— About · Roadmap
The BC4T Roadmap
Blue Corridors for Turtles is a multi-year effort to compile, connect and act on marine turtle data at a global scale. Here’s the plan, the principles behind it, and how far we’ve come since launch.
— Approach
Our Collective Approach
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts — these are the commitments that shape how Blue Corridors for Turtles operates as a collaborative project.
◐
A singular focus on marine turtles
Unlike past megafauna data syntheses that folded turtles in alongside other species, this project is focused entirely on marine turtles, sharpening the message and building toward the goals of creating a connectivity baseline, helping delineate Important Marine Turtle Areas, connecting communities, and diving policy action.
✦
A backbone of genetics
Connectivity data is extended to include genetic stock — a fundamental conservation unit often left out of similar projects — by leveraging ShellBank, so action can focus on the reproductive units that sustain populations, not just habitats.
◎
Data completeness and accessibility
Data owners are invited to submit three types of data which will be cleaned and standarised to produce new insights into connectivity patterns. Combined with literature reviews, and ShellBank genetic data, we’re helping build the most comprehensive account of marine turtle movement ever assembled, and every synthesised product will be placed in public databases for decision makers and managers to strengthen conservation efforts.
☆
Connecting communities & bridging gaps
Data owners are invited to submit three types of data which will be cleaned and standarised to produce new insights into connectivity patterns. Combined with literature reviews, and ShellBank genetic data, we’re helping build the most comprehensive account of marine turtle movement ever assembled, and every synthesised product will be placed in public databases for decision makers and managers to strengthen conservation efforts.
The BC4T Small Grants Programme
We’ve released a small grants programme to help fill data gaps in marine turtle connectivity and distribution. The Grant makes $50,000 USD available, alongside five satellite transmitters, to support community-engaged research that closes critical gaps in nesting locations, migratory patterns, and genetic connectivity — data that feeds directly into the identification of Important Marine Turtle Areas. The first round drew 127 proposals from 56 countries. Grants have been awarded to eleven projects across Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific and the Americas.
— community engagement
Where we've shown up so far
Regional IMTA-designation workshops are planned to begin under Marine Turtle Specialist Group guidance from 2026. When they do, aggregated data and knowledge products will be available to participants from the BC4T team to help the turtle community identify candidate IMTAs through an inclusive, locally-led process. In the meantime, the initiative has been introducing BC4T and IMTAs at forums worldwide.
DEC 2024
NASTNet Annual Meeting in Tunisia
Introduced Blue Corridors for Turtles to the North African turtle research network.
Dec 2024
Coral Triangle Initiative Ministerial Meeting, Timor-Leste
Presented as part of the threatened species regional exchange alongside the region’s food security and fisheries agenda.
Mar 2025
43rd International Sea Turtle Symposium, Accra
Shared early findings with the global sea turtle research community to help gain momentum and uptake.
Feb 2026
International Sea Turtle Symposium, Hawaii
The BC4T team co-hosted a pre-IMTA workshop meeting at the 2026 ISTS in Hawaii, and presented the status of BC4T and IMTAs at all six regional meetings, the MTSG annual meeting, and in the symposium proper, while also manning a vendor table hosting “data clinics” throughout the week.
Mar 2026
WIDECAST AGM, Dominican Republic
Co-hosted a pre-IMTA workshop meeting with WIDECAST at its 2026 Annual General Meeting, introducing the IMTA framework and gathering guidance on criteria setting and pilot Areas of Interest.
