Nesting of Endangered Turtles Up Dramatically in U.S. Southeast

Along the U.S. southeast coast, endangered sea turtles are nesting in record numbers — the result of 30 years of federal protection efforts, say conservationists, but their long-term outlook remains problematic.

Along the U.S. southeast coast, endangered sea turtles are nesting in record numbers — the result of 30 years of federal protection efforts, say conservationists. But turtle experts worry about a poor long-term outlook for the animals because of threats such as ocean pollution and rising sea levels, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Green turtle nest numbers are through the roof,” says Bill Miller, manager of Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, where a mid-August 2013 count of 1,147 more than doubled the 2011 record of 543. At Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, green turtles had built 10,420 nests by August 21, topping the 2011 record of 6,023. Nesting season ends in November.

Loggerheads, such as the one shown above, are also posting nest gains. By mid-August, loggerheads had built 1,878 nests at Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina — 200 more than in 2012 and the highest count since 1978, when the species won national protection, says manager Sarah Dawsey.

The listing of green sea turtles under the Endangered Species Act in 1978 provided federal protections, including making it illegal to hunt or fish them. Turtles take 20 to 30 years to reach sexual maturity, which is why the 2013 nesting gains may reflect actions begun decades earlier.

But how long nesting gains will offset threats is unknown. Says Miller, “If we don’t do something about ocean debris, loss of habitat to erosion and sea level rise, and the pollution of lagoons and estuaries from runoff, nesting gains will be outweighed by environmental degradations.”

Wildlife conservation has a long history in the United States, and the United States is at the forefront of international efforts to protect wildlife.