Hawksbill Turtle (IMAGE) University of East Anglia Caption New University of East Anglia research into the mating habits of a critically endangered sea turtle will help conservationists understand more about its mating patterns. The turtle is critically endangered, largely due to the (now banned) international trade in tortoiseshell as a decorative material. Because the turtles live underwater, and often far out to sea, little has been understood about their breeding habits until now. The breakthrough was made by studying DNA samples. Credit Karl Phillips (University of East Anglia) Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.