"This document provides information on the biology and exploitation of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), and it is limited to their distribution in the western Atlantic Ocean. It was originally prepared for the second Western Atlantic Turtle Symposium (WATS II), held in Puerto Rico in 1987, but lack of funds prevented its pUblication at that time. In its present form, the document has been updated (as much as was feasible with the limited access to data resources available in Suriname, the author's current project location) with new information thought to be applicable to the western Atlantic olive ridley turtle populations. In order to provide a systematic treatment of the various data categories, this document follows the FAO species synopsis format as prepared by Rosa (1965) and as applied by Witzell (1983). Topics include taxonomy, morphology, distribution, reproduction, life stages, food, growth, behavior, population characteristics, exploitation, protection, and management"--Preparation of this synopsis