Welcome to the new website for WALTA – the Wilkes Atlantic Leatherback Turtle Alliance.
This new site has been created to share the Alliance’s work, introduce our growing network of partners, and provide updates as the project develops. It brings together information about the urgent challenge facing Atlantic leatherback turtles, the research now underway, and how evidence can help guide practical conservation action across the Atlantic.
Many Atlantic leatherback populations now face significant pressure from fisheries bycatch, habitat loss, coastal development, climate change and marine pollution. Because these turtles mature slowly and depend on high adult survival, even small increases in mortality can have serious consequences for vulnerable populations.
WALTA has been established to support a more coordinated response.
Through international collaboration, the Alliance is working to strengthen the evidence base needed to protect Atlantic leatherbacks more effectively. Current research includes an ocean-wide synthesis of leatherback bycatch evidence, an updated nesting population assessment for Gabon, and work to understand leatherback movements in the Southwest Atlantic.
The website also introduces our Alliance partners, whose expertise and local knowledge are central to this work. By bringing together researchers, conservation organisations, policymakers and other partners, WALTA aims to help turn research into clear priorities, practical action and lasting protection.
This is just the beginning. Over time, this news section will share project updates, research progress, partner stories and opportunities to learn more about Atlantic leatherback conservation.
Thank you for visiting our new website, and for your interest in helping secure the future of Atlantic leatherback turtles.
To collaborate, contribute expertise, or learn more about WALTA’s work, please visit our contact page or email walta@exeter.ac.uk.