ShellBank

Global Marine Turtle Traceability Toolkit

The World’s First Traceability Toolkit and Global Database of Marine Turtle DNA

ShellBank is a unique DNA-based traceability toolkit that tracks and traces marine turtle populations globally.

Identifying genetically distinct turtle populations means we can identify those most at-risk, better protecting those most in need.

ShellBank is a gamechanger pioneering marine turtle DNA-based traceability on a global scale. Unlike traditional tracking methods that focus on individual turtles, ShellBank’s approach enables DNA extraction from turtles, parts and products (e.g. eggs and tortoiseshell), to identify and trace a turtle’s population origin, its connectivity and geographic (transmigratory) boundary for conservation research and management or law enforcement purposes.

For the first time, tracing confiscated turtles or products can aid law enforcers in illegal turtle use and trade investigations. The comprehensive data stored within ShellBank’s open-source database and the assessments it enables means stakeholders other than geneticists can benefit from ShellBank, setting a new standard for data-driven conservation.

It is set to equip law enforcement, communities and conservation managers with the data and knowledge critical to safeguarding turtle populations and their habitats, and to reverse the trajectory of many marine turtle populations struggling to recover.