JumpStart - Life Science

Sea Turtles On The Move*

SEA TURTLES

Sea turtles are graceful saltwater reptiles, well adapted to life in their marine world. With streamlined bodies and flipper-like limbs, they are graceful swimmers able to navigate across the oceans. When they are active, sea turtles must swim to the ocean surface to breathe every few minutes. When they are resting, they can remain underwater for much longer periods of time. Although sea turtles live most of their lives in the ocean, adult females must return to land in order to lay their eggs. Sea turtles often travel long distances from their feeding grounds to their nesting beaches. Scientists are studying how sea turtles find their nesting beaches. All six species of sea turtles in the U.S. are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 . Photo credit: Geoff LeBaro

Common Name	Scientific Name	ESA Status	Critical Habitat
Green turtle	Chelonia mydas	Endangered/Threatened	Designated
Hawksbill turtle	Eretmochelys imbricata	Endangered	Designated
Kemp's ridley turtle	Lepidochelys kempii	Endangered
Leatherback turtle	Dermochelys coriacea	Endangered	Designated
Loggerhead turtle	Caretta caretta	Threatened
Olive ridley turtle	Lepidochelys olivacea	Endangered/Threatened

PROTECTION OF SEA TURTLES

Through interagency coordination under Section 7 of the ESA, sea turtles are protected by ensuring that Federal actions will not jeopardize the continued existence of the species. Successful consultations have been conducted with the Minerals Management Service for oil and gas activities, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for dredging activities, the U.S. Navy for explosives testing, the Environmental Protection Agency for the designation of dredged material disposal sites, and many other Federal agencies for activities ranging from nuclear power plant construction to scientific research.

One of the most important ways NMFS acts to protect sea turtles is through requiring trawl fishermen to use Turtle Excluder Devices while fishing.

Because sea turtles nest on land, responsibility for their conservation is shared between NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).