From February 29 to March 4, in the capital of Peru, Lima was held the 36th International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. As every year, the Symposium was organized by the International Sea Turtle Society. For more than three decades now, the Symposium is the reference point for all “turtlers” around the world, who “migrate” for a few days to a different part of the world, with the sole aim to create new collaborations, to exchange views on common problems, to seek solutions, to evaluate new scientific methods and practices on conservation, with people from all over the world that share one thing in common: their love for sea turtles and passion for their protection! This is anyway the primary purpose of the International Sea Turtle Symposium: the strengthening of human relations, which in turn leads to strengthening of regional and international protection and conservation efforts.

Every year the International Symposium has a special theme. This year it was dedicated to the "crossroads" for two reasons: firstly because Peru is a major migration and foraging area for five different species of sea turtles and also to remind us that this was the 1st International Sea Turtle Symposium held in Latin America!

As every year, the five days of the Symposium were filled with workshops, regional meetings, oral and poster presentations and lectures for all subjects of sea turtle conservation. The level of all presentations was very high and the issues that were raised were important and very interesting.

At the end of the 36th International Symposium, all participants renewed their annual gathering for Las Vega, U.S.A., where in April 2017, the 37th Symposium will be held. For sure ARCHELON will be there too, with the aim to promote and highlight the problems of sea turtles in Greece.

Panagiota Theodorou Conservation coordinator