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NEWS
It's all about Turtles this week!
With World Turtle Day on Thursday, we're launching MCS Turtle Week to celebrate these marvellous mariners. >> More
Meet Kat Skater, the 'not so common' skate
MCS is introducing a range of comedic characters to highlight the serious need for 127 Marine Conservation Zones in English seas. >> More
Maldives reefs in recovery
Some Maldives reefs have recovered well from a major bleaching event in 1998, surveys find >> More
Standby for jellyfish swarms
There's been a slow start to jelly spotting season but numbers are increasing as temperatures hot up >> More
Tracking Gilbert
Gilbert is on the move! Track Gilbert the young turtle from his teenage feeding grounds to, well, who knows? You can follow his journey on our tracking pages>>
Plastic debris on the increase in Pacific
Recent research shows 100 fold increase in plastic litter floating in Pacific waters over the past 40 years. >> More
Biodiversity threatened by European Law?
UK Government publish report on Habitats and Wild Birds Directive Implementation Review. The Marine Conservation Society feels that the report undermines the principles of sustainability >>More
Rare turtles found on South Wales beach
Glamorgan beach is final resting place for critically endangered marine turtles more at home in Gulf of Mexico >>More
Washed up turtles
Rare turtles found on UK wintry beaches, MCS urges beach walkers to look out for turtles over the festive period >> More
Thank you Maldives Scuba Tours!
Thank you Maldives Scuba Tours for using our Christmas E-card and donating their usual spend to help save our seas. >> More
Marine Turtle week - 20th-24th May
Check back on monday for all things turtle related and follow the action on facebook!
Marine turtles are endangered
Turtles are an ancient group of reptiles that have witnessed the rise and fall of the dinosaurs, with the earliest marine turtle fossils dated at about 110 million years old! Seven species of marine turtle now swim our oceans and all are included on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species. Some marine turtle populations around the world are in danger of extinction. Unsustainable exploitation, accidental entanglement in fishing gear, marine pollution and habitat destruction are all to blame.
What needs to be done?
MCS believes that we humans should learn how to live in the marine turtles’ world without endangering them. While we cause problems for turtles, we can also provide the conservation solutions, so MCS strives for a people-centered approach to marine turtle conservation and management.
MCS in Action
The MCS Marine Turtle Conservation Programme works in the UK and overseas to find out more about how to protect these spectacular ancient mariners. We coordinate conservation research in the UK and the UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean, and educate a wide audience about marine turtles and their conservation needs. We promote the reporting of turtles in UK waters, and distribute the UK Turtle Code and support the rescue and rehabilitation of live turtles stranded on UK shores.
Please report your turtle encounter at our wildlife sightings page.
Click here to download a pdf of the UK Turtle Code
