The leatherback sea turtle is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. It is estimated that the global population has declined 40 percent over the past three generations. Leatherback nesting in Malaysia has essentially disappeared, declining from about 10,000 nests in 1953 to only one or two nests per year since 2003.

Globally, leatherback status according to IUCN is listed as Vulnerable, but many subpopulations (such as in the Pacific and Southwest Atlantic) are Critically Endangered. WWF’s ShellBank is the world’s first global traceability toolkit and database of sea turtle DNA that aims to reverse the decline of sea turtles and recover populations.

The Pacific population of leatherback sea turtles has suffered most over the last twenty years: as few as 2,300 adult females now remain, making the Pacific leatherback the world's most endangered marine turtle population.

Leatherback sea turtles are federally listed as endangered. Their biggest threats are the result of human activity. Clutches of eggs are often illegally poached, and the offspring that do hatch sometimes become attracted to beach resort lighting, so …

Feb 1, 2016 · In some parts of the world, leatherback populations are relatively stable, even increasing, thanks to effective conservation efforts that protect turtles and reduce threats on nesting beaches and in the water. However, this good news does not mean that those leatherback populations will not continue to require conservation action.

Jun 15, 2023 · The leatherback sea turtle —one of the largest and most ancient reptiles on the planet—is in danger of disappearing forever. Due to fisheries interactions, illegal egg and meat harvesting, and other activities, the species is at the brink of extinction.

Aug 12, 2020 · A 2020 status review for listing of Leatherback sea turtle as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act

Leatherbacks (and all six other species of marine turtles) will be affected by freshwater from melting glaciers, changes in salinity and oxygen, and altered ocean chemistry as shifts occur in currents, key habitats, and the range and abundance of prey species.