We document a tendency for published estimates of population size in sea turtles to be increasing rather than decreasing across the globe. To examine the population status of the seven species of sea turtle globally, we obtained 299 time series of annual nesting abundance with a total of 4417 annual estimates. The time series ranged in length from 6 to 47 years (mean, 16.2 years). When levels of abundance were summed within regional management units (RMUs) for each species, there were upward trends in 12 RMUs versus downward trends in 5 RMUs.

The leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) ranges widely throughout the Indian Ocean, although nesting appears restricted to a few scattered areas. In the northeast Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia, leatherbacks nest on the Indian mainland (small numbers), Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, western coast of Thailand (small numbers), Sumatra, and Java. The current situation in Myanmar with regards to leatherback reproduction is unclear.

Accidental entanglement of turtles in abandoned fshing nets has been, and will likely continue to be, a major threat to sea turtles. Te impact of abandoned or lost nets, also known as ghost nets, can occur far from their point of origin as nets may drif far distances with ocean currents. Turtles that swim through ghost nets may get their body or fippers snagged in the net, potentially leading to lost circulation and injury to fippers, drowning, or prevention from feeding to the point of starvation.