On this planet, so many plants and animals are disappearing that scientists worry we're experiencing a sixth mass extinction. Many of these organisms are taking hits from a variety of angles - habitat loss, climate change and more - that it's hard to get a grasp on how to stop their declines. Conservation success stories are rare.

But sea turtles may be an exception, according to a comprehensive analysis of global sea turtle abundance published Wednesday in Science Advances.

Research has found that most populations of sea turtles are bouncing back after historical declines. Credit:Michael Clayton Jones

Antonios Mazaris​, an ecologist at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and a team of international researchers found that globally, most populations of sea turtles are bouncing back after historical declines. Their research helps clarify why some conservation and research groups have reported both increases and decreases for individual nesting sites over the past decade.

Mazaris and his colleagues analysed existing public data of sea turtle nesting sites around the world over time periods ranging from six to 47 years. They standardised individual data sets and evaluated each site separately and then combined them into regional populations to look at changes. Even small populations, which normally have a tough time recovering, are capable of being restored, they found.