There is an ongoing need for basic research and monitoring to improve understanding and knowledge of the status, life histories, and threats to marine turtles in order to ensure a regionally coherent approach to conservation management.

The migratory habits of marine turtles' calls for a regional approach to information gathering in order that individual populations or breeding groups can be identified, and conservation needs addressed throughout their ranges.

Regional Coordination
Recognizing the importance of regional approaches, any African coastal states have now signed up to one of the two regional conservation agreements for African marine turtles, under the Auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species.

And at national level, national marine turtle committees involving government agencies, NGOs, and committed individuals, are playing an active role in coordinating marine turtle conservation in several countries.

However, many countries in Africa and Madagascar lack the capacity and resources to contribute to monitoring or even to implement the most urgent conservation actions.

You can help.