General Sea Turtle Information
Of the six sea turtle species that are found in U.S. waters or that nest on U.S. beaches, all are designated as either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Endangered status means a species is considered in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range; threatened means it is likely to become endangered. Sea turtles are highly migratory and utilize the waters of more than one country in their lifetimes. Thus, sea turtles are shared resources among many nations. Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback, and Hawksbill sea turtles regularly nest on beaches within the U.S. and all depend upon U.S. coastal waters for foraging and migratory habitat during certain stages of their life history. The Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, which occasionally nests in the U.S., is dependent on the shallow coastal habitats of the U.S. east coast and the Gulf of Mexico for foraging and developmental habitat. However, all of these species migrate outside U.S. boundaries during their lifetimes. In addition, the Olive Ridley sea turtle does not nest in the U.S., but during feeding migrations, Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the Pacific may disperse into waters of the southwestern U.S., occasionally as far north as Oregon. Because sea turtles are shared resources, conservation efforts for turtle populations in one country may be jeopardized by activities in another country. Protecting sea turtles on U.S. nesting beaches and in U.S. waters therefore is not sufficient alone to ensure the continued existence of these species. Cooperation among nations is critical to ensure the survival of sea turtles. The Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service share Federal jurisdiction for sea turtles with the Fish and Wildlife Service having lead responsibility on the nesting beaches and the National Marine Fisheries Service, the marine environment. Federal responsibilities and programs include development and implementation of recovery plans, land acquisition, cooperative programs with States, consultation with other federal agencies on projects they fund, permit, or conduct; international cooperation; promulgation of regulations to reduce take; permitting of activities for research or education involving take; and development of habitat conservation plans. For more information on the Fish and Wildlife Service’s sea/marine turtle program, write to: Regional Sea Turtle Coordinator Program Officer, Marine Turtle Conservation Fund Current InitiativesServices propose reclassification into 11 Distinct Population Segments for Green Sea Turtle along Florida and Pacific Coasts - Comment Period ExtendedNOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to reclassify the green sea turtle under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and list turtles originating from two breeding populations currently considered endangered as threatened due to improvements in their populations. After a review of the global status of green sea turtles, the agencies are proposing to reclassify the species into 11 Distinct Population Segments (DPS) under the ESA, which maintains federal protections while providing a more tailored approach for managers to address specific threats facing different populations. More information about the 11 DPS and the proposed status of each population can be found here: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/green.htm. The Florida and Mexican Pacific Coast breeding populations are encompassed within the North Atlantic and East Pacific DPS respectively. Green sea turtle populations will continue to be protected under the ESA. The agencies just completed an extended public comment period for this proposal and are now reviewing the information provided relevant to the status change. This includes potential critical habitat for the green sea turtle and any information that will help ensure that the final determination is based on the best available scientific and commercial information. Critical habitat in Puerto Rico that was designated in 1998 is proposed to remain in effect for the North Atlantic DPS. The extended public comment period closed September 25, 2015. You may view the comments, information or data submitted on this proposal, identified as NOAA-NMFS-2012-0154, by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2012-0154 and scroll down to the "Comments" to review. Media contacts: Coastal Beach Critical Habitat for the Recovery of Northwest Atlantic Population of Loggerhead Sea TurtlesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated about 685 miles of coastal beach habitat as important for the recovery of the threatened Northwest Atlantic Ocean population of loggerhead sea turtles, as directed by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The terrestrial critical habitat areas include 88 nesting beaches in coastal counties located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. These beaches account for 48 percent of an estimated 1,531 miles of coastal beach shoreline and about 84 percent of the documented nesting (numbers of nests) within these six states. Details including maps available here. NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service designated marine critical habitat for the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. For details visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/criticalhabitat_loggerhead.htm 2011 NOAA Fisheries Service and FWS finalize changes for Loggerhead sea turtle populationsReports
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Sea
turtles are among the largest living reptiles. They have scales and a bony
shell, are cold-blooded, breathe air, and lay their eggs on land. Sea turtles
are long-lived, although scientists are uncertain how long they live because
there is no known way to determine their age. Unlike the land turtles from which
they evolved, sea turtles spend almost their entire lives in the sea. They glide
gracefully through the water with flipper-like forelimbs and a streamlined
shell. Sea turtles frequently come to the surface to breathe when active, but
they can remain underwater for several hours when resting.
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