Turtles' absence from Nicaraguan stronghold raises alarm for future

Not a single leatherback nested at the Chacocente reserve this year as the species faces threats of poaching and warming seas

Every year, from November through March, leatherback sea turtles arrive to the secluded shores of the Rio Escalante Chacocente wildlife reserve on Nicaragua's Pacific coast to lay their eggs.

Though leatherback nesting habits vary, Chacocente has been a reliable egg-laying site for as long as conservationists have collected nesting data.