The Archie Carr NWR rivals the beaches of Masirah Island at the Sultanate of Oman as the most important loggerhead nesting beach in the world.
While sea turtles are threatened with extinction throughout the world, the Archie Carr NWR hosts the largest nesting population of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles in the U.S., with a quarter of all loggerhead sea turtle nests and a third of all green sea turtle nests. Loggerheads at the refuge annually produce between 8,000 to 20,000 nests (averaging 400-1,000 nests per mile/1.6 km). Green sea turtles at the refuge annually produce between 1,000 to 15,000 nests and leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) annually produce between 1 to 80 nests.
For more information, please see the Sea Turtle Nest Update Page.