Adult green turtles are known to display either preference in their foraging habits or fidelity to their foraging sites which, in turn, influences their migrations and the availability of forage. With an abundant supply of seagrass and algae, the lagoons of the Lakshadweep Archipelago off the Indian west coast serve as significant feeding grounds for green turtles. In the last 2 decades, the numbers of foraging green turtles have varied across islands, leading to speculation about their foraging patterns and movements. We collated secondary data and conducted periodic surveys between 2013 and 2019 to record trends in green turtle abundance and seagrass characteristics and investigate relationships between them. Over the last decade, green turtle abundances have fluctuated widely with increases followed by sharp declines within different lagoons. Our results also show that a reduction in seagrass density, particularly Thalassia sp. and Cymodocea sp., coincided with the decline in green turtle abundance. Moreover, turtle presence was observed at sites with higher seagrass density and canopy height. Our findings indicate that green turtles appeared to forage in particular lagoons until their preferred resources declined, before moving to other islands within the Archipelago or other unknown locations. Therefore, to devise effective management strategies, it is crucial to understand how this green turtle population will adapt to the decline in foraging resources. The declining seagrass populations also suggest the need for an ecosystem approach towards green turtle conservation.

1. Sea turtles are known to migrate large distances between their foraging and breeding grounds. Olive ridley turtles migrate annually in November to the east coast of India from their foraging grounds in the Bay of Bengal and form large aggregations at Gahirmatha and Rushikulya, two globally significant mass nesting rookeries in Odisha. However, little is known about the spatial and temporal variation in their nearshore distribution prior to the mass nesting events, which typically occur between February and April.2. Inter-and intra-annual variations in the density and distribution of olive ridley turtles were examined in the nearshore waters of Rushikulya from 2012 to 2022.The densities of turtles were estimated for each field season and aggregations were spatially delineated using minimum convex polygons.3. There was considerable interannual variation in turtle abundance, which typically increased from December to February in Rushikulya. Turtle densities in nearshore waters did not correspond to the presence or absence of mass nesting, thus suggesting that management decisions cannot be based only on nesting beach estimates.4. Turtle aggregations in Rushikulya were spatially and temporally dynamic and were typically concentrated around the nesting beach. However, they occupied only a small fraction of the area designated as a no-fishing zone, which suggests that these regulations need to be reassessed. As the no-fishing zones impose high costs on fishers, it is critical to look at alternative protection measures, such as dynamic spatial closures, developed in consultation with local fishers.

It is important for emerging conservationists and wildlife managers to gain experience in the use of evidence-based conservation, by way of critical analysis and understanding of the context and application of conservation actions. We developed a teaching case and activity for undergraduate and graduate courses in conservation biology, wildlife management etc., although it could also be adopted for upper-level high school classes. The case is based on a recent study that assesses hatchery practices in India. Hatcheries are commonly established to protect sea turtle eggs and hatchlings from threats at the nesting beach. Guidelines for sea turtle hatcheries have been widely available and followed by sea turtle conservationists for decades, and their use has potentially contributed to successful conservation of some sea turtle populations worldwide. However, best practices in the collection, transport, and incubation of eggs, and holding and release of hatchlings should be followed to ensure hatchling production and fitness exceeds that of unprotected nests. The teaching activity builds conservation science literacy as students identify studies describing methods to assess risks to in situ clutches and mitigate threats including tidal inundation, depredation, and illegal take. A practical exercise asks students to assess threats at multiple nesting beaches on an island and propose which protection strategy (protect in situ, relocate to safer individual location on the beach, or relocate to a hatchery) would be most appropriate at different locations