Photo: Sierra Ison

The flatback turtle (Natator depressus) is endemic to Australia, and all known breeding sites occur only there. Flatback turtles have the smallest migratory range of any marine turtle species and nest on inshore islands and on the shores of the Australian mainland from Mon Repos in southern Queensland to Exmouth in the north of Western Australia. They are under threat from a range of impacts associated with artificial light, predation from introduced animals, climate change, marine debris, and other factors. Flatback turtles are listed as Vulnerable under Australian legislation. In response, research and conservation efforts relating to flatback turtles have expanded over the past decade, for example via the North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program and locally organised community groups, to inform the management of the species for the future. For this Special, we invite contributions from any discipline that provide new knowledge to support the current and future management of flatback turtles in Australia.