CSE EXAM ( UPSC prelims mains) CAPF

🔆 Olive Ridley Turtles in India – Growth Amidst Climate & Human-Induced Threats

📍 About Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
✅ Scientific Name – Lepidochelys olivacea
✅ IUCN Status – Vulnerable
✅ Physical Features – Smallest sea turtle species, weighing up to 45 kg, with a heart-shaped olive-green shell.
✅ Mass Nesting Behavior – Unique arribada (mass nesting), where thousands nest simultaneously on select beaches.

📍 Population & Nesting Sites
✅ A 16-year study (2008-2024) confirms a steady or growing population.
✅ Rushikulya saw one of the largest arribadas, with 400,000-500,000 turtles nesting in a few days.
✅ India's Major Nesting Sites – Odisha (Gahirmatha, Rushikulya, Devi), Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

📍 Climate Change & Skewed Sex Ratio
✅ Rising sand temperatures are producing more female hatchlings, threatening long-term population stability.
✅ Extended monsoons & strong sea currents disrupt turtle migration patterns.

📍 Recent Mass Deaths Along Indian Coast
✅ Tamil Nadu (Chennai, Chengalpattu) – 1,200+ dead turtles, 3x the annual average.
✅ Andhra Pradesh (Tirupati, Nellore, Visakhapatnam) – 2,000+ deaths in January 2025.

📍 Key Threats to Olive Ridley Survival
✅ Illegal Bottom Trawling & Gill Nets – Turtles drown after getting entangled in fishing gear.
✅ Lack of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) – Many trawl boats violate marine regulations.
✅ Plastic Pollution & Habitat Destruction – Polluted beaches & coastal structures (groynes, seawalls) block nesting.
✅ Poaching & Egg Harvesting – Though illegal, turtle eggs are still collected in some regions.