Academia Sinica Logo

How green turtles recover from injuries in the wild and whether they can fully recover have long been a mystery in the field of conservation research. Biodiversity Research Center of Academia Sinica, in collaboration with the citizen-science group "TurtleSpot Taiwan," conducted the first-ever analysis of the natural wound-healing process of green turtles in their natural habitat in Taiwan.

Distinguished Research Fellow and Director Dr. Benny K.K. Chan and Dr. Chia-Ling Fong, a graduate of the Biodiversity program in the Taiwan International Graduate Program of Academia Sinica, analyzed 7,233 observation records (representing 709 individuals) covering 14 years from 2010 to 2024. Among these observations, 105 injured turtles were identified. Thirteen individuals have data for tracking over a long-term period, and allow investigation of wound-healing times. Results indicate that whether the injury was caused by boat propeller strikes or fishing line entanglement, sea turtles require an average of 500 to 600 days to fully recover. While fishing line entanglement and propeller strikes can lead to limb loss and carapace deformities, respectively, the turtles were still able to regain their foraging abilities and survive. The daily wound healing rate was approximately 0.08% to 1.53%. This slow rate is probably related to their low metabolic rate and the time-consuming process of regenerating the scutes on their shells. The study also found that approximately 80% of injured sea turtles eventually achieve complete healing. However, about 10.5% of individuals suffered from repetitive injuries, indicating that anthropogenic threats remain persistent. The research team recommends establishing "Low-Speed Navigation Zones" in sea turtle foraging hotspots to reduce the risk of boat strikes. Additionally, they suggest strengthening management measures for recreational fishing, including the installation of fishing line recycling facilities and the promotion of biodegradable fishing lines, in order to reduce entanglement incidents.

The first author Dr. Chia-Ling Fong, is a graduate of the Biodiversity program, Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP) at Academia Sinica. The corresponding author is Dr. Benny K.K. Chan, Distinguished Research Fellow and Director of the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica. Co-authors include Associate Research Fellow Tsung-Hsien Li of the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Professor Yoko Nozawa of the University of the Ryukyus, Japan, and several co-founders of the TurtleSpot Taiwan citizen science group. This research achievement was published on March 12, 2026, in the journal Endangered Species Research.