresses the need for international conservation.
46. Status Review of the Leatherback Turtle
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | August 12, 2020
Provides a comprehensive scientific review of leatherback population structure, trends, threats, and conservation status worldwide.
47. Leatherback Sea Turtle Tracks Identified in Australia's Top End
| Courtney Fowler | ABC Rural | September 12, 2016
Reports rare evidence of leatherback nesting activity in northern Australia and its significance for regional conservation.
48. Pacific Leatherback Turtles Face Extinction
| James R. Spotila et al. | Nature | 2000
Documents the dramatic collapse of major Pacific leatherback nesting populations and warns that extinction could occur without urgent action.
49. Worldwide Population Decline of Leatherback Turtles: Are Leatherback Turtles Going Extinct?
| James R. Spotila et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Synthesizes global nesting information and warns of severe population declines, particularly among Pacific leatherbacks.
Fisheries, Bycatch, Pollution & Human Threats
50. Hawaiʻi Shallow-set Longline Fishery Interactions with Leatherback Sea Turtles
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | 2026
Tracks leatherback interactions with Hawaiʻi's shallow-set longline fishery and explains federal measures used to limit bycatch of the endangered turtles.
51. A systematic review protocol for quantifying bycatch of critically endangered leatherback sea turtles within the Pacific Ocean basin
| Anna A. Ortega et al. | Environmental Evidence | November 29, 2024
Establishes a systematic approach for evaluating evidence about fisheries bycatch affecting critically endangered Pacific leatherbacks.
52. Characterising surface longline fishing fleet behaviour in relation to leatherback bycatch
| New Zealand Department of Conservation | Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai | August 2024
Examines longline fishing behavior in relation to leatherback bycatch risk and opportunities for reducing harmful interactions.
53. Accidental Ingestion of the Largest Marine Debris Recorded in a Leatherback Turtle
| Study authors | Marine Pollution Bulletin | 2024
Documents an extreme case of marine-debris ingestion and illustrates the continuing threat plastics and other waste pose to leatherbacks.
54. Review of Commercial Fishing Interactions with Marine Reptiles
| New Zealand Department of Conservation | Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai | July 2022
Reviews documented sea-turtle captures in New Zealand fisheries, with leatherbacks accounting for most recorded turtle interactions.
55. Sixth Giant Endangered Leatherback Turtle Found Dead on Central Coast
| Sofie Wainwright; Scott Levi | ABC News | April 22, 2022
Reports a cluster of leatherback deaths along Australia's Central Coast and concerns over the causes of the unusual mortality.
56. Rapid assessments of leatherback small-scale fishery bycatch in internesting areas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean
| Clara Ortiz-Alvarez et al. | Frontiers in Marine Science | January 21, 2020
Evaluates interactions between leatherbacks and small-scale fisheries near nesting areas in the Eastern Pacific.
57. Pathological Findings in Leatherback Sea Turtles During an Unusual Mortality Event in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2016
| P. C. Santos-Costa et al. | Journal of Comparative Pathology | 2020
Describes pathological findings from leatherbacks examined during an unusual mortality event along the Brazilian coast.
58. Final Rule: Sea Turtle Limits in the Hawaiʻi Shallow-set Longline Fishery
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | 2020
Establishes limits and management measures designed to reduce interactions between Hawaiʻi longline vessels and leatherback sea turtles.
59. Rare Leatherback Turtle Death Sparks Calls for Shark-net Cooperation
| Leah White | ABC News | April 12, 2018
Reports the death of a leatherback in an Australian shark net and debate over improving responses to entangled threatened wildlife.
60. High and variable mortality of leatherback turtles reveal possible anthropogenic impacts
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Ecology | 2017
Examines patterns of leatherback mortality and evaluates evidence that human activities may contribute substantially to population losses.
61. Rangers Rescue Entangled Leatherback on Seychelles' Aride Island
| Sharon Uranie | Seychelles News Agency | March 26, 2016
Describes the rescue of a leatherback entangled in marine debris and highlights entanglement as a threat to ocean wildlife.
62. TurtleWatch 2.0: A Dynamic Management Tool for Reducing Sea Turtle Bycatch
| Evan A. Howell et al. | Fisheries Oceanography | 2015
Develops an oceanographic forecasting approach to help fishing fleets avoid areas where leatherback bycatch risk is elevated.
63. Predicting Hotspots of Interaction Between Critically Endangered Leatherback Turtles and Longline Fisheries in the Pacific Ocean
| John H. Roe et al. | Proceedings of the Royal Society B | 2014
Maps areas where leatherback movements overlap with longline fishing effort to identify priority zones for bycatch reduction.
64. Potentially lethal bacteria in leatherback turtle eggs in the wild threaten both turtles and conservationists
| G. Soslau et al. | Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology | 2011
Identifies potentially harmful bacteria associated with leatherback eggs and discusses risks to developing turtles and people handling nests.
65. Environmental and anthropogenic impacts on intra-specific variation in leatherback turtles: opportunities for targeted research and conservation
| Bryan P. Wallace; Vincent S. Saba | Endangered Species Research | 2009
Reviews environmental and human influences on differences among leatherback populations and identifies opportunities for targeted conservation.
66. Effects of illegal harvest of eggs on the population decline of leatherback turtles in Las Baulas Marine National Park, Costa Rica
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Conservation Biology | 2008
Evaluates how historical illegal egg collection contributed to decline of the leatherback population nesting at Las Baulas.
67. Subsistence Hunting of Leatherback Turtles in the Kai Islands, Indonesia
| Alexis Suarez; Christopher H. Starbird | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Documents traditional hunting of leatherbacks in eastern Indonesia and discusses its potential impact on western Pacific populations.
Climate & Environmental Change
68. Global Insights from a Decade of Nesting Data: Climate Effects on Leatherback Reproduction
| Rubén Vinueza-Chérrez et al. | Journal of Thermal Biology | July 2025
Uses long-term nesting data to examine relationships among environmental temperature, reproduction, and leatherback nesting performance.
69. Massachusetts Cold-stunned Sea Turtles: A Sign of Climate Change?
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | June 18, 2024
Discusses cold-stunning events and changing sea-turtle distributions, providing climate context relevant to leatherbacks and other marine turtles.
70. Adaptation of sea turtles to climate warming: Will phenological responses be sufficient to counteract changes in reproductive output?
| Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes et al. | Global Change Biology | 2024
Investigates whether shifts in nesting timing can adequately compensate for climate-driven changes in sea-turtle reproductive success.
71. Increased captures of the critically endangered leatherback turtle around New Zealand: the contribution of warming seas and fisher behavior
| Matthew R. Dunn et al. | Frontiers in Marine Science | June 7, 2023
Investigates increasing leatherback captures around New Zealand and evaluates the roles of ocean warming and fishing activity.
72. Effect of water temperature on the duration of the internesting interval across sea turtle species
| Nathan J. Robinson et al. | Journal of Thermal Biology | 2022
Studies how water temperature influences the interval between successive nesting events in leatherbacks and other sea turtles.
73. When population-advantageous primary sex ratios are female-biased: changing concepts to facilitate climate change management in sea turtles
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo | Climatic Change | 2022
Reconsiders assumptions about female-biased hatchling sex ratios and their implications for managing sea turtles under climate change.
74. Effects of egg mass and local climate on morphology of East Pacific leatherback turtle hatchlings in Costa Rica
| A. Bandimere et al. | Marine Ecology Progress Series | 2021
Investigates how egg characteristics and local climatic conditions influence the size and morphology of leatherback hatchlings.
75. The impacts of extreme El Niño events on sea turtle nesting populations
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Climatic Change | 2020
Investigates how extreme El Niño conditions affect nesting populations and reproductive processes of sea turtles including leatherbacks.
76. Predicting the impacts of sea level rise in sea turtle nesting habitat on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea
| Callie A. Veelenturf et al. | PLOS ONE | 2020
Models how rising sea levels could alter or reduce nesting habitat used by leatherbacks and other sea turtles on Bioko Island.
77. Effectiveness of shading to mitigate the impact of high temperature on sea turtle clutches considering the effect on primary sex ratios
| J. Vindas-Picado et al. | Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change | 2020
Evaluates nest shading as a climate-adaptation technique and considers its effects on incubation temperatures and hatchling sex ratios.
78. Phenology Shifts in Leatherback Turtles Due to Changes in Sea Surface Temperature
| N. Neeman et al. | Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology | 2015
Investigates changes in leatherback nesting timing associated with variation in sea-surface temperatures.
79. Climate change overruns resilience conferred by temperature-dependent sex determination in sea turtles and threatens their survival
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Global Change Biology | 2015
Examines whether temperature-dependent sex determination can buffer leatherback populations from increasingly warm nesting conditions.
80. Global analysis of the effect of local climate on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Scientific Reports | 2015
Compares leatherback nesting sites globally to determine how local climatic conditions affect hatchling production.
81. High beach temperatures increase female-biased primary sex ratios but reduce output of female hatchlings in the leatherback turtle
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Biological Conservation | 2014
Shows how very warm nesting conditions can produce strongly female-biased sex ratios while simultaneously reducing successful hatchling production.
82. Climate Driven Egg and Hatchling Mortality Threatens Survival of Eastern Pacific Leatherback Turtles
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | PLOS ONE | May 23, 2012
Links climate conditions to egg and hatchling mortality and assesses the implications for survival of Eastern Pacific leatherbacks.
83. Projected response of an endangered marine turtle population to climate change
| Vincent S. Saba et al. | Nature Climate Change | 2012
Models how an endangered leatherback population may respond to future climatic conditions affecting reproduction and population dynamics.
84. Changed reproductive schedule of leatherback turtles in the eastern Pacific following the 1997/98 transition from El Niño to La Niña conditions
| R. D. Reina et al. | Endangered Species Research | 2009
Documents changes in leatherback reproductive timing following the major shift from El Niño to La Niña conditions in 1997–1998.
85. Environmental Forcing on Life-history Strategies: Evidence from Marine Predators Including Leatherback Turtles
| R. M. Suryan et al. | Progress in Oceanography | 2009
Explores how ocean conditions influence movement, feeding, reproduction, and life-history strategies of marine predators including leatherbacks.
86. Bottom-up and climatic forcing on the worldwide population of leatherback turtles
| Vincent S. Saba et al. | Ecology | 2008
Investigates relationships among climate, marine productivity, and long-term population dynamics of leatherbacks around the world.
87. The effect of El Niño Southern Oscillation on the reproductive frequency of eastern Pacific leatherback turtles
| Vincent S. Saba et al. | Journal of Applied Ecology | 2007
Investigates how El Niño–Southern Oscillation conditions influence how frequently Eastern Pacific leatherbacks reproduce.
Nesting, Reproduction, Eggs & Hatchlings
88. Our Nation’s Nature: Sea Turtle Nesting Season
| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | June 2026
Highlights sea-turtle nesting conservation in the United States, including protection of leatherback nests, adults, and hatchlings.
89. Critically endangered leatherback turtles return to nest in Nicaragua
| Fauna & Flora | Phys.org | January 15, 2026
Reports the return of critically endangered Eastern Pacific leatherbacks to Nicaraguan nesting beaches and ongoing conservation work.
90. Record-Breaking Nesting Season for Leatherback Sea Turtles
| Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management | Palm Beach County | December 3, 2025
Reports a record leatherback nesting season in Palm Beach County and highlights long-term monitoring and beach conservation.
91. Sea-turtle nesting season has started
| Newsday Reporter | Trinidad and Tobago Newsday | March 1, 2025
Covers the beginning of Trinidad and Tobago's nesting season, where leatherbacks are a prominent component of coastal conservation efforts.
92. Clearwater Marine Aquarium Documents Rare Leatherback Turtle Hatchlings
| Clearwater Marine Aquarium | Clearwater Marine Aquarium | July 19, 2024
Reports documentation of rarely observed leatherback hatchlings and the nesting work used to monitor and protect them.
93. First Sea Turtle Nest Laid by Leatherback
| Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation | SCCF | April 24, 2024
Reports a leatherback as the first documented sea turtle to nest locally during the 2024 nesting season.
94. The effects of nest location and beach environment on hatching success for leatherback and green sea turtles on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea
| Callie A. Veelenturf et al. | Marine Biology | 2022
Examines how nest placement and beach conditions influence leatherback and green-turtle hatching outcomes on Bioko Island.
95. Leatherback turtle nest numbers in south Florida double previous record
| Maya Yang and agency | The Guardian | November 3, 2021
Reports a major increase in documented leatherback nests in southern Florida and considers the role of long-term protection.
96. Pathology of Leatherback Sea Turtle Embryos and Hatchlings from St. Kitts
| Kristine Hill et al. | Journal of Wildlife Diseases | 2019
Examines disease and developmental abnormalities in leatherback embryos and hatchlings to identify factors contributing to reproductive loss.
97. Depth of the drying front and temperature affect emergence of leatherback turtles
| J. Swiggs et al. | Marine Biology | 2018
Investigates how nest-sand moisture conditions and temperature influence the emergence of leatherback hatchlings.
98. Secondary nesting beaches for leatherback turtles on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research | 2017
Documents secondary leatherback nesting beaches in Costa Rica and considers their importance to regional conservation.
99. The 2015–2016 Nesting Season Comes to a Close
| The Leatherback Trust | The Leatherback Trust | May 25, 2016
Reviews leatherback nesting activity and conservation work conducted during the season at protected Costa Rican beaches.
100. Core and body surface temperatures of nesting leatherback turtles
Measures body temperatures of nesting leatherbacks to improve understanding of thermoregulation in this unusually large reptile.
101. Leatherback Hatchling Sea-finding in Response to Artificial Lighting: Interaction Between Wavelength and Moonlight
| M. Rivas et al. | Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology | 2015
Examines how artificial-light wavelengths and natural moonlight interact to affect hatchlings attempting to orient toward the sea.
102. Multidecadal trends in the nesting phenology of Pacific and Atlantic leatherback turtles are associated with population demography
| Nathan J. Robinson et al. | Endangered Species Research | June 13, 2014
Examines long-term changes in nesting dates and links differences between populations to demographic patterns.
103. Characteristics of a leatherback nesting beach and implications for coastal development
| J. H. Roe; P. R. Clune; F. V. Paladino | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | 2013
Examines physical characteristics of leatherback nesting habitat and discusses how coastal development may affect suitable nesting areas.
104. Embryonic death is linked to maternal identity in the leatherback turtle
| A. R. Rafferty et al. | PLOS ONE | 2011
Investigates variation in embryonic mortality among leatherback nests and finds that maternal identity helps explain differences in survival.
105. Trace Metals in Eggs and Hatchlings of Pacific Leatherback Turtles Nesting at Playa Grande, Costa Rica
| J. H. Roe et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | 2011
Measures trace metals in leatherback eggs and hatchlings to investigate potential contaminant exposure at a major Costa Rican nesting beach.
106. Sex ratios of leatherback turtles: hatchery translocation decreases metabolic heating and female-bias
| A. E. Sieg et al. | Endangered Species Research | 2011
Examines how moving leatherback nests into hatcheries can alter nest temperature, metabolic heating, and resulting hatchling sex ratios.
107. Predation of leatherback turtle hatchlings on the crawl to the water
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | 2010
Quantifies predation occurring as leatherback hatchlings cross the beach from nests to the ocean.
108. Variations in leatherback turtle nest environments: consequences for hatching success
| K. Garrett et al. | Endangered Species Research | 2010
Investigates differences among leatherback nest environments and how those conditions influence hatching success.
109. Influence of emergence success on the annual reproductive output of leatherback turtles
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Marine Biology | 2009
Examines how variation in hatchling emergence success affects the total annual reproductive output of nesting leatherbacks.
110. Nesting Biology and Conservation of the Leatherback Sea Turtle in Espírito Santo, Brazil, 1988–2004
| João C. A. Thomé et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | May 2007
Summarizes long-term nesting trends and conservation efforts at Brazil's principal leatherback nesting area.
111. Reassessment of the leatherback turtle population nesting at Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas, Costa Rica: Effects of conservation efforts
| Pilar Santidrián Tomillo et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | 2007
Reassesses the status of the Las Baulas leatherback nesting population and evaluates the effects and limitations of conservation measures.
112. Maternal investment in reproduction and its consequences in leatherback turtles
| Bryan P. Wallace et al. | Oecologia | 2007
Examines how female leatherbacks allocate energy to eggs and nesting and how that investment influences reproductive outcomes.
113. Blood Values in Free-ranging Nesting Leatherback Sea Turtles in Gabon
| Sharon L. Deem et al. | Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine | December 2006
Establishes hematology and blood-chemistry measurements useful for evaluating the health of nesting leatherbacks.
114. Density-dependent Nest Destruction and Leatherback Turtle Reproduction in French Guiana
| S. Caut; V. Hulin; M. Girondot | Animal Conservation | 2006
Examines how high nesting density can lead females to disturb or destroy previously laid nests on crowded beaches.
115. Effect of Egg Location and Respiratory Gas Concentrations on Developmental Success in Leatherback Nests
| C. R. Ralph et al. | Australian Journal of Zoology | 2005
Investigates how position within the nest and changing oxygen and carbon-dioxide levels affect embryo development and survival.
116. Nest site fidelity of leatherback turtles at Playa Grande, Costa Rica
| E. D. Nordmoe et al. | Animal Behaviour | 2004
Examines how consistently individual female leatherbacks return to particular portions of Playa Grande when selecting nest sites.
117. Biotic and abiotic factors affect the nest environment of embryonic leatherback turtles
| Bryan P. Wallace et al. | Physiological and Biochemical Zoology | 2004
Investigates biological and physical factors shaping incubation conditions experienced by developing leatherback embryos.
118. Low Reproductive Success of Leatherback Turtles Due to High Embryonic Mortality
| B. A. Bell et al. | Biological Conservation | 2003
Investigates high embryonic mortality as an important factor limiting reproductive output in leatherback nesting populations.
119. Leatherback Turtle Nesting at Gandoca Beach, Costa Rica, 1990–1997
| Didiher Chacón Chaverri | Revista de Biología Tropical | 1999
Summarizes nesting abundance, reproductive characteristics, threats, and conservation activities at Gandoca on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast.
120. Sex Determination and Sex Ratios of Pacific Leatherback Turtles
| C. A. Binckley et al. | Copeia | 1998
Examines temperature-dependent sex determination and estimated hatchling sex ratios in Pacific leatherback nests.
121. Nesting of the Leatherback Turtle in Tongaland, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 1963–1995
| George R. Hughes | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Presents more than three decades of leatherback nesting data from one of Africa's longest-running sea-turtle monitoring programs.
122. Leatherback Turtle Nesting and Nest Success at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, in 1990–1991
| Alison J. Leslie et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Documents leatherback nesting activity, clutch production, and nest success at the important Caribbean nesting beach of Tortuguero.
123. Leatherback Turtle Nesting at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, in 1995
| Cathi L. Campbell et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Reports nesting abundance and reproductive observations from the 1995 leatherback season at Tortuguero.
124. Nesting Leatherback Turtles at Las Baulas National Park, Costa Rica
| Anthony C. Steyermark et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Describes nesting patterns and conservation concerns at Las Baulas, historically one of the most important Eastern Pacific rookeries.
125. Leatherback Turtles Nesting in French Guiana, 1978–1995
| Marc Girondot; Jacques Fretey | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Summarizes nearly two decades of nesting observations from one of the world's largest Atlantic leatherback rookeries.
126. Respiratory Physiology of Adult Leatherback Turtles While Nesting on Land
| Frank V. Paladino et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Examines breathing physiology in nesting females and adaptations allowing this primarily oceanic animal to function while ashore.
127. Reproductive Physiology of Nesting Leatherback Turtles at Las Baulas National Park
| David C. Rostal et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Investigates hormones and reproductive cycles in female leatherbacks during the nesting season.
128. Reproduction and Conservation of the Leatherback Turtle at Gandoca, Costa Rica
| D. Chacón et al. | Revista de Biología Tropical | 1996
Describes reproductive biology and early conservation work protecting leatherbacks nesting at Gandoca on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast.
129. Incubation Temperatures and Sex Ratios in Malaysian Leatherback Turtles
| Eng-Heng Chan; Hock-Chark Liew | Biological Conservation | 1995
Examines nest temperature and temperature-dependent sex determination in the formerly large Malaysian leatherback population.
130. Seasonal Variation in Clutch Size of the Leatherback Turtle
| Anton D. Tucker; Nat B. Frazer | Journal of Herpetology | March 1994
Investigates seasonal changes in the number and size of eggs laid by leatherbacks during a nesting season.
131. Observations on Leatherback Turtles Nesting at Piguwa, Papua New Guinea
| Study authors | Biological Conservation | 1993
Provides early information on leatherback nesting in Papua New Guinea, a region now recognized as crucial to western Pacific conservation.
Migration, Movement, Diving & Foraging
132. Do Sea Turtles Get Lost?
| Amanda Dickinson | Ocean Conservancy | August 27, 2026
Explores how sea turtles navigate enormous ocean distances and how species such as leatherbacks locate feeding and nesting areas.
133. Leatherback migrations
| Olivia Milloway | Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute | October 30, 2024
Explains research into the long-distance migrations of leatherback turtles and the oceanographic conditions associated with their movements.
134. Study Identifies Potential Foraging Areas Used by Endangered Leatherback Turtles
| NOAA NCCOS | National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science | April 17, 2024
Describes research identifying important Northwest Atlantic leatherback feeding areas using movement data and oceanographic conditions.
135. Where the Leatherbacks Roam
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | March 26, 2024
Describes satellite-tracking research revealing important leatherback foraging areas and migratory movements in the Northwest Atlantic.
136. Where the leatherbacks roam: movement behavior analyses reveal novel foraging locations along the Northwest Atlantic shelf
| Mitchell J. Rider et al. | Frontiers in Marine Science | February 20, 2024
Uses movement data to identify previously underappreciated leatherback foraging habitat along the Northwest Atlantic continental shelf.
137. Spatial ecology and conservation of leatherback turtles nesting in Bioko, Equatorial Guinea
| Francesco Garzon et al. | PLOS ONE | June 14, 2023
Uses tracking data to study movements of leatherbacks nesting on Bioko and identify marine areas relevant to conservation.
138. Leatherback Turtles in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico: Foraging and Migration Behavior During the Autumn and Winter
| Christopher R. Sasso et al. | Frontiers in Marine Science | April 28, 2021
Uses tracking information to describe seasonal foraging and migration by leatherbacks in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
139. Environmental and Biological Factors Influencing Dispersal of Neonate Leatherback Turtles from a Costa Rican Nesting Population
| Study authors | Frontiers in Marine Science | November 6, 2020
Examines how currents, swimming behavior, and environmental conditions influence the early ocean dispersal of leatherback hatchlings.
140. Nearshore neonate dispersal of Atlantic leatherback turtles from a non-recovering subpopulation
| Aimee L. Hoover et al. | Scientific Reports | October 30, 2020
Examines the early dispersal of newly hatched Atlantic leatherbacks from a nesting population that has not shown sustained recovery.
141. Modeling the active dispersal of juvenile leatherback turtles in the North Atlantic Ocean
| Maxime Lalire; Philippe Gaspar | Movement Ecology | February 28, 2019
Models how juvenile leatherbacks combine swimming behavior with ocean currents while dispersing through the North Atlantic.
142. Pre-nesting Movements and Behavior of Leatherback Sea Turtles in the Northwest Atlantic
| Emily P. Bond; Michael C. James | Frontiers in Marine Science | July 20, 2017
Tracks female leatherbacks before nesting and examines movements through northern Atlantic foraging and migratory habitat.
143. Movements and diving behavior of inter-nesting leatherback turtles in an oceanographically dynamic habitat in South Africa
| Nathan J. Robinson et al. | Marine Ecology Progress Series | 2017
Examines movements and diving patterns of nesting leatherbacks using dynamic coastal waters in South Africa.
144. Natural Nomads, Leatherback Turtles Opt to Stay in Place
| Blaine Friedlander | Cornell Chronicle | December 1, 2016
Reports research showing that some leatherbacks remain in productive feeding regions longer than expected instead of continually migrating.
145. Fine-Scale Monitoring of Routine Deep Dives by Gravid Leatherback Turtles during the Internesting Interval Indicate a Capital Breeding Strategy
| Junichi Okuyama et al. | Frontiers in Marine Science | September 13, 2016
Uses fine-scale dive records from gravid leatherbacks to investigate energy use and reproductive strategy during the nesting season.
146. Resource Requirements of the Pacific Leatherback Turtle Population
| T. Todd Jones et al. | PLOS ONE | October 5, 2012
Estimates energetic and prey requirements of Pacific leatherbacks and explores their ecological role as large jellyfish predators.
147. Jellyfish Support High Energy Intake of Leatherback Sea Turtles
| Susan G. Heaslip et al. | PLOS ONE | March 16, 2012
Demonstrates how leatherbacks can obtain enough energy from jellyfish despite the prey's low energy density.
148. Tracheal Collapse and Reinflation During Deep Diving in the Leatherback Turtle
| Study authors | Journal of Experimental Biology | 2012
Examines anatomical adaptations that allow leatherbacks to collapse and reinflate their respiratory system during very deep dives.
149. Large-scale Movements and High-use Areas of Western Pacific Leatherback Turtles
| Scott R. Benson et al. | Ecosphere | 2011
Uses satellite telemetry to identify migration corridors and intensively used areas spanning much of the Pacific Ocean.
150. Behaviour and Buoyancy Regulation in the World's Deepest-diving Reptile
| Sabrina Fossette et al. | Journal of Experimental Biology | 2010
Investigates how leatherbacks regulate buoyancy and swimming during dives reaching extraordinary depths.
151. The Fat of the Matter: Leatherback Head Insulation and Cold-water Foraging
| John Davenport et al. | Journal of Experimental Biology | September 1, 2009
Examines fatty tissue around the leatherback head and its role in maintaining function while feeding in cold water.
152. The Extraordinary Deep-diving Behaviour of the Leatherback Turtle
| Jonathan D. R. Houghton et al. | Journal of Experimental Biology | August 2008
Documents exceptionally deep leatherback dives and evaluates possible explanations for this unusual diving behavior.
153. Dive and Beak Movement Patterns in Leatherback Turtles Foraging off French Guiana
| Sabrina Fossette et al. | Journal of Animal Ecology | March 2008
Uses dive and jaw-movement data to investigate when and where leatherbacks capture prey during oceanic dives.
154. Leatherback turtles as oceanographic indicators: stable isotope analyses reveal a trophic dichotomy between ocean basins
| Bryan P. Wallace et al. | Marine Biology | 2006
Uses stable-isotope analysis to compare leatherback feeding ecology between ocean basins and explores their value as indicators of marine ecosystems.
155. Respiratory frequency, dive behaviour and social interactions of leatherback turtles during the inter-nesting interval
| Richard D. Reina et al. | Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology | 2005
Examines breathing rates, diving patterns, and interactions among female leatherbacks during intervals between nesting events.
156. Bioenergetics and diving activity of internesting leatherback turtles at Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas, Costa Rica
| Bryan P. Wallace et al. | Journal of Experimental Biology | 2005
Investigates energy expenditure and diving activity of leatherbacks remaining near Costa Rican nesting beaches between clutches.
157. Behavioural Aspects of the Leatherback Turtle's Migratory Cycle
Uses satellite telemetry to reveal migration behavior and seasonal movements between temperate feeding areas and tropical nesting regions.
158. Current Transport of Leatherback Sea Turtles in the Ocean
| Paolo Luschi et al. | Proceedings of the Royal Society B | 2003
Examines the extent to which ocean currents influence leatherback migration routes and movement across large marine regions.
159. A 7,000-km Oceanic Journey by a Leatherback Turtle
| Paolo Luschi et al. | Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology | November 1998
Uses satellite telemetry to document an exceptionally long leatherback migration and demonstrate the species' ocean-basin-scale movements.
160. Shallow-water Diving by Leatherback Turtles in the South China Sea
| Scott A. Eckert et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Uses telemetry to describe diving patterns of leatherbacks moving through comparatively shallow tropical marine habitat.
Biology, Physiology, Health & Anatomy
161. Baseline Skin Microbiota of the Leatherback Sea Turtle
| Study authors | Microorganisms | May 1, 2024
Characterizes bacterial communities living on leatherback skin and establishes baseline information that may assist future health assessments.
162. Primary Multicentric Pulmonary Low-grade Fibromyxoid Sarcoma and Chelonid Alphaherpesvirus 5 Detection in a Leatherback Sea Turtle
| J. Díaz-Delgado et al. | Journal of Comparative Pathology | April 2019
Documents a rare tumor and herpesvirus detection in a leatherback, contributing to knowledge of disease in the species.
163. Assortative epibiosis of leatherback, olive ridley and green sea turtles in the Eastern Tropical Pacific
Examines the organisms living on the bodies of leatherback, olive ridley, and green turtles in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
164. Coccidial infection of the adrenal glands of leatherback sea turtles
| Sara D. Ferguson et al. | Journal of Wildlife Diseases | 2016
Describes coccidial infection affecting the adrenal glands of leatherbacks and contributes to knowledge of sea-turtle pathology.
165. The Leatherback Turtle: Biology and Conservation
| Raymond R. Carthy | Herpetological Review / U.S. Geological Survey | 2016
Reviews leatherback natural history and conservation issues affecting the world's largest living marine turtle.
166. Leatherback sea turtle shell: A tough and flexible biological design
| Irene H. Chen; Wen Yang; Marc A. Meyers | Acta Biomaterialia | December 2015
Investigates the unusual structure of the leatherback's flexible shell and the mechanical properties that allow it to withstand deformation.
167. The Thermal Strategy of Leatherback Turtles
| T. Todd Jones et al. | PLOS ONE | November 10, 2010
Examines how large body size, insulation, circulation, and activity allow leatherbacks to maintain elevated temperatures in cold ocean waters.
168. Ocular Morphology of the Leatherback Sea Turtle
| Denise K. Brudenall; Ivan R. Schwab; Kerstin A. Fritsches | Veterinary Ophthalmology | 2008
Describes leatherback eye anatomy and adaptations for vision under rapidly changing light conditions at different ocean depths.
169. Field Anaesthesia of Leatherback Sea Turtles
| Craig A. Harms et al. | Veterinary Record | July 7, 2007
Describes techniques for safely anesthetizing leatherbacks during veterinary and research procedures conducted in the field.
170. Thermal Independence of Muscle Metabolism in the Leatherback Turtle
| D. N. Penick et al. | Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A | 1998
Investigates metabolic adaptations that help leatherbacks remain active across a broad range of environmental temperatures.
171. Biology and Conservation of Leatherback Turtles at Playa Langosta, Costa Rica
| Anny Chaves et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Presents biological observations and conservation information from another important Pacific Costa Rican leatherback nesting beach.
172. Age and Growth in Leatherback Turtles: A Skeletochronological Analysis
| George R. Zug; James F. Parham | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Uses skeletal growth marks to investigate leatherback age, growth rates, and maturation.
173. Metabolism, Gigantothermy, and the Evolution of Leatherback Turtles
| Frank V. Paladino; Michael P. O’Connor; James R. Spotila | Nature | April 26, 1990
Explains how large body size and physiological adaptations allow leatherbacks to maintain temperatures above surrounding seawater.
174. Oxygen Transport in the Leatherback Sea Turtle
| M. E. Lutcavage et al. | Physiological Zoology | 1990
Examines blood and respiratory adaptations that help leatherbacks support prolonged activity and deep diving.
Genetics, Evolution & Population Structure
175. Connectivity among leatherback turtle populations in the Indian Ocean and West Pacific: a new management unit proposed in Sumatra, Indonesia
| Maslim As-singkily et al. | Frontiers in Marine Science | November 26, 2025
Investigates genetic connectivity among Indian Ocean and western Pacific leatherbacks and proposes a distinct management unit in Sumatra.
176. Population structure and genetic diversity of leatherback turtles in Bird’s Head Seascape, Papua-Indonesia
| Abdul Hamid A. Toha et al. | Frontiers in Marine Science | May 21, 2025
Analyzes genetic diversity and population structure of leatherbacks nesting in Indonesia's globally important Bird's Head Seascape.
177. Unveiling the secrets of leatherback turtle mating system: polygamy, polygyny, and sex ratio dynamics of a Brazilian rookery
| Gabriela S. C. Bispo et al. | Biological Journal of the Linnean Society | May 17, 2025
Uses genetic evidence to investigate mating patterns, multiple paternity, and sex-ratio dynamics at a Brazilian leatherback rookery.
178. Biology, Nesting Behavior, Genetic Diversity, and Conservation of Leatherback Sea Turtles: Insights From Thailand and Global Perspectives
| Promporn Piboon et al. | Ecology and Evolution | February 20, 2025
Combines biological, nesting, genetic, and conservation information from Thailand with broader findings about leatherbacks worldwide.
179. Reassessing leatherback turtle lineages and unveiling the first evidence of nuclear mitochondrial DNA in sea turtles
| Wesley D. Colombo et al. | Scientific Reports | December 28, 2024
Reassesses leatherback evolutionary lineages and reports evidence of mitochondrial DNA sequences incorporated into the nuclear genome.
180. Mitochondrial DNA and local ecological knowledge reveal two lineages of leatherback turtle on the beaches of Oaxaca, Mexico
| Carlos Abraham Castillo-Morales et al. | Scientific Reports | May 31, 2023
Combines genetic analysis with local ecological knowledge to identify two leatherback lineages using nesting beaches in Oaxaca.
181. Genetic Monitoring of the Critically Endangered Leatherback Turtle in the South West Atlantic
| Study authors | Regional Studies in Marine Science | September 2022
Uses genetic monitoring to improve understanding of leatherback population structure and conservation needs in the southwestern Atlantic.
182. Breeding Sex Ratios in Adult Leatherback Turtles
| Study authors | PLOS ONE | 2014
Uses genetic and demographic information to estimate adult breeding sex ratios and improve understanding of leatherback reproductive dynamics.
183. The Leatherback Turtle Exhibits Both Polyandry and Polygyny
| J. L. Crim et al. | Molecular Ecology | October 2002
Uses genetic parentage analysis to show that leatherback mating systems can involve multiple mates for both females and males.
184. Global Phylogeography of the Leatherback Turtle
| Peter H. Dutton et al. | Journal of Zoology | July 1999
Uses mitochondrial DNA to investigate worldwide leatherback population structure, evolutionary history, and relationships among nesting colonies.
Research, Monitoring & Methods
185. Evaluating the viability and animal welfare of acoustic telemetry for the long-term monitoring of leatherback sea turtles
| Derek M. Aoki et al. | Animal Biotelemetry | June 3, 2026
Evaluates acoustic tagging as a method for monitoring leatherback movements while considering tag performance and animal-welfare implications.
186. 1st Satellite Tagged Leatherback Sea Turtle in Ecuador
| The Leatherback Project | The Leatherback Project | March 21, 2026
Describes the first satellite tagging of a leatherback turtle in Ecuador and the effort to understand its movements and protect regional habitat.
187. Aerial survey of leatherback turtles in the waters off North Island, New Zealand
Reports an aerial survey designed to document leatherback distribution and occurrence in waters around New Zealand's North Island.
188. Riptide: Satellite Tracking a Leatherback Sea Turtle
| Sea Turtle Conservancy | Sea Turtle Conservancy | 2025
Follows the satellite-tracked movements of an adult female leatherback tagged at Soropta Beach, Panama.
189. Leatherback Turtle Research
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | December 14, 2023
Summarizes NOAA research on Pacific leatherback abundance, migration, feeding habitat, genetics, satellite tracking, and fisheries interactions.
190. Photo identification for sea turtles: Flipper scales more accurate than head scales using APHIS
| S. K. Mills et al. | Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology | 2023
Evaluates photographic identification techniques and finds flipper-scale patterns useful for recognizing individual sea turtles.
191. Nine Leatherback Turtles Satellite Tagged in Cape Cod Bay
| NOAA Fisheries | NOAA Fisheries | 2019
Describes satellite tagging of leatherbacks in Cape Cod Bay to study migration routes, diving behavior, and feeding habitat.
192. Standardising Curved Carapace Length Measurements for Leatherback Turtles to Investigate Global Patterns in Body Size
| Nathan J. Robinson et al. | Herpetological Journal | April 2017
Compares methods for measuring leatherback carapace length and develops a standardization approach for global body-size comparisons.
193. Stable Isotope Tracking of Endangered Sea Turtles: Validation with Satellite Telemetry
| Jeffrey A. Seminoff et al. | PLOS ONE | 2012
Tests stable-isotope analysis against satellite tracking as a method for identifying sea-turtle foraging areas and migration patterns.
194. Global Research Priorities for Sea Turtles: Informing Management and Conservation in the 21st Century
| Mark Hamann et al. | Endangered Species Research | 2010
Identifies major research gaps relevant to leatherbacks, including population assessment, fisheries mortality, migration, climate change, and conservation effectiveness.
195. Use of PIT Tags and Photoidentification to Revise Remigration Estimates of Leatherback Turtles
| Donna L. McDonald; Peter H. Dutton | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Shows how permanent electronic tags and photographic identification can improve estimates of female return intervals and population size.
History, Archaeology & Taxonomy
196. Remains of Leatherback turtles at Mid-Late Holocene archaeological sites in coastal Oman: clues of past worlds
| John G. Frazier et al. | PeerJ | December 17, 2018
Uses archaeological leatherback remains from Oman to illuminate the species' historical presence and human interactions over millennia.
197. Records of Turtles and Sea Snakes in New Zealand, 1837–1996
| B. J. Gill | New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research | 1997
Reviews historical marine-reptile records in New Zealand and documents leatherback occurrence far from tropical nesting beaches.
198. On the Availability of the Name Dermochelys coriacea schlegelii
| Leo Daniel Brongersma | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Examines historical taxonomic naming of leatherbacks and clarifies nomenclatural issues associated with proposed geographic forms.
199. Evolution and Phylogeny of Leatherback Turtles, with Descriptions of New Fossil Taxa
| Roger Conant Wood et al. | Chelonian Conservation and Biology | October 1996
Reviews the fossil history and evolutionary relationships of leatherbacks and their extinct relatives.
200. Studies on the Leatherback Turtle in Trinidad
| P. R. Bacon | Biological Conservation | April 1970
Provides an early scientific account of leatherback nesting, ecology, and conservation concerns on Trinidad's beaches.
