On January 15-18, 2005, Sea Turtle Conservancy and the St Catherines Island Foundation brought together a group of 18 leading experts on leatherback research and conservation from ten countries to discuss Atlantic leatherback turtles, Dermochelys coriacea. The Retreat was held at the incomparable location of St Catherines Island in Georgia, USA.

The leatherback turtle is classified as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Pacific populations have declined drastically during the last decades but the status of Atlantic leatherback populations is less well known. Major reasons for the observed decline in the Pacific are thought to include incidental capture in fisheries and egg collection on nesting beaches.

Satellite telemetry of leatherback turtles in the Atlantic has shown wide-ranging migrations into areas with commercial fishing activities. Also, egg collection persists on many nesting beaches in the Atlantic. Given the wide distribution of leatherback turtles and potential survival threats in the Atlantic, it is paramount to identify research and conservation priorities to avoid a repeat of the decline observed for Pacific leatherback turtles. For this reason, the Atlantic Leatherback Strategy Retreat, attended by a select group of 20 researchers and conservation managers working with leatherback turtles and related issues in the Atlantic met at St Catherines Island, Georgia, USA, January 15-18, 2004.

The objectives of the meeting were to: 1) Assess current level of knowledge about Atlantic leatherback turtles, 2) Identify five research and conservation priorities each (titled St Catherines Island Recommendations) for Atlantic leatherback nesting aggregations and Atlantic leatherback marine habitat use and fisheries interactions, and 3) suggest how participants in the International Sea Turtle Symposium may contribute to the implementation of the Atlantic leatherback turtle research and conservation priorities. This presentation summarizes the results of the Strategy Retreat.