TORTI: Eggsploring Solutions for the Turtle Extinction Crisis
TORTI follows Seychellois PhD researcher Alessia Lavigne's mission to combat the turtle extinction crisis through pioneering science, conservation and hope.
Across the world's oceans and islands, turtles and tortoises have endured for millions of years. They survived the rise and fall of dinosaurs, shifting continents, and dramatic changes to our planet. Yet today, many of these ancient species face an uncertain future due to human impacts; habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, and reproductive failure are pushing populations towards decline, creating an extinction crisis that demands urgent action.
TORTI: Eggsploring Solutions for the Turtle Extinction Crisis follows the journey of Seychellois PhD researcher Alessia Lavigne as she searches for answers to one of conservation's most challenging condendrums: why are turtle and tortoise eggs failing to hatch?
Together with Seychelles-based cinematographer Stefano Colombo, the documentary traces Alessia's path from her early days working in turtle conservation in the Seychelles to becoming a PhD student at the University of Sheffield focused on identifying the drivers of reproductive failure in threatened turtles and tortoises. At the heart of the story is a groundbreaking international scientific collaboration that is set to change how we understand early reproductive failure in these reptiles and consequently their global conservation.
Working alongside Dr Nicola Hemmings, Alessia developed and tested an innovative new method for assessing egg fertilisation in turtles and tortoises. This pioneering approach offers conservationists a powerful new tool to better understand reproductive failure and identify solutions that could help safeguard vulnerable populations around the world.
More than a documentary about science, TORTI is a story about perseverance, hope and the people working tirelessly to reverse biodiversity loss. It highlights how curiosity, innovation, and collaboration can generate real-world conservation answers and solutions, while inspiring the next generation of researchers, conservationists, and environmental leaders.
Through stunning cinematography, intimate storytelling, and cutting-edge science, TORTI invites audiences into a race against time - one that seeks not only to understand why turtles and tortoises are disappearing, but to help ensure that future generations will continue to share the planet with these extraordinary animals.
Credits
The Film
- Presenter and Narrator: Alessia Lavigne (PhD Researcher at the University of Sheffield)
Production
- Director: Alessia Lavigne
- Producer and Writer: Dr Nicola Hemmings (Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield)
- Producer and Writer: Alessia Lavigne
- Production Designer & Lead Editor: Stefano Colombo (Photographer and Filmmaker)
- Film Funded by The University of Sheffield Player
Filming
- Filming: Stefano Colombo
- Filming: Alessia Lavigne
- Special thanks for additional footage:
- Dillys Pouponeau (Research Officer at the Save Our Seas Foundation - D’Arros Research Centre)
- Dominique Dina (Sustainability & Landscaping Manager at North Island Company Limited, Seychelles)
- Henriette Grimmel (Director of Save Our Seas Foundation)
- Lara Briquet (Dive Center Operations Intern at Labriz Dive Center)
- Luke Saddler (Filmmaker)
Special Thanks
- To the following for their cooperation and support in the filming of this project in their incredible locations:
- Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa, Seychelles
- North Island Company Limited, Seychelles
- Save Our Seas Foundation, D’Arros Research Centre, Seychelles
- University of Sheffield, Professor Gavin Thomas (Professor of Macroevolution at the University of Sheffield) for access to the Alfred Denny Museum
- To the following for funding the research
- Save Our Seas Foundation
- Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust
- The University of Sheffield
- To all research collaborators who made this study possible
- Seychelles Islands Foundation
- Island Conservation Society
- Nature Seychelles
- Save Our Seas Foundation: D'Arros Research Centre
- Olive Ridley Project
- Frégate Island Foundation
- Marine Conservation Society Seychelles
- North Island Company Limited
- British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums: Crocodiles of the World, Oxfordshire
- British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums: ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
