Loggerhead sea turtles face threats across their entire life cycle — from nest predation on beaches to bycatch, plastic ingestion, and climate change altering nesting temperatures.
Individual loggerhead sea turtles endure significant welfare threats throughout their long lives. Bycatch entanglement in fishing gear causes drowning — a distressing death for air-breathing reptiles. Turtles that survive entanglement may sustain flipper injuries requiring amputation in rehabilitation. Plastic ingestion causes progressive gut obstruction and malnutrition over months. Fibropapillomatosis — a herpesvirus causing debilitating tumors — affects turtles in warm coastal waters and causes significant morbidity. Disoriented hatchlings that move inland from artificial lighting die from dehydration and predation. Beach nest disturbance from off-road vehicles crushes eggs. The welfare of sea turtles across their multi-decade lifespan is affected by the cumulative impact of ocean pollution, fishing, coastal development, and climate change.