Image Image Credit Peter Pattavina/FWS Sea Turtles Peter Pattavina/FWS There are seven species of sea turtles that inhabit the Earth’s oceans: loggerhead, leatherback, green turtle, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley and flatback. Except for the flatback, all species occur in North American waters and are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Air-breathing reptiles that have been around for 110 million years, sea turtles spend different parts of their long lives in different parts of the world. What they all have in common is that they rely on beaches for nesting. When they’re not nesting, sea turtles spend most of their lives in the ocean; much of their journey around the globe remains a mystery to researchers. The southeastern United States provides globally significant habitat for sea turtles. In fact, Florida beaches host 90% of sea turtle nesting in the continental U.S. and the largest rookery of loggerhead nesting in the world. Defenders' Impact In the Southeast and along the Gulf of Mexico, we work to preserve nesting beaches and foraging areas, improve coastal-construction policies so that jetties and sea walls do not prevent turtles from nesting, promote responsible lighting along nesting beaches, encourage local residents, visitors and businesses to remove trash that attracts raccoons and other predators that devour eggs and hatchlings, and organize workshops and beach clean-ups. We strive to reform harmful fisheries that kill thousands of sea turtles every year and have successfully advocated for new rules on Cape Hatteras National Seashore to limit off-road vehicles on the beach to protect nesting sites. Defenders also promotes the vigilant use of turtle excluder devises (TEDs) and innovative fishing practices to reduce sea turtle deaths in trawling nets. In California, Defenders is currently advocating for a law that phases out the use of harmful drift gillnets while promoting sustainable, local fisheries. In Mexico, we helped change wildlife and fisheries regulations to forbid capture and trade of sea turtle products, as well as promoted the use of safe fishing gear to decrease sea turtle bycatch in shark fisheries, protection measures and correct management of nesting sites. Internationally we successfully stopped proposals to renew commerce with hawksbills in CITES and promoted sea turtle conservation resolutions in the InterAmerican Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles. We created a series of educational materials against the illegal trade of sea turtle products, including a sea turtle identification guide widely used by scientists and government authorities. We continue to advocate against allowing any new oil and gas exploration and development along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. Threats & Status What You Can Do Facts Range & Population Behavior & Reproduction Threats Threats include fisheries bycatch, habitat loss and disturbance due to development, oil spills and other pollution, ingestion of plastics, entanglement in marine debris, artificial lighting, beach armoring, and illegal harvesting. Climate change also threatens sea turtles as rising sea levels inundate nesting beaches and warming sands shift the sex ratio of hatchlings to 90% female. Protection Status Endangered Species Act IUCN Red List CITES Endangered Endangered Appendix I Six species of sea turtles are listed as endangered or threatened. The different species and subpopulations are listed from data deficient and least concern to critically endangered. Image Image Credit Adam Victorino ADOPT A SEA TURTLE Your adoption supports our work to protect vital coastal nesting habitat, educate coastal homeowners about their impacts, and work in the courts to defend and enforce the laws that protect sea turtles. ADOPT NOW News Image WILMINGTON, NC AUGUST 4, 2021 Conservation Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Elimination of Critical North Carolina Protections for Sea Turtles and Fish Today Defenders of Wildlife, Cape Fear River Watch, and North Carolina Wildlife Federation, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), filed a challenge against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ unlawful decision to eliminate highly successful seasonal limitations on hopper dredging projects that have protected sea turtles, fish species and other marine life for decades. VISIT THE NEWSROOM Sea Turtles Blog Posts Image NOVEMBER 12, 2021 The Intrepid Sea Turtle Image OCTOBER 14, 2021 Simple Changes You Can Make Today to Protect Wildlife Image OCTOBER 7, 2021 Home Sweet Habitat VISIT THE BLOG Image Publications Five Things You Can Do to Save Sea Turtles Quick Guide to the Sea Turtles of Mexico (in English & Spanish) Sea Turtles of Mexico Identification Guide Back From The Brink In The Southeast Related Regions California Southeast Related Issues Conserving Imperiled Species Protecting Habitat Defending Conservation Laws Wildlife and Wild Places Image Tortoises Image Oceans Image Bog Turtle Image Coasts and Intertidal Zones Image Get Alerts & Updates facebook twitter instagram youtube medium pinterest Footer menu ABOUT US FAQ DEFENDERS MAGAZINE PUBLICATIONS JOBS & INTERNSHIPS CONTACT US 1130 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036 1-800-385-9712 © 2021 Defenders of Wildlife Terms of Use Privacy Policy Accessibility Statement How Funds Are Used 97% 97% of our funds go towards program and support services, with only 3% going towards fundraising. 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