About

SWOT was hatched in 2003 by Conservation International, the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group, the International Sea Turtle Society, and Duke University.  The four institutions united to address a common challenge: the lack of an up-to-date global perspective on sea turtle distribution and status—coordination critical to global conservation planning, education and outreach efforts, and scientific research.

We are a partnership

SWOT is a partnership among Conservation International (CI), the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG), Duke University’s OBIS-SEAMAP, and an ever-growing international team of local organizations, scientists and conservationists.

Fostering a network

SWOT’s existence relies on the success of developing a permanent and vibrant network of people who pool and synthesize their collective resources: The SWOT Team.  Everything that SWOT produces, from the database and maps to the conservation tools and reports, is built upon individual inputs by SWOT Team members of data, expertise, and creativity. SWOT is dedicated to building a transparent and trusting community that works towards identifying and creating opportunities for collaboration between and within projects, regions, and countries.