Open research questions in Turtle Biology and Conservation

What the literature leaves open

• The lack of information on the age at sexual maturity for male black sea turtles in the eastern Pacific. The need to estimate the differential sexual maturity in females and males.

  Differential Sexual Maturity Among Breeding Adults of Black Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii) from Michoacan, Mexico · 2025 · DOI

• The genetic integrity of the species is unclear due to discordance between molecular markers. The species has been virtually extirpated from its natural range, making sampling challenging. Introgression between species can complicate phylogenetic analysis.

  Introgressive Hybridization and a Natural Barrier: Molecular Analyses Lay Out a Conservation Blueprint for the Critically Endangered Vietnamese Pond Turtle (Mauremys annamensis) · 2025 · DOI

• It also highlights the need for strict quality assurance and control procedures to guarantee accurate results.

  Hard Evidence from Turtle Shells: Tracing Metal and Non-Metallic Elements Bioaccumulation in Freshwater Ecosystems · 2025 · DOI

• Conservation efforts that focus on examining direct effects of wind farm construction and operation on leatherbacks in the MAB and SNE are warranted, especially given the proximity between lease areas and key foraging areas.

  Distribution Models Reveal Important Coastal Habitats for Endangered Leatherback Sea Turtles · 2026 · DOI

• Viruses are common causes of gastrointestinal disease in many species, and gastrointestinal signs are regularly observed among sea turtles, but little is known about enteric viruses in sea turtles.

  Surveillance of gastrointestinal viruses of free-ranging and rehabilitated Sea turtles in the United States · 2026 · DOI

• The study faced challenges in analyzing the environmental factors that may have contributed to the speed of recovery. The paper highlights the challenges of implementing effective conservation strategies. The study faced challenges in balancing the needs of conservation efforts with the needs of hunting and other human activities.

  Applying PECBMS data in conservation: the Turtle Dove population decline, adaptive management, and recovery · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a research gap in the analysis of environmental factors that may have contributed to the speed of recovery. The paper highlights the need for further research on the impact of other external causes on the population decline.

  Applying PECBMS data in conservation: the Turtle Dove population decline, adaptive management, and recovery · 2026 · DOI

• The study mentions the challenge of implementing effective conservation strategies and the need for applied training and interdisciplinary collaboration.

  Academic Perceptions of Sea Turtle Conservation in Sinaloa, Mexico: Evidence from an Exploratory Factor Analysis · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need to understand the perception of academics regarding marine turtle conservation in Sinaloa, Mexico. The study identifies a gap in the implementation of conservation strategies and the need for applied training and interdisciplinary collaboration.

  Academic Perceptions of Sea Turtle Conservation in Sinaloa, Mexico: Evidence from an Exploratory Factor Analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Unsuccessful nesting activities are common in green turtles. Conservation efforts are needed to protect green turtle populations.

  Drivers of unsuccessful nesting activities in East Pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas) · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need to understand the drivers of unsuccessful nesting activities in green turtles. Previous studies have not fully explored the effects of environmental and non-environmental drivers on nesting outcomes.

  Drivers of unsuccessful nesting activities in East Pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas) · 2026 · DOI

• The study had a limited sample size. The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment, which may not reflect natural conditions. The study did not investigate other factors that may influence social cohesion, such as age or size.

  Sex, not familiarity, shapes social interactions in adult captive tortoises (Testudo hermanni) · 2026 · DOI

• Future studies could investigate the effects of age and size on social cohesion in tortoises. Research could explore the implications of the findings for conservation efforts and captive management. The study suggests the need for further research on the social behavior of solitary species.

  Sex, not familiarity, shapes social interactions in adult captive tortoises (Testudo hermanni) · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of understanding of the physiological and molecular health indicators of the Indian star tortoise. There is a need to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers for the species. Prior studies have not analyzed plasma proteome profiles and biochemical parameters in captive Indian star tortoises.

  Systems-Level Proteomic and Biochemical Profiling of Plasma from Captive Indian Star Tortoise with Reactome Pathway Enrichment Analysis · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of information on the physical conditions and sex ratios of freshwater turtles in captivity. There is a need for innovative techniques for marking and evaluating physical characteristics of turtles.

  BIOMETRIC EVALUATION OF FRESHWATER TURTLES IN LOS RÍOS REGION IN SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO · 2026 · DOI

• The study faced challenges in terms of limited funding, knowledge, and time available for conservation actions. The effectiveness of umbrella species conservation is constrained by unequal resource allocation and species niche differences. The study highlights the need for supplementary targeted initiatives to improve efficiency in resolving species reproductive bottlenecks.

  Could Conservation Strategies for the Hainan Gibbon Generate an Umbrella Effect for the Hainan Four-eyed Turtle? · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need to evaluate the conservation efficacy of umbrella species and their potential to benefit co-occurring species.

  Could Conservation Strategies for the Hainan Gibbon Generate an Umbrella Effect for the Hainan Four-eyed Turtle? · 2026 · DOI

• Sample sizes are limited. Data are preliminary and should be considered cautious. Interpretation of results should be cautious due to small sample size.

  High Early Embryo Mortality and Low Hatching Success Observed in Aldabra Giant Tortoise Populations · 2026 · DOI

• More detailed monitoring of hatching success, fertilisation rates, and recruitment is needed. Further research should investigate the causes of embryo mortality and its impact on population dynamics.

  High Early Embryo Mortality and Low Hatching Success Observed in Aldabra Giant Tortoise Populations · 2026 · DOI

• The taxonomic identity of the Yellow River softshell turtle has remained uncertain. Previous studies have not provided a clear understanding of the taxonomic status of the Yellow River softshell turtle.

  Integrative evidence resolves the taxonomic identity of the Yellow River softshell turtle previously assigned to Pelodiscus sinensis (Wiegmann, 1834) · 2026 · DOI

• Our findings highlight the importance of reevaluating previous studies that relied on inconsistent haplotype nomenclature, as the lack of standardization may have led to overestimation or underestimation of genetic diversity.

  Haplotypes across the Oceans: worldwide phylogeography, evolution, conservation and nomenclature standardization in the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) · 2026 · DOI

• The absence of a fully annotated G. elegans proteome limited the study. Single-time-point blood sampling limited the temporal resolution of the study. The small sample size may reduce the statistical power for rare protein detection.

  Systems-Level Proteomic and Biochemical Profiling of Plasma from Captive Indian Star Tortoise with Reactome Pathway Enrichment Analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies could investigate the effects of other factors that could influence metal accumulation in turtle shells, - Research could be conducted to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between shell elements and environmental contamination, - Studies could explore the use of turtle shells as bioindicators in other…

  Hard Evidence from Turtle Shells: Tracing Metal and Non-Metallic Elements Bioaccumulation in Freshwater Ecosystems · 2025 · DOI

• Limited sampling, - More complete genetic coverage for BCP samples, - Pattern should be interpreted…

  Natural Versus Anthropogenic Dispersal of Freshwater Turtles Between the Baja California Peninsula and Mainland Mexico · 2026 · DOI

• Additional sampling, particularly from the Cape Region of the BCP, - Further test historical connections between mainland and peninsular…

  Natural Versus Anthropogenic Dispersal of Freshwater Turtles Between the Baja California Peninsula and Mainland Mexico · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Turtle Biology and Conservation

• Where Have All the Turtles Gone, and Why Does It Matter? · BioScience · 2018 · 352 citations
• Impacts of fisheries bycatch on marine turtle populations worldwide: toward conservation and research priorities · Ecosphere · 2013 · 226 citations
• A review of marine mammal, sea turtle and seabird bycatch in USA fisheries and the role of policy in shaping management · Marine Policy · 2008 · 160 citations
• Why Do Turtles Live So Long? · BioScience · 1987 · 143 citations
• Large-scale movements and high-use areas of western Pacific leatherback turtles,Dermochelys coriacea · Ecosphere · 2011 · 121 citations
• Marine turtle regional management units 2.0: an updated framework for conservation and research of wide-ranging megafauna species · Endangered Species Research · 2023 · 116 citations
• What is a basic factor and which factors are basic? Turtles all the way down · Personality and Individual Differences · 1992 · 101 citations
• Local Conservation Practice and Global Discourse: A Political Ecology of Sea Turtle Conservation · Annals of the Association of American Geographers · 2007 · 98 citations
• Conservation implications of sea turtle nesting trends: elusive recovery of a globally important loggerhead population · Ecosphere · 2019 · 97 citations
• Multiple paternity, sperm storage, and reproductive success of female and male painted turtles ( Chrysemys picta ) in nature · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · 2002 · 91 citations

Most recent work

• Groundwater overexploitation drives freshwater turtle declines in Doñana National Park · Biological Conservation · 2026
• Sex Ratio Bias Triggers Demographic Suicide in a Dense Tortoise Population · Ecology Letters · 2026
• Natal homing in male green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from two neotropical islands · Frontiers in Marine Science · 2026
• Mapping the past for the future: Spatial and temporal patterns and long-term trends of sea turtle strandings in Hong Kong and wider East Asian waters · Ecological Informatics · 2026
• Population dynamics of the green turtle Chelonia mydas in their southern distribution in the Western Atlantic ocean · Marine Biology · 2026
• Blood analytes relevant to nutritional status and energy metabolism in three sea turtle species across nesting season · Journal of Comparative Physiology B · 2026
• Social clustering behavior in hatchling western saw‐shelled turtles ( Myuchelys bellii ) · Journal of Zoology · 2026
• Ecological Insights and Management Implications of the Global Migratory Connectivity of Green Turtles · Diversity and Distributions · 2026
• An Approximation of the Reproductive Cycle of the Atrato River Slider, Trachemys medemi · Chelonian Conservation and Biology · 2026
• Underwater hearing sensitivity of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle ( Lepidochelys kempii ) · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2026

Related topics in Environmental Science