SWOT—the State of the World’s Sea Turtles—is a partnership led by Conservation International (CI) and the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG), but the lifeblood of the effort is the network of more than 400 conservationists that contribute data to the SWOT database—which to provides the only comprehensive, global perspective of sea turtles.

This powerful network of partners, collectively known as the “SWOT Team,” is dedicated to its collective vision—that of a permanent global network of specialists working to accelerate the conservation of sea turtles and their habitats, pooling and synthesizing data, and openly sharing the information to audiences who can make a difference. SWOT’s unique global database allows sea turtle conservationists to contribute and compare their data to conservation practices in other areas of the world and collectively map it using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology.

Each year, these data and a variety of articles on sea turtle conservation projects across the globe are published in an internationally distributed magazine, SWOT Report—The State of the World’s Sea Turtles, that encapsulates the current status of sea turtle populations worldwide; identifies gaps in research and priorities; and provides recommendations for advancing both sea turtle and general marine conservation.

Founded on solid science and written for the lay reader, the magazine has proven extremely useful in outreach to coastal communities, policymakers, fishers and broader publics. As readers learn about sea turtle conservation, they learn about ocean health as a whole.

Major Sea Turtle Headlines of 2007

The Turtle Mother and Other Indigenous Tales

Where Have the Eastern Pacific Hawksbills Gone?

Trade Routes for Tortoiseshell

Plastic Threats to Marine Life

Scientists Swim with the Turtles