Conservation Status

• National:Vulnerable

Distribution and Habitat

• Seaweed-rich coral reefs
• Inshore seagrass pastures
• Tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific

Breeding & Nesting

• Late November to January
• Southern Great Barrier Reef
  13 major rookeries, including North West Island, Wreck Island, Hoskyn Island, Heron Island and the Coral Sea Cays.
  
• Northern Great Barrier Reef
  5 major rookeries, including Raine Island and nearby Cays, and Bramble Cay in the Torres Strait.
• Southeastern Gulf of Carpentaria
  3 major rookeries at Bountiful, Pisonia and Rocky Islands.
• North west Western Australia
  Major rookeries, including the Lacepede Islands, sites north of Broome, Muiron Islands, Jurabi Coastal Park and Barrow and the Monte Bello Islands further south.

• Emerge late December to April

Characteristics

• 4 pairs of large scales on either side (costal scales)
• No thick overlapping scales
• Carapace high domed
• Colour light to dark green with dark mottling
• Adult carapace approx. 1.0m

Diet

• Diet – “Adult – seaweed (marine algae) and seagrass. Adults will feed on jellyfish (and other animals) when abundant but are predominantly herbivorous.
• Immature - carnivorous