From the Inbox: Ten Turtles and Conservation International

They might not be as cuddly as pandas or as fearsome as great white sharks.

But around the world, tortoises and freshwater turtles still capture the human imagination.

Now, many of these species are in trouble – and urgent steps are necessary to protect them.

An analysis that I just concluded shows that 40 percent of the world’s freshwater turtle and tortoise species are threatened with extinction. This figure makes turtles some of the most threatened animals on the planet.

At CI’s website, you can see a slideshow of 10 of the most endangered turtles in the world. You can also submit your questions about turtles to me, Peter Paul – and I’ll answer the best of your inquiries online.

Getting your friends to ask me some questions, too, would go a long way toward helping us spread not just amazing science facts, but also an important message about the danger freshwater turtles face worldwide. Can you share this link with your friends?

www.conservation.org/turtles

Protecting Biodiversity In many instances, the dwindling number of turtles can be attributed to the hunting of the animals for meat. Turtles also suffer because of a lucrative (and often illegal) pet trade.

Other species declines, however, are directly related to habitat loss. That’s a sign that the rivers, streams and lakes that millions of humans rely upon for irrigation, food and water could be in trouble, too.

At CI, we’ve dedicated ourselves to protecting biodiversity, the amazing array of life around the world, for more than 25 years. Species perform all kinds of services for humans. They provide our diet, clean up our drinking water, take carbon pollution out of the atmosphere and so much more. People need nature to thrive.

That’s why we’re raising awareness of the plight of freshwater turtles.

It’s also why we’re headed to this year’s Convention on Biological Diversity, a global summit of governments that have agreed to protect species around the world.

There, we’ll be asking governments to make two simple, but powerful, commitments: Set aside 15 percent of the world’s oceans as protected areas. Do the same for 25 percent of land.

If that much of the Earth were protected, it would be a major step forward toward shielding all species – the building blocks of life on Earth – from extinction.

Those efforts can start today. Tell your friends that a CI science expert is answering your questions about freshwater turtles and tortoises. You’ll learn an amazing fact or three, and you’ll be helping to let the world know about the importance of protecting biodiversity.

Thanks for your support.

Sincerely,

Peter Paul van Dijk
Director, Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Conservation Program at Conservation International

Red-crowned river turtle photo © CI/ Peter Paul van Dijk Family © Olivier Langrand

From the Inbox: Conservation International eNews Update

	© Javier García NEW SPECIES DISCOVERED: The adorable titi monkey What’s adorable, furry and has never been seen before? Callicebus caquetensis, a new species of titi monkey discovered on a scientific expedition to the Colombian Amazon. Researchers from the National University of Colombia who discovered the new primate consider it to be critically endangered due to rapid loss of the forest where it lives and its small population. Titi monkeys (or zogui zogui as they are called in Spanish) have one of the most complex calls in the animal kingdom and use it every morning to mark their territory. This discovery is particularly important because it reminds us that we should celebrate the diversity of earth but also we must take action now to preserve it," said José Vicente Rodríguez, head of science at Conservation International in Colombia and president of the Colombia Association of Zoology. Hear the call of the titi monkey | Read the press release | See titi monkey photos
	Click here to follow the search The global search of a lifetime: Search for the Lost Frogs Over the next few months, CI is supporting expeditions by amphibian experts in 20 countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia. Led by members of International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Amphibian Specialist Group, the research teams are in search of around 40 species that haven’t been seen for more than a decade. Although there is no guarantee of success, scientists are optimistic about the prospect of at least one rediscovery. Whatever the results, the expedition findings will expand our global understanding of the threats to amphibians and bring us closer to finding solutions for the animals' protection. Bold conservation efforts are not only critical for the future of many amphibians themselves, but also for the benefit of humans that rely on pest control, nutrient cycling and other services the animals provide. At the latest count, CI is supporting 32 teams in 20 countries participating in this one-of-a-kind search. No search of this scale and type has ever been undertaken before. Click here to receive weekly updates on discoveries and news from the field. See our frog maps and images | Send a Lost Frogs eCard | Upload your own photos BREAKING NEWS: Scientists have discovered a remarkable new frog, one of the world’s tiniest, on the southeastern Asian island of Borneo. Researchers discovered the species, known as Microhyla nepenthicola, in Bornean swamp forests. The frog is about 10 millimeters long, or close to the size of a pea. Read the press relase here.
	© Comstock Images The unprecedented 'Pacific Oceanscape' An unprecedented agreement toward the cooperative stewardship of a vast swath of Pacific Ocean has been reached, and conservationists are heralding it as among the most ambitious, innovative, and collaborative marine initiatives on Earth. Meeting in Port Villa, Vanuatu, at the annual Pacific Islands Leadership Forum, heads of state and governments from 15 nations endorsed a draft framework for the long-term, sustainable and cooperative management of 38.5 million square kilometers–larger than the land size of Canada, the United States and Mexico combined. The Framework, called the Pacific Oceanscape, aims to address all ocean issues from governance to climate change. It also aims to design policies and implement practices that will improve ocean health, increase resources and expertise, and encourage governments to factor ocean issues into decisions about economic and sustainable development. It represents perhaps the largest marine conservation management initiative in history, as measured by countries and area, and a new, united Pacific voice on ocean conservation and management. “It is, without doubt, the most ambitious, most innovative, and most well-grounded marine initiative I have seen in my 32 years as a marine biologist and conservationist,” said Dr. Greg Stone, CI’s Chief Ocean Scientist and Senior Vice President for Marine Conservation. See a map of the Pacific Oceanscape | Read more | Learn about the Ocean Health Index
	This issue of eNews features many conservation successes and programs - share the good news!
	Header photo credits: © CI/photo by Cristano Noguiero © Robin Moore © CI/photo by Russell Mittermeier

From the Inbox: Save a mile of ocean

Dear Friend,

People need the ocean to survive. Healthy oceans regulate our climate, feed billions of people and provide a home for a vast array of marine life from sharks to sea turtles.

Now our oceans need us. Extreme threats including overfishing, pollution, development and climate change are wreaking havoc on ocean ecosystems.

You can help. Save a mile of ocean today and help CI protect the life it contains and people it supports for generations to come.

Conservation International has a revolutionary four-point plan to protect our oceans. Your gift now can help us expand our work creating vast seascapes and protecting the life they support—from people to animals like endangered leatherback sea turtles, hammerhead sharks and humpback whales. You will also help support our work protecting other habitats, including forests that provide incredible benefits for us all.

Join us and save a mile today.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Beth Wallace
VP, Marketing Communications and Membership

Fishing boats © Olivier Langrand
Fish © CI/photo by Haroldo Castro

From the Inbox: Conservation International e-News

	Submerse yourself in CI’s brand-new Ocean Experience Over 70% of our Earth is ocean. Explore the unseen wonders of this vast, submerged world through our new online experience. Dive among its coral reefs. Wind your way through its mangrove forests. Swim freely in its open waters. Marvel at its vibrant coasts. You’ll see some of the threats our oceans are facing — including pollution, oil drilling, overfishing and climate change — along with the innovative solutions CI is working on to protect marine ecosystems. You’ll also meet unique ocean wildlife and communities of people who — like us — depend upon the oceans for survival. People need the oceans — for a stable climate, food, oxygen and lifesaving medicines. Now the oceans need us. Dive in.
	© CI/photo by Sterling Zumbrunn The Holy Grail of Coral Reefs It’s barely a blip on most maps, but in marine conservation circles, the secluded island of Misool in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, is the Holy Grail of coral reef biodiversity. Gorgeous green sea turtles, walking sharks, butterflyfish and pygmy seahorses are just a few of the stunning marine creatures navigating through miles of corals. With more than 1,320 different reef fish and 540 hard corals, the waters here are home to more species than any other tropical reef system on the planet. Last month, CI hosted a seascapes workshop in this near-mythic destination – inviting marine biologists, species scientists, business leaders and specialists from CI offices in 10 different countries. While getting there is no easy feat – for most, it’s a full 2 1/2-day journey – when you learn what’s in the water, you’ll understand why it’s well worth it. Get all the details on this seascapes workshop from the CI marine team. A NOTE ON SEASCAPES: Enormous marine areas that extend beyond national boundaries, seascapes are a key part of CI’s ambitious plan for promoting global ocean conservation and stewardship. Raja Ampat is part of the Bird’s Head Seascape. Go here to learn more.
	© Olivier Langrand Confronting the Gulf Oil Spill The Gulf Oil spill is a tragedy — a stark reminder that our planet’s ocean and shorelines are extremely vulnerable. And it underscores the inherent challenges in taking oil, gas, minerals, fish and other commodities from the ocean for human use. There are sound reasons we rely on the ocean for these resources — fisheries are the primary protein source for more than 1 billion people worldwide, and energy alternatives are not yet available at the global scale. But too often, poor industrial practices and inadequate regulations allow devastating damage to our naturally abundant seas. Catastrophic events like the Deepwater Horizon spill attract massive attention to some of the acute dangers our oceans are facing. However, we must remember that the oceans are also under continuous assault from chronic (and equally devastating) long-term threats — including unsustainable fishing, habitat destruction, pollution, ocean acidification and climate change. While CI does not work directly in the Gulf region, we are monitoring the situation closely. We believe that as a society, we need to put in place solutions that halt the ongoing damage to our oceans, improve ocean health, and ensure people can continue to benefit from the abundant and essential goods and services the ocean provides. To that end, CI's Marine Program Master Plan is focusing on a set of global solutions to help us restore a prosperous ocean. The Gulf oil spill has demonstrated the urgent need to accelerate our efforts to put these solutions in place. Click here to read CI’s full statement on the Gulf.

From the Inbox - Your role in protecting our Earth

Dear Friend,

We wrote recently to share three of Conservation International’s latest projects in Madagascar, the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape and Mexico.

Right now, we are working in 31 countries to help find innovative solutions—like the ones we shared—that will protect the natural world from impending threats while also helping people benefit from those efforts.

With your gift today, you can help us begin to protect one more marine area, one more forest, and one more community to name just a few of our efforts.

Here are a few of our flagship initiatives that need your support today.

• Protecting forests to stop climate change - Our team is working with governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America to use emerging international carbon markets to reward forest preservation as a front-line carbon-pollution reduction strategy.
  
  
• Saving the oceans - From Brazil to Indonesia, CI is working to help governments and people balance food and water security with local livelihoods and economic prosperity by protecting the oceans and all the life they support.
  
  
• Protecting species - All life forms are the building blocks upon which our world depends. CI is helping to protect species and preserve their habitats as a means for safeguarding the natural systems that provide for people.

With your support, CI can continue to harness the power of economic development in a sustainable way—creating markets, regulations and community values that recognize and protect the benefits that Earth provides.

We all have a part to play.

Sincerely,

Beth Wallace
VP, Marketing Communications and Membership