Save Texas Sea Turtles News Blog

Sea Turtle Arrives For R&R In North Carolina

2009-05-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

Sea Turtle Arrives For R&R In North Carolina

MyNC.com - Raleigh,NC,USAThe patient, who arrived at Raligh-Durham International Airport on Thursday, is a Kemp's Ridleys sea turtle named "Wee Willie" - that's short for Willamena ...Link

Released Turtle, Judy, Dies

2009-05-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

Corpus Christi Caller Times - Corpus Christi,TX,USA

Park officials tend to find between 200 to 725 sea turtles a year stranded along the beach. Judy had been stranded before along the National Seashore in ...Link

Gabon Celebrates National Sea Turtle Day!

2009-05-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Gabon is a very special place for sea turtles. At least four species visit its waters and shores to reproduce and feed. Gabon also hosts the largest nesting aggregation of leatherback turtles in the world! To highlight Gabon's importance on the worldwide stage of sea turtle conservation, the Gabon Sea Turtle Partnership has organized the second annual National Sea Turtle Day.The first two National Sea Turtle Day events took place in Cap Esterias and Libreville, Gabon, engaging local students and community members with skits, poetry, art contests and quizzes. As part of the Cap Esterias event a student gave a speech that pleaded with parents and others present to help protect sea turtles so that when she is grown, she will be able to see them with her own children. During the Libreville event, noted Gabonese chanteuse, Annie Flore Batchiellilys, asked the crowd to do their part to protect sea turtles for the next generation, saying...Nature is a gift that we are lent, not given, and we must take care of it for those who follow us. By saving nature, we save our culture.Two more events will be held in Mayumba (25 April) and Gamba (2 May). Student winners are being selected at each event to adopt and name a satellite tagged leatherback turtle from the Gabon 2008-09: Leatherback Turtles Project.The winner in Cap Esterias was Valeria Metolo, who drew a beautiful nesting green turtle. She was presented with a Certificate of Adoption for a satellite tagged leatherback turtle that she named Popo. The winner in Libreville was Teresa Lieutenant and she named her turtle Teresa.Learn more about Gabon's sea turtles:Gabon Sea Turtle Partnership Gabon 2008-09: Leatherback Turtles Gabon Olive Ridley Project

Helping Injured Turtles Swim Again...

2009-04-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

One-flipper turtle gets Ninja suit to help it swim
Houston Chronicle - United States
2009 AP SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas — Turtle rescuers have demonstrated the first fin suit designed to allow a green sea turtle that lost three of its ... Link to Story

Local Experts Observe for Ike's Aftereffects on Nesting Sea Turtles

2009-04-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

Team seeks signs of at-risk turtles' return to nesting sites
Houston Chronicle - United States
By MOISES MENDOZA

Conservationists such as Donna Shaver, chief of the National Park Service’s Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery, are expecting ... Link to Story

Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins!

2009-04-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins
KERA - Dallas,TX,USA

The gulf coast weather is warming up, meaning that it's the beginning of the sea turtle nesting season. Wildlife experts say beach-goers can help the ... Link to Story

Ninja Turtle Stops Swimming in Circles

2009-04-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Ninja Turtle Stops Swimming Around In Circles

News 8 KFMB - San Diego,CA,USA

Allison was rescued by Sea Turtle Inc., a Texas-based non-profit that helps rehabilitate injured sea turtles. After helping her heal from her traumatic ... Link to story

Group trying to develop artificial limbs for amputee loggerhead

2009-03-03T07:20:00.000-08:00

The Japan Times - Japan

The group knows it will be a challenge: There is no known successful case of artificial limbs being attached to sea turtles, which have fragile bones and ...MORE

2009-02-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

Satellite tracked sea turtle swims in Google Ocean
Deep-Sea News - Durham,NC,USA

Now, Adelita's the first turtle to swim through Google's Ocean, quickly becoming one of the most famous sea turtles in the world, joining the ranks of ... MORE

2009-02-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

Navy training impact on gulf studied

The News Herald - Panama City,FL,USA

"We did look at endangered species, sea turtles, marine mammals and consulted with (regulatory agencies) on potential effects on species, ...

2009-02-16T06:11:00.000-08:00

Gulf Council Votes to Protect Sea Turtles from Bottom Longlines
KTRE - Lufkin,TX,USA

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council voted Thursday (10-7) to take immediate action to protect sea turtles from the bottom longline sector of the ...
MORE

Fisheries and Conservationists Meet Over Net Bycatch

2009-01-26T07:02:00.000-08:00

PROGRESS MADE TOWARDS MITIGATING SEA TURTLE BYCATCH IN COASTAL NET ...World-Wire (press release) - USA

The three-day Technical Workshop on Mitigating Sea Turtle Bycatch in Coastal Net Fisheries, which concluded Thursday in Honolulu, made significant strides ... Full Story link below:

http://world-wire.com/news/0901250001.html

Death of Endangered Turtle Signals Need for Vigilance on Texas Beaches

2008-07-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Plain Text — E-mail

News Release
Media Contact: Tom Harvey, (512) 389-4453, tom.harvey@tpwd.state.tx.us

June 2, 2008

Death of Endangered Turtle Signals Need for Vigilance on Texas Beaches
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As best anyone can tell, sometime during the middle of May a female Kemp’s ridley turtle crawled out of the surf on South Padre Island and was struck by a passing vehicle. The cautionary tale illustrates why biologists are asking beachgoers to keep an eye out for the endangered sea turtles and report sightings.

Injured and confused, the turtle returned to the warm Gulf waters for nearly a week. Then, on May 23, the turtle came ashore again. After the animal successfully deposited her clutch of eggs in the sand, volunteers noticed her injuries and took her to Sea Turtle, Inc. There, a veterinarian noted the severe infection and estimated the turtle had only about a week to live. She was euthanized the following day.

The Kemp’s ridley turtle’s extraordinary drive to reproduce bodes well for the world’s smallest marine turtle species. Weighing-in at about 100 pounds as adults, the turtles once came ashore on Gulf of Mexico beaches — in northern Mexico mostly, but also in South Texas — in the tens of thousands in a phenomenon known as an arribada (arrival).

Then, the population collapsed, with the total number of observed nesting turtles as recently as two decades ago sinking to just several hundred individuals.

Today, the news for the ridley (it’s still listed as an endangered species) is mostly good-more of these turtles continue to nest on Texas beaches than in past years, including some who were reared in captivity and released years ago and are now returning to nest as adults.

As of May 28, 106 nests have been reported on Texas beaches, from Bolivar Peninsula on the upper coast to Boca Chica at the Rio Grande. May 17 set a one-day observation record of 19 nests.

"Unless this is a very early nesting year, it’s likely we will set another record for Kemp’s ridleys nesting on the Texas coast," said Donna Shaver, Ph.D., chief of the sea turtle science and recovery program at Padre Island National Seashore. Some 128 nests were recorded last year, the largest number since monitoring began in 1980.

The recent run of sea turtle sightings signals the arrival of peak turtle nesting season in Texas that may last through mid-July.

For the past several years, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has worked with a host of other agencies including the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Gladys Porter Zoo, University of Texas, officials in Mexico and others to restore the Kemp’s ridley.

To protect as many sea turtles as possible, the Padre Island National Seashore incubates most of the sea turtle eggs found along the Texas coast and releases the hatchlings into the Gulf of Mexico.

Shaver urged beachgoers to be especially vigilant through mid-July, particularly on windy days when the turtles are most likely to come ashore.

"Reduce your speed while driving on the beach," she said. "The turtles often cross the vehicular roadway on the beach, and might nest anywhere from the high tide line to the dunes. They will not and cannot move for an approaching vehicle and blend-in very well with the both sand and vegetation."

Shaver encourages people who do sight a nesting sea turtle to mark the nest without disturbing the animal and to flag down a passing "turtle patrol." If mobile phone reception is available, call 1-866-TURTLES, she said.

"Observations from the public are very important," Shaver noted. "Up to about half the nests located on the Texas coast each year are due to reports from the public."

The public also can witness sea turtle hatchling releases at the national seashore on certain dates mid-June through August. The releases usually take place around 6:45 a.m. and are free to attend-see the national seashore sea turtle Web pages for details. General information about Kemp’s ridley turtles also is available on the TPWD Web site.

Slwoly but Surely, Turtle Numbers Rise

2008-07-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

By Mary Ann Cavazos
Sunday, June 8, 2008

Caller-Times file Beach-goers are encouraged to be on the lookout for Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests through mid-July. So far this year, 161 nests have been reported on Texas beaches.

CORPUS CHRISTI — For the fifth consecutive year, record numbers of Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests have been found along the Texas coast, with more nests found halfway through this season than during the entire season last year.

With more than a month left in the turtles' nesting season, which began in April and lasts through mid-July, 161 nests have been reported on Texas beaches. That surpasses last year's record season of 128.

Donna Shaver, chief of the division of sea turtle science and recovery at the Padre Island National Seashore, said the high numbers reflect years of conservation efforts and a more informed public.

Of the nests found so far, 87 were on North Padre Island, including 77 at the Padre Island National Seashore.

Another record was set this year on Tuesday, when 23 nests were found along the Texas coast -- the highest number ever found in a single day since officials began keeping track in 1980.

Kemp's ridley sea turtles have been on the endangered species list since 1970. Adults reach about two feet in length and weigh up to 100 pounds, making the species one of the smallest of the sea turtles, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Two decades ago, nests rarely were found, with only one or two spotted every couple of years, Shaver said.

Last year, more than 10,000 sea turtle hatchlings were released on Texas beaches and most hatched from this area.

National Park service staff and volunteers patrol local beaches daily in search of the nests. But it is beach-goers who still find nearly half the nests on the Texas coast each year, which makes an educated public so vital, Shaver said.

"We're working harder every year to inform the public," she said.

Part of increasing public awareness comes from the hatchling releases. Shaver said the next release likely will be held in the next week when the next group of hatchlings will be ready to enter the Gulf of Mexico.

Shaver said beach visitors should especially be on the lookout for turtle nests on windy days when the females are most likely to come ashore to lay eggs. The wind keeps the sea turtles cooler and blows away their tracks in the sand, which helps protect them from predators.

Those who find a nest should report it immediately and try to mark its location only after the turtle has laid the eggs and is sitting nearly motionless.

Shaver said the progress made is encouraging but that the species is unlikely to be out of danger anytime soon.

"There's a lot still to be done but we're moving in the right direction," she said.

Contact Mary Ann Cavazos at 886-3623 or cavazosm@caller.com

© 2008 Scripps Texas Newspapers, L.P. A Scripps Howard newspaper. All Rights Reserved. Site users are subject to our User Agreement. Read our privacy policy. Questions? Comments? Contact us.

Sea Turtle Strandings Down, Experts Say

2008-07-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

By Rhiannon Meyers
The Daily News
Published June 2, 2008

Protected sea turtles are washing up dead or injured along the Texas and Mexico Gulf Coast, but officials say they are arriving in far fewer numbers than in years past.

In the past eight years, the number of stranded sea turtles has steadily decreased, excluding a bizarre cold snap in 2007 that killed off hundreds of endangered green turtles.

Conservationists are pointing to the decline in standings as proof that controversial turtle excluder devices work.

“They are not 100 percent effective, but they’ve certainly saved the lives of many turtles,” said Donna Shaver, chief of the division of sea turtle science and recovery at Padre Island National Seashore. “Most folks agree, turtle excluder devices are a big contributor to the rise in the Kemp’s ridley population.”

A turtle excluder device is a grid of metal bars that sits in the neck of a trawl net. The bars let shrimp through but block turtles and eject them through an opening in the net.

The devices were mandated in 1987, and after at least 10 court cases, upheld by a judge in 1991.

Before turtle excluder devices were required on shrimp trawlers, it was common to find the beach littered with turtle carcasses three to four days after shrimp season opened, said Marydelle Donnelly with the Caribbean Conservation Corp. and Sea Turtle Survival League.

Since the advent of the excluder devices, the state of Texas, where boats are monitored by agents from the state’s fish and wildlife department and by federal agents from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, has done a good job protecting sea turtles, Donnelly said. Today, federal agents log an average of 31 violations of turtle excluder devices per year, said Monica Allen, spokeswoman of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association.

Still, the government will never fully be able to stop strandings that are caused by human hands or by natural events, such as cold snaps, she said.

It’s not clear what’s killing the turtles that have been washing up on the beach this year.

Most of them are so mangled or decayed it’s hard to say what they died from.

For example, in one month alone, 53 turtles were found dead along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Mexico, according to reports from the Padre Island National Seashore ranger station. Another 14 were found alive but sickly.

In many cases, the turtles were missing their heads, eyes, tails and flippers, the report states. In other cases, the turtles were found dead with gashes or cracks in their shells. Some were tangled in rope wrapped around their necks or flippers. Some were alive, but had swallowed fishing line or had injuries to their flippers and shells, according to the report.

It’s clear that some are being struck by boat propellers, but conservationists aren’t sure if that’s what’s causing their deaths or whether they are already dead when they are struck by boats, Donnelly said.

Missing heads, tails or flippers could be the work of scavengers like coyotes that feed off the turtle carcasses when they wash up on shore, Shaver said.

At least, there are no clear indications from the stranding reports that humans are butchering the turtles, she said.

There have been some reports that there are “more suspicious” turtle deaths in the areas between the Texas-Louisiana border and Freeport, but Shaver declined to talk about those since she had not seen the carcasses.

Shana Kethan of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration reports on stranded turtles in that region, which includes Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula. She declined to talk about the carcasses, referring all questions to Shaver.

Carole Allen is Gulf Office director of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, part of a nonprofit environmental group in California called Turtle Island Restoration Network.

Allen has butted heads through the years with shrimpers about turtle protection laws, and she argues that fishermen are killing the sea turtles.

Allen, who said she found three dead Kemp’s ridley sea turtles on Bolivar Peninsula in late April, said she thinks the missing heads and flippers are indicative of slaughter, not predators.

“The report will say, ‘It looks like a propeller hit the turtle’ or maybe it was a great big machete knife?” she said.

She has asked state and federal agents to step up law enforcement in the area because she suspects fisherman and shrimpers are not properly using their turtle excluder devices. She’s lobbying for the state to prohibit shrimping within 5 nautical miles of the shoreline year-round to protect sea turtles.

The good news, though, about endangered sea turtles is that many of them appear to be making a comeback, Donnelly said. Nestlings, especially among Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, are up, while standings are down.

“Kemp’s ridleys have been doing much better in the past 10 years,” Donnelly said.

+++

By the numbers

The number of turtle standings along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Mexico:

2000 — 389 2001 — 375 2002 — 327 2003 — 221 2004 — 297 2005 — 255 2006 — 271 2007 — 717 2008 — 177

We are on the Smithsonian Website !

2008-07-29T20:30:00.001-07:00

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/points-200806.html

Link to Hatchling Release Footage

2008-07-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/preroll/19293569.html

Dozens of Sea Turtles Found Dead on Mexican Beaches

2008-07-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

Associated Press
ACAPULCO, MEXICO — Environmental officials in Mexico say dozens of dead sea turtles apparently killed in fishing nets have washed up on beaches in recent days.
Authorities say 59 Olive Ridley turtles have been found on beaches in and around the resort of
Acapulco.

Environmental protection officer Manuel de Jesus Solis says his agency found 12 dead turtles
bearing marks apparently caused by fishing nets. It was unclear which fishing boats were involved.

Victor Berdejo says another 47 dead turtles were found by personnel at a turtle-protection area he supervises. The sea turtles, once hunted in Mexico for their meat and eggs, were declared a protected species in 1990. Fishermen are required to include turtle escape devices in their nets.

Quick Trip to Island Turns into Longer Stay

2008-05-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

By Steve Alexander Contributor
Published May 20, 2008

Ila visited Galveston Island on May 1, neither waiting for the weekend nor peak tourist season. She neither searched the island for the perfect secluded beach nor carried an umbrella and chair onto the sand.Ila did none of these things, because Ila is a female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle that visited Galveston Island for one purpose: to lay eggs in the sand.

As she made her way up the beach, she was spotted by a county employee who alerted local biologists. They arrived within minutes and watched as she dropped 109 eggs into a hole she dug in a sand pile at the base of the seawall at 39th Street. After laying her eggs, her plan to make her way back into the Gulf of Mexico literally ran aground as she was picked up by biologists and placed into a container for transport to the NOAA Sea Turtle Facility at Fort Crockett.

So instead of a quick egg-laying visit to the island, Ila’s visit lasted all afternoon.I met Ila at the NOAA Sea Turtle Facility after receiving a call from Christi Hughes, a graduate student working on her master’s degree with Andre Landry at Texas A&M University at Galveston.

Jack Clason, a fellow Texas master naturalist and sea turtle patroller, helped me lift Ila out of the transport container and carry her to a large foam-padded container nearby. There, she spent the afternoon surrounded by admiring biologists, naturalists, sea turtle patrollers and visiting students. With all eyes upon her, we soon noticed the tag scar on her right flipper and the living tag (white circle) on her back. The tag scar and position of the living tag indicated that she had spent her first year at this same facility 16 years ago. She had returned home.Christi was assigned the task of naming her and she chose the name Ila, in honor of “The Turtle Lady” of South Padre Island, Ila Loetscher, a tireless champion for the cause of sea turtle conservation. Christi was also responsible for attaching her research name, clamping onto her left front flipper a new tag bearing the number RRV383. Ila was then fitted with a satellite transmitter on her back so future movements could be monitored, thus aiding in the knowledge of where Kemp’s ridley turtles go after nesting.

Such information will help scientists as they continue work to bring the Kemp’s ridley back from near extinction.To do its job, the transmitter had to be securely fastened, so it was “glued” onto her back. While the “glue” dried, it was important to keep her as still as possible. Although I tried to keep her still, at times she overpowered my will by using the flipper strength she had developed from 16 years of swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.

At times during her stay, Ila seemed, as best I can describe, anxious, moving from one corner to another, trying to find a way out. And on occasion, she would let out an audible sigh. I think these expressed her desire to be swimming again in the salty waters of the Gulf.

But her stay wasn’t over; it required one more thing: an ultrasound.A staff member from the Houston Zoo bent over Ila and moved a probe around under her shell. There then appeared on the screen images that looked like grapes, but were in actuality developing eggs. Apparently, Ila’s role as a mother is not over yet. She will likely be visiting another beach this year to lay a new batch of eggs.After being the object of our affection all afternoon, it was time to let Ila go. She was loaded onto the truck and taken back to 39th Street. When placed on the sand by sea turtle patrollers, at first she didn’t move. When she was picked up and moved closer to the water, she then knew where she was. Her flippers dug into the sand and carried her toward the water. Before long, she disappeared into the surf.

Since her release, satellite tracking indicates that Ila has traveled southwest along Galveston Island and down the Texas coast, and as of this writing, is swimming offshore near Matagorda Island, some 125 miles from where she was released. You can follow her future travels at www.seaturtle.org/tracking.

As for her eggs, they were transported to Padre Island National Seashore, where they are now being safely incubated. Upon hatching, Ila’s young will be released into the surf to take up lives of their own.

Ila’s story is just one part of the remarkable story of the continuing recovery of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. But the story is unfinished. Perhaps you can help write the ending. Report any sea turtles or sea turtle tracks you see by calling 1-866-TURTLE-5.

Steve Alexander, a retired marine scientist, lives in Bayou Vista.

Leatherback Protection Needs Comments

2008-05-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

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The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is once again considering a permit to allow swordfish longline fishing along the U.S. west coast in a critical habitat area for the critically endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle. Longline fishing is a highly destructive fishing method that uses 1000's of hooks deployed on a line that can be up to 60 miles long. Each year, hundreds of thousands of marine wildlife species are caught, entangled or drowned by longlines: including the critically endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle, whales, dolphins, sea lions, seabirds, sharks, billfish and other fish species. California banned swordfish longline fishing within their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) - the distance 3-200 miles from shore - in 1977 due to the high by-catch of marine species by longlines. In 2004, this ban was extended by the federal government to include the entire U.S. west coast.Send a letter to NMFS today! Click here to help us protect the marine wildlife you care about!
Deadline for comments is May 27, 2008.
Sea Turtle Restoration Project Email News and Updates PO Box 370, Forest Knolls, CA 94933 USA

Sea turtle nests at Surfside

2008-05-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Link

By Hunter Sauls
The Facts - Published May 14, 2008-SURFSIDE BEACH —

Waddling ashore from the choppy seas Tuesday afternoon, an endangered sea turtle dropped her motherly cargo — a nest of 109 eggs — all under the protecting eyes of the village’s mayor, public works director and police officers.

After all, the large Kemp’s ridley could have found a more secluded section of beach to lay its nest of eggs than right near the beach’s main entrance.“It’s amazing. I’ve never seen that before,” Public Works Director Pete Gutierrez said. “I got to see it all the way, lay the eggs and everything.”

Gutierrez got to see more than that.

After the mother had flipped sand over her future spawn buried deep in the nest, she started back for the surf. The problem was the marine biologists who sped from Texas A&M University at Galveston said to not let the turtle escape into the water.“Not yet girl, you can’t go yet,” said Mayor Jim Bedward. Gutierrez tried to deter the amphibian by putting a piece of driftwood in her path. But she was intent on reaching the surf, and the log wasn’t working. Once they got the OK from the experts, Oscar Ledesma, a burly public works foreman, grasped the turtle by the shell as gingerly as he could.

The two marine biologists arrived and hefted the turtle into a tub in their truck bed. They then scooped away the sand and collected the precious eggs from the nest into Styrofoam coolers. The eggs will travel in shock-resistant containers to the safe nesting area established for the endangered turtle species in the Padre Island National Seashore, biologist Christi Hughes said.

The disgruntled turtle will be taken to Galveston, where they’ll put a electronic tag on her before releasing it back into the wild later in the day, she said. The tags enable the scientists to track the movements of the turtles by satellite.

It was a good thing the beach walker who spotted the turtle knew to call someone, Bedward said. A nest in such a high-traffic area would not be safe.

The more eggs that make it to the protected refuge, the better chance the Kemp’s ridley have to flourish once more, he said. Recent numbers have shown that is just what’s starting to happen.

“That’s why we educate the public,” he said. “So they’ll know to call someone, and then those eggs can get taken care of.”

The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is the most endangered species of sea turtle in the world, first entering the endangered species list in the early 1970s. Their numbers are just beginning to grow after a steep decline. Last year was a record for the number of Kemp’s ridley nests found along the Texas coast.

---HELPING TURTLES
What to do if you find a sea turtle nest or tracks:
Step 1: Call the Sea Turtle Hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.
Step 2: Protect the eggs from beach traffic and predators, but don’t handle them unless they are in danger.
Step 3: Place something near the nest to mark it for biologists.
Step 4: Stay until the biologists come, if you can.

2008 Season Ahead of 2007!

2008-05-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday 5 Kemp's ridley nests were found on the Texas coast including

2 at Padre Island National Seashore (one of which was from a set of
tracks that was located the day before), 1 on North Padre Island north
of Padre Island National Seashore, 1 on South Padre Island, and 1 on
Matagorda Island. So far this year, 53 Kemp's ridley nests have been
confirmed on the Texas coast!

Small Turtle Has Big Heart- Prosthetic Flipper Plans

2008-02-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - When tourists found a 5-inch green sea turtle bloody and missing three of her flippers, the people who run a hospital for the endangered animals here gave her little chance of survival....LINK

2008-01-31T20:49:00.001-08:00

Endangered Sea Turtles To Be Rehabilitated In Maine
WMTW - Auburn,ME,USABIDDEFORD, Maine -- Eight endangered sea turtles have arrived in Maine as part of their rehabilitation after washing up on shore in Massachusetts. ...

2008-01-31T20:48:00.000-08:00

A lesson in turtles
Charleston Post Courier - Charleston,SC,USAWithin moments she was face to face with a 305-pound loggerhead turtle recovering from a shell wound at the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Rescue ...

Most of Gulf Dead Zone Nutrients Come from Just Nine States

2008-01-31T20:45:00.000-08:00

*RESTON, Virginia*, January 30, 2008 (ENS) - Nine states in the
Mississippi River Basin contribute the majority of nutrients to the
northern Gulf of Mexico, threatening the economic and ecological health
of one of the nation's largest and most productive fisheries, according
to a federal government report released Wednesday.

The states of Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi make up only one-third of the 31-state
Mississippi River drainage area, but contribute more than 75 percent of
nitrogen and phosphorus to the Gulf, U.S. Geological Survey, USGS,
researchers report. Link to story.

SOURCE: ONMS Daily News Clips

Corals to Classrooms Workshop - Texas

2008-01-31T20:37:00.000-08:00

The Corals to Classrooms educator workshop, April 25-27, 2008 in
Galveston, Texas, is sponsored by the Gulf of Mexico Foundation and
hosted by the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. The
workshop focuses on coral reef biology and ecology and includes
information, resources, hands-on activities, and a field trip. The
deadline for registration is April 18, 2008.

Its The Year of the Reef!

2008-01-30T14:55:00.000-08:00

Coral reefs shelter thousands of marine plants and animals and
protect shores from erosion. Sometimes called the rain forest of the sea, they are under enormous stress from threats ranging from pollution and alien species to overfishing and recreational overuse.

Sea turtles are a part of this delicate ecosystem.

The International Year of the Reef is a yearlong, global campaign to
raise awareness about the value of coral reefs, as well as the threats
to them. The previous International Year of the Reef campaign in 1997
drew participation from more than 225 organizations in 50 countries and
territories.

See related story

New Species found at Flower Garden Banks Gulf of Mexico!

2008-01-30T14:50:00.000-08:00

The description of a new (to science) species of coral reef wrasse has
been published in the December 2007 issue of the journal /Copeia/. The
article, written by former Flower Garden Banks NMS research specialist
Doug Weaver and co-author Luis Rocha is titled: "A new species of
Halichoeres (Teleostei: Labridae) from the western Gulf of Mexico"
(/Copeia/ 2007(4): 798-807). This species was nicknamed the "Mardi Gras
wrasse" by sanctuary staff due to the bright purple, yellow and green
coloration of the terminal male phase. The fish was originally
discovered at the East Flower Garden Bank by members of the Reef
Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) in 1997.

More Info

California Coastal Commission hearing on longline permit CANCELLED

2007-12-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

Leatherbacks to Remain Protected from Longlines

California Coastal Commission hearing on longline permit CANCELLED

Great news for the protection of the Pacific leatherbacks that forage along
California's coast was announced yesterday with a last minute decision by
the fishing industry to withdraw their application for a swordfish longline
permit that was planned to go before the California Coastal Commission on
December 14, 2007. The exempted fishing permit would have allowed
destructive longline fishing to occur in a critical habitat area for the
endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle. This is a welcome development in
the future protection of the Pacific leatherback and our ocean, which now needs
to become a permanent end to the attempt to begin a clearly unpopular
and destructive fishery in California.

Thank you to all who sent letters to California Coastal Commission regarding
this permit. Your continued support of the Pacific leatherbacks is greatly
appreciated.

Rescued Cape Cod Turtles in Good Hands

2007-12-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

By Doug Fraser
STAFF WRITER
December 09, 2007
Each year, New England Aquarium staff, interns and volunteers pick a theme to name the turtles that are brought in for treatment during the fall and early winter stranding season.
This year's theme is cartoon characters.
And so, the little 5-pound Kemp's ridley turtle that washed up at Linnell Landing in Brewster over Thanksgiving was dubbed Scooby-Doo.
But Scooby-Doo's condition when he was brought into the aquarium on Nov. 24 was anything but comical.
His heart rate was down to five beats per minute, far from the 20 to 22 beats per minute of the healthy turtles at the aquarium. More

The Other Toll of Commercial Fishing...

2007-12-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

Sea you later
Bycatch is the ugliest thing you never see in the fish market

Posted by Erik Hoffner at 2:10 PM on 05 Dec 2007

Commercial fishing creates a mind-boggling amount of waste, at least 7.3 million tons (PDF) annually of discarded fish ("bycatch") which are either unwanted, illegal to keep, or mangled in the gear...

Oil Rig Company Fined for Dumping in Texas Gulf

2007-11-29T08:31:00.000-08:00

Link to Story:

*ROWAN COMPANIES SENTENCED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES IN CONNECTION WITH OIL AND GAS DRILLING OPERATIONS***

WASHINGTON – Rowan Companies, Inc., (Rowan) a major oil and gas drilling
company, was sentenced today to three years probation in U.S. District
Court in Beaumont, Texas, in connection with the routine discharge of
pollutants and garbage into the Gulf of Mexico from one of the firm’s
oil rigs, the Midland.

Rowan will pay a $7 million dollar criminal fine, along with a $1
million community service payment to the Southern Environmental
Enforcement Network (SEEN) for the purpose of environmental training,
education, and enforcement coordination concerning violations of the
Clean Water Act (CWA.) Rowan also provided a community service payment
of $1 million to the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation to be used
for preservation and protection projects at the Flower Garden and
Stetson Banks National Marine Sanctuary located in the Gulf of Mexico
off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.

In addition, as a term of probation, Rowan will reorganize its corporate
structure to add an environmental division and to implement a
comprehensive environmental compliance plan under which the company will
commit that all of its rigs operating in U.S. waters will comply with
U.S. and international environmental laws...(summary)

2007-10-25T12:39:00.002-07:00

Be on lookout for young turtles
Daytona Beach News-Journal - Daytona Beach,FL,USABeach gate openings were delayed by 30 minutes to make sure the stranded sea turtles were collected before drivers came onto the beach, said Capt. ...

2007-10-25T12:39:00.001-07:00

Tumors Threaten Hawaii Sea Turtles
KGMB9 - Honolulu,HI,USASea turtles are protected under the US Endangered Species Act and state wildlife laws. To report a sick, injured, or dead turtle on Oahu contact the ...

2007-10-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

Video: Thousands Of Baby Sea Turtles Returned To Sea
Local6.com - Orlando,FL,USAThousands of baby sea turtles that recently washed ashore along Volusia County's coastline were returned on Friday morning to their natural habitat in the ...

2007-10-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

Local ARK help set sea turtle free
KRIS-TV - Corpus Christi,TX,USAThe tracking device does not harm the turtle in any way and will eventually fall off in about a year. "And this is actually the largest sea turtle that ...

2007-10-25T12:36:00.001-07:00

Crusader hatches a quest to save turtles
Los Angeles Times - CA,USAHe raises sea turtles in a beach-side incubator that he built himself, with a little help from environmental donors. It's his last-ditch effort to save the ...

2007-10-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

One if by land, two if by sea
Grist Magazine - Seattle,WA,USASea turtles are easygoing in nature, and no one can deny that people are drawn to them more so than some of the other creatures swimming down there. ...

2007-10-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Against the Odds: A sea turtle's journey
The Virginian-Pilot - Norfolk,VA,USAIn Mexico, where the rarest sea turtle, the Kemp’s ridley, nests, humans eat both adult turtles and their eggs. Females used to come ashore by the tens of ...

2007-10-25T12:31:00.001-07:00

Overall sea turtle population still on decline
Camden County Tribune - St. Marys,GA,USAStill, there are some aspects of this year's season that may give scientists and sea turtle enthusiasts reason to remain hopeful about the turtles' chances ...

2007-10-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

Sea turtle numbers concern biologists
Camden County Tribune - St. Marys,GA,USABy Emily Goodson A below-average number of sea turtles crawled ashore in Georgia during this year's nesting season, but biologists say long-term numbers are ...

2007-10-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Biologists Close In On Mystery Of Sea Turtles' 'Lost Years'
DentalPlans.com - Dania,FL,USAScience Daily — Biologists have found a major clue in a 50-year-old mystery about what happens to green sea turtles after they crawl out of their sandy

2007-10-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

Saving Our "Ocean Planet" is Crucial, Wallace J. Nichols '89 Tells ...
DePauw University - Greencastle,IN,USAA scientist responsible for pioneering research on the migration of sea turtles, Dr. Nichols reminded his audience that oceans comprise 71% of the Earth's ...

2007-10-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

Giant turtles happy together in Yarmouth
Norwich Evening News - Norwich,England,UKThe turtles, named Yellow and White after being given coloured identity stickers on arrival, were donated to the Sea Life Centre on Marine Parade in ...

2007-10-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

Sea turtle return to Rocky Point has hopes on the rise
Arizona Daily Star - Tucson,AZ,USABy Dan Sorenson An endangered sea turtle, pushing the northern boundaries of her species' range, buried dozens of eggs on a Puerto Peñasco beach, ...

2007-10-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

Pounding Surf Weakens Baby Sea Turtles
WESH.com - Winter Park,FL,USAThat's because they may come across some baby sea turtles in their travels. The pounding surf that's been hitting the sand has swept hundreds of the ...

2007-10-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Buckets Of Baby Turtles Rescued On Fla. Coast
Local6.com - Orlando,FL,USA"The turtles started arriving about a week ago," said Michelle Bauer, sea turtle rehab specialist. "We've received more than 600 this weekend. ...

2007-10-01T19:59:00.001-07:00

First Leatherback Turtle Arrives on Pacific Coast
Tico Times - San José,Costa RicaBy Dave Sherwood The first leatherback sea turtles of the season arrived recently to nest on the sandy shores of the northwestern province of Guanacaste. ...

2007-10-01T19:57:00.002-07:00

Number of sea turtles dropping on South Carolina coast
WIS - Columbia,SC,USACHARLESTON (AP) - The number of sea turtles nesting along the South Carolina coast is still dropping. A new survey by the Department of Natural Resources ...

2007-10-01T19:57:00.001-07:00

Twenty-five sea turtles return to wild
MiamiHerald.com - FL, USAGina Hollywood, director of a Melbourne Beach pre-school and a volunteer in the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, was there Monday to help lug the ...

2007-10-01T19:56:00.001-07:00

Turtle birthday: Last nest of season empties in OIB
Myrtle Beach Sun News - Myrtle Beach,SC,USAOver the last 50 days the Chinns have watched over the nest and acted as "nest parents." Both are members of the Ocean Isle Beach Sea Turtle Watch Program. ...

2007-10-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

Tough time for turtles
Venice Gondolier - Venice,FL,USAIt's been another down year for sea turtles along the shores of Southwest Florida. In fact, signs are it could be the lowest turtle-nesting season in the ...

2007-10-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

Heavy surf tears into sea turtles nests
WPTV - West Palm Beach,FL,USASea turtle nests have disappeared by the dozen thanks to the heavy surf. (WPTV Staff ) It didn't take long to start nor has it stopped. Red flags are up, ...

A Texas Story...

2007-10-01T19:48:00.002-07:00

Record Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests found this year
Corpus Christi Caller Times - Corpus Christi,TX,USAThe only hint mother Kemp's ridley sea turtles leave for the turtle spotters is a faint, 2-foot wide trail in the sand. Patrolling is hit and miss. ...

2007-10-01T19:47:00.002-07:00

Sea turtles slaughtered in Fiji
Radio Australia - AustraliaAuthorities in Fiji say they will investigate claims that over 40 sea turtles were slaughtered for last week's annual conference of the Methodist Church. ...

2007-10-01T19:47:00.001-07:00

FAU earns Disney Wildlife award; will use it to aid sea turtles
Boca Raton News - FL, USAThe university will use it to help with sea turtle recovery efforts and to increase understanding of these animals through public education. ...

Good Story on Rehabbing Hooked Turtles

2007-09-07T04:16:00.000-07:00

Happy ending: Loggerhead sea turtle released off Marco
Naples Daily News - Naples,FL,USA
By Eric Staats

A loggerhead sea turtle was let loose at the southern end of Marco Island this morning, capping a months-long journey of recovery. ...

Talk About Front Row Seats!

2007-09-07T04:15:00.001-07:00

Saving Tiny Sea Turtles Nesting By The Space Shuttle
Science Daily (press release) - It may sound like an awesome ...

Chilly Leatherback Stuns Icelanders

2007-09-07T04:12:00.000-07:00

Whale watchers baffled by mysterious creature
Fish Update - Edinburgh,UK
The last time a giant sea turtle was spotted in Icelandic waters was off the eastern Westfjords in 1963. That one was over six feet long and weighed 375 ...click title for more

Leatherback Watchers

2007-09-07T04:09:00.000-07:00

Elusive, endangered sea turtle spotted off Oregon Coast
Bend,OR,USA(AP) - 1 of the world's most critically endangered sea turtles has made a surprise appearance along the Oregon Coast. Four fishermen recently spotted the ...MORE

Stop the Poachers!!

2007-09-07T04:02:00.000-07:00

Mexico arrests 6 caught with more than 52000 sea turtle eggs
International Herald Tribune - FranceAP
MEXICO CITY: Police arrested six people suspected of trying to illegally sell more than 52000 sea turtle eggs in southern Mexico, authorities said ...

Mexico turtle egg poaching angers local residents
WPTV - West Palm Beach,FL,USA
"Our biggest contribution here is education about sea turtles and to have them respect the marine environment," says Fournies, "So that maybe they do have a ...

Photo Album Available on Satellite Turtles!

2007-09-07T04:01:00.001-07:00

See Link for photos of tagged turtles from Texas A&M at Galveston (and others)...

Sniffing for sea turtles

2007-09-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

Golden retriever is expert in finding nests on Hilton Head Island
By PETER FROST - pfrost@islandpacket.com

Makai, a 9-month-old golden retriever, loves to fetch sticks, eat doggie treats and ride on the back of four-wheelers.

She’s also an expert at finding turtle eggs.

The puppy prodigy, whose full name is Keiki Makai, or “child by the ocean” in Hawaiian, is the newest addition to Hilton Head Island’s Sea Turtle Protection Project and the first dog known to be part of a turtle protection team.

Her owner, project worker Amber Hester, trained the dog to find turtle eggs buried as much as a foot below the sand on Hilton Head’s beaches.

Makai hasn’t disappointed. MORE

2007-09-07T03:51:00.000-07:00

Endangered turtle sets off with satellite transmitter
By CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE, The Enterprise
08/15/2007 Updated 09/04/2007 11:06:04 PM CDT

McFADDIN BEACH - Tallulah waved its flippers and tossed its head as Erin Seney held the struggling Kemp's ridley sea turtle for photos.

When Seney set down the nearly 16-inch and 20-pound endangered turtle - plus the cell phone-sized satellite transmitter glued to its shell - the reptile was still for a few moments before racing into the surf to the cheers of a crowd Tuesday morning.

"It's just cool," said Lucas Miller, the "singing zoologist" who is giving part of the proceeds from his book and CD sales to pay for Tallulah's transmitter. He and his family drove down from Austin for Tallulah's release. MORE

Carole's Turtle Adopted and Making Hay

2007-09-07T03:50:00.001-07:00

http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?tag_id=67402&dyn=1187224805&dyn=1189162109

Sea Turtle Restoration Project: News Room

2007-09-07T03:47:00.000-07:00

Sea Turtle Restoration Project: News Room: " 08/07/07 California Coastal Commission to Vote on Proposed Longline Fishery Longline Fishery Poses Risk to California’s Endangered Turtles and Whales San Francisco, CA — On August 10th, the California "

Connecting Oceans for Conservation:Pro Peninsula Fisher's Exchange

2007-08-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

Read The Full Story
Pro Peninsula Home

From August 8th to 20th, Pro Peninsula brought together fishermen, community leaders and scientists from the U.S., Mexico and Japan, travelling to Mexico and Honolulu to brainstorm ways to conserve sea turtles while maintaining fishermen's livelihoods.
The unique exchange program aims to enable fishing communities to work together to develop practical, effective ways to reduce turtle bycatch.

“Fishermen must take the initiative to solve the problem, before the government steps in to do it for them -- an alternative no fisherman wants”-Leland Oldenburg, Hawaii Longline Association

You Tube- Sea Turtle Videos...Awesome!

2007-08-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sea+turtles

Petition

2007-08-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

A message on species extinction and global warming from Conservation International

Click to sign a petition to stop deforestation. Inlcudes a conservation message from Al Gore.

Turtle News Makes a Comeback!

2007-08-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

Article from AP, via Galveston Newspaper. Also on KHOU.com news. Talks about the evidence of the recovery of the Kemp's ridleys, especially in Galveston... Go Turtles!

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou070811_tnt_seaturtles.23b5073b.html

Kemp's Nest Emerges Naturally in Galveston!

2007-08-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

A Kemp's ridley nest was reported at 9am today, 6 August 2007, to NOAA Fisheries Service personnel. The nest was discovered upon emergence of the hatchlings.

The nest site was on the beach on Galveston Island at 52nd Street and Seawall Blvd., in front of the San Luis Hotel. Beach visitors estimated that between 40 and 50 hatchlings emerged from the nest cavity and made their way to the water before NOAA staff arrived at the scene. The nest site was investigated by Shanna Kethan and Cain Bustinza of the NOAA Fisheries Service, and 4 "stragglers" were still trying to climb out of the nest cavity. After these turtles fully emerged (with some help from NOAA staff), the nest was excavated. Still in the nest cavity were one dead hatchling completely emerged from the egg, and 10 unhatched eggs. There were also many eggshells from hatched eggs.

The contents of the nest cavity will be sent to Dr. Donna Shaver at Padre Island National Seashore for analysis.

From--
Shanna Kethan
Fishery Biologist
NOAA Fisheries Service, Galveston
(409)766-3670

Quick Action Needed!

2007-08-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

Please Resend Letters to California Coastal Commission Today!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, August 8, 5pm (PST)

Click here to resend letter: http://www.spawnusa.org/actions/number-13

Due to a technical error in our alert system the emails we asked you to sendlate last week did not go through to the California Coastal Commission totell them to vote "no" this coming Friday on the proposed longline fishingpermit in the Leatherback Conservation Area.We have now set up the alert on our sister organization site SPAWN.

We urgently need you to resend your letter today to let the CoastalCommission know your opposition to this proposed permit to ensure they voteto protect endangered sea turtles and California's coast.

Click here to resend letter: http://www.spawnusa.org/actions/number-13

Please let us know if you will be able to attend the public hearing to showyour support for a "no" vote to longline fishing:
When: Friday, August 10, 9am
Where: Hyatt Regency Embarcadero 5 Embarcadero Plaza, San Francisco

Thank you for your extra effort in protecting the sea turtles and California's coast!

Sincerely,
Karen Steele
Campaign Coordinator
Sea Turtle Restoration Projectwww.seaturtles.org415-488-0370, ext. 106
_________________________________________________________________

Two New Satellite Tracked Turtles are Live Online!

2007-08-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

"Kuzya" http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?tag_id=75423

"Lan Hai Yi" http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?tag_id=75424

Main project page: http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?project_id=208 (includes turtles tracked under three different projects - immature ridleys [myself and Dr. Landry], nesting ridleys [Christi Hughes and Dr. Landry], and netted ridleys [Drs. Metz and Landry])

Both of these new turtles were hook-and-line captures responded to by and held at the NOAA Sea Turtle Facility in Galveston and treated at the Houston Zoo. They were released last Thursday at McFaddin NWR.

These are the last two of six TAMUG transmitters supported by Schlumberger-Houston and SEED this year. We have one more transmitter to deploy on an immature ridley from the upper Texas coast this year, which is funded by donations to HEART by Lucas Miller, the "Singing Zoologist."

Thanks to everyone who has helped make the final year of tracking for my dissertation possible! Regards, Erin -- Erin E. Seney Sea Turtle & Fisheries Ecology Research Lab, Texas A&M University at Galveston & NOAA/NMFS Sea Turtle Facility, NOAA Fisheries Galveston

Enforcement of Protection Laws Deserves Praise

2007-08-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

Game wardens patrol Gulf after dark for rogue shrimpers
By SHANNON TOMPKINS

...Texas law prohibits shrimping within five nautical miles of the coast
at night. Adult shrimp, it seems, regularly crowd into the Gulf's
shallower near-shore waters at night...The majority of shrimpers abide by the rules. But some don't....

Observers to be Allowed on Trawlers to Collect Turtle Data

2007-08-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

NOAA FISHERIES SERVICE ISSUES RULE TO IMPROVE SEA TURTLE BYCATCH ...
NOAA - Washington,DC,USA(Click image for a larger view of sea turtle in sea grass on the ocean bottom. Please credit "NOAA.") "We're issuing this rule to increase our ability to ...

OpEd from Carole Allen

2007-08-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Shrimpers' woes show no planning
Brownsville Herald - TX United StatesConservation groups like the Sea Turtle Restoration Project went to bat for US shrimpers years ago to prevent cheap imports and had some success, ...

The "Herrera Film" Shows Arribada of 1947

2007-08-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

Link to film clip

Here is a clip from the documentary film, "Heartbreak Turtle," made by KUHT in 198 1 , describing the fall and efforts to save the Kemp's ridley sea turtle from extinction . After 30 years of work in a multinational effort, the once critically endangered reptile is now slowly on its way back. Texas based "HEART (Help Endangered Animals, Ridley Turtles", has been an important part of that effort. We are proud to be part of a coalition that includes governmental agencies; federal, state, county, and municipal; non-profit groups, concerned citizens, students, scouts, and people from all walks of life, who have banded together to save this precious species.

History of the Film

In 1947 the first images of a Kemp’s ridley arribada were captured on film by Andres Herrera, a young Mexican engineer. It was estimated by some who have viewed the black and white footage that there were over 40,000 nesting Kemp’s ridley sea turtles on the beach that day.

Unfortunately for the Kemp’s ridley this footage was put away and forgotten for over a decade. At that time the scientific community only knew of the Kemp’s ridley arribadas from rumors. It wasn’t until 1960 that the late Dr . Henry Hildebrand from the University of Corpus Christi viewed the film and then in 1961 presented that film at the annual meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologist s .

As you can imagine this film was an incredible discovery. Two years later Dr. Hildebrand visited Rancho Nuevo the site of the mass Kemp’s arribadas. When he arrived in Rancho Nuevo the massive arribadas captured in Herrera’s film were no more. The ridley nesting population had dwindled down to only 2000 nesting Kemps. By the early 1980’s due to the continued illegal harvest of both females and their eggs, the Kemp’s ridley was on the verge of extinction. The remaining nesting ridley population had reached an all time low, only 300 nesting females.

In 1978 , a joint bi-national recovery program by the governments of Mexico and the United States was created to save the Kemp’s Ridley in the Gulf of Mexico.

(Above summary from Lesson Plans in Arribadas", Sea Turtle, Inc., South Padre Island, TX.)

Local NOAA Scientist Ben Higgins on TV!

2007-08-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

23 'Test' Loggerhead Sea Turtles Released
Local6.com - Orlando,FL,USAMany sea turtles suffocate and die when they get accidentally caught in shrimp nets and other fishing gear. The National Marine Fisheries Service requires ...

2007-08-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Confused baby sea turtle found swimming in beach house pool
Hilton Head Island Packet - Hilton Head Island,SC,USA... it's likely that several others also were drawn to the lights, said Carlos Chacon, director of the town's sea turtle protection program. ...

2007-08-03T18:38:00.002-07:00

Rescuing a sea turtle named Ed
Reuters.uk - UKBy Ed Stoddard SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (Reuters) - We went fly fishing for mackerel but wound up with a sea turtle. I had come to this sandy island on the ...

2007-08-03T18:38:00.001-07:00

Plenty of Fish in the Sea? Think Again.
Washington Post - United StatesBesides the obvious problem of catching fish faster than they can reproduce, other species, including turtles and dolphins, often get caught in nets. ...

By Carole Allen for STRP

2007-08-03T18:37:00.002-07:00

Beach lighting a big problem for sea turtle hatchlings
Sea Turtle Restoration Project (press release) - Forest Knolls,CA,USA... on Texas beaches which attracts not only tourists, developers and homebuilders but wildlife as well including the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles. ...

2007-08-03T18:37:00.001-07:00

From humble beginnings, Sea Turtle Inc. about ready to expand
Brownsville Herald - TX United StatesBy STEVE SINCLAIR, Valley Morning Star SOUTH PADRE ISLAND -- Ila Loetscher introduced countless Americans to sea turtles in an early 1980s appearance on the ...

2007-08-03T18:36:00.001-07:00

The Turtle Nanny Welcomes Yearly Visitors at The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun
Earthtimes.org - USAEach year, the extensive white-sand beach of the hotel becomes a sanctuary where Sea Turtles arrive at night to nest. In order to support them, ...

2007-08-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

Another Shark, Another Virgin Birth
U.S. News & World Report - Washington,DC,USASo it's possible, Schwartz argues, that the female shark--while not a particularly close cousin of the sea turtle--was somehow able to fertilize her own egg, ...

Padre Island Releases Begin

2007-06-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

Endanged sea turtle hatchlings released on South Padre IslandMonitor - McAllen,TX,USASOUTH PADRE ISLAND -- More than 100 beachgoers gathered early Thursday morning hoping to see 92 endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchlings scurry to the ...See all stories on this topic

Injured Sea Turtle Has Successful SurgeryWTOC - Savannah,GA,USABeing rescued was lucky enough, but now Nick, an injured Sea Turtle who's living at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, is recovering from this ...See all stories on this topic

Sea turtle at new facility has surgery for head injuryWIS - Columbia,SC,USA(AP) - 1 of 3 turtles at the new Georgia Sea Turtle Center had surgery today -- two days after the center opened. Nick, 1 of 3 loggerhead sea turtles at the ...

2007-05-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

Number 50! Two for Surfside

A nesting sea turtle was reported to have nested on Surfside Beach at
10:30 am on Saturday, May 19th. Shanna Kethan (NOAA) responded to the
nest site and excavated 108 eggs and packed them for transport to PINS
for incubation. The nesting turtle was not seen by biologists, but the
person who reported the nest is going to email pictures that he took of
the turtle while she was nesting.

2007-05-18T17:43:00.002-07:00

Study: Sea turtles led to deaths by fishing lights
MSNBC - USAInadvertent turtle catches have long been a concern, said David Bernhart, chief of protected resources for National Marine Fisheries in the Southeast region ...

2007-05-18T17:43:00.001-07:00

Andrea sucks millions of dollars worth of sand off Palm Beach ...
Sun-Sentinel.com - Fort Lauderdale,FL,USAThe Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach reported that up to 75 percent of the sea turtle nests were damaged or washed away in an area touted as ...

2007-05-18T17:42:00.001-07:00

Artsy ‘turtles’ to make a splash at Piccolo Spoleto
Daniel Island News - Daniel Island,SC,USAForty loggerhead sea turtles will soon begin nesting in and around the Charleston region, but not in the places you’d normally find them. ...

2007-05-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

Turtles come home
Brunswick News - Brunswick,GA,USAThe Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, which will officially open June 16, already has three patients in need of its services. ...

2007-05-07T05:41:00.001-07:00

Fears Over Zero Turtle Catch
Cayman Net News - grand cayman,Cayman IslandsThe Cayman Islands have been known as home for nesting and foraging wild sea turtles since their discovery in 1503. Four species of sea turtles are known to ...

2007-05-07T05:40:00.001-07:00

From The Desk of Zelnio: Dermochelys coriacea
ScienceBlogs - USADescription Dermochelys coriacea, aka the Leatherback Sea Turtle, was described originally as Testudo coriacea, meaning "leathery turtle" by Vandelli in ...

2007-05-07T05:39:00.000-07:00

Marine artist Wyland teaches kids to paint
OCRegister - Orange County,CA,USAWith brush in hand, Wyland enthusiastically showed the children how to paint a pair of sea turtles – "a boy turtle and a girl turtle, since this is the Boys ...

2007-05-07T05:20:00.002-07:00

Sea turtles are bloggers,too
ScienceBlogs - USANearly 90% of leatherback turtles in the Pacific Ocean failed to show up at their nesting grounds a few years back. Apparently, one of them quit the pelagic ...

2007-05-07T05:20:00.001-07:00

Reforming a bag lady
Channel News Asia - SingaporeBut ever since I saw pictures of dead sea turtles with plastic bags hanging out of their mouths — they think the bags are jellyfish — I've been feeling ...

2007-05-07T05:17:00.001-07:00

Sea turtles remember their favourite restaurants
New Scientist (subscription) - UK"The clever thing Broderick and her colleagues did was to manage to repeat-track the same turtles," says Graeme Hays, a sea turtle expert at the University ...

2007-05-07T05:15:00.001-07:00

Stephen Colbert's sea turtle second in race to Galapagos
Mongabay.com - USAThe event aims to raise awareness of threats to leatherback sea turtles, presently endangered due to coastal development and certain commercial fishing ...

2007-05-07T05:14:00.001-07:00

US senators question Bush endangered wildlife plan
Reuters - USA... grizzly bears, sea turtles, sea otters and many other species -- of which we now are deservedly proud," the senators wrote in a letter to Kempthorne.

Save Texas Sea Turtles News Blog

Sea Turtle Arrives For R&R In North Carolina

Released Turtle, Judy, Dies

Gabon Celebrates National Sea Turtle Day!

Helping Injured Turtles Swim Again...

Local Experts Observe for Ike's Aftereffects on Nesting Sea Turtles

Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins!

Ninja Turtle Stops Swimming in Circles

Group trying to develop artificial limbs for amputee loggerhead

Fisheries and Conservationists Meet Over Net Bycatch

Death of Endangered Turtle Signals Need for Vigilance on Texas Beaches

Slwoly but Surely, Turtle Numbers Rise

Sea Turtle Strandings Down, Experts Say

We are on the Smithsonian Website !

Link to Hatchling Release Footage

Dozens of Sea Turtles Found Dead on Mexican Beaches

Quick Trip to Island Turns into Longer Stay

Leatherback Protection Needs Comments

Sea turtle nests at Surfside

2008 Season Ahead of 2007!

Small Turtle Has Big Heart- Prosthetic Flipper Plans

*Most of Gulf Dead Zone Nutrients Come from Just Nine States*

Corals to Classrooms Workshop - Texas

Its The Year of the Reef!

New Species found at Flower Garden Banks Gulf of Mexico!

California Coastal Commission hearing on longline permit CANCELLED

Rescued Cape Cod Turtles in Good Hands

The Other Toll of Commercial Fishing...

Oil Rig Company Fined for Dumping in Texas Gulf

A Texas Story...

Good Story on Rehabbing Hooked Turtles

Talk About Front Row Seats!

Chilly Leatherback Stuns Icelanders

Leatherback Watchers

Stop the Poachers!!

Photo Album Available on Satellite Turtles!

Sniffing for sea turtles

Carole's Turtle Adopted and Making Hay

Sea Turtle Restoration Project: News Room

Connecting Oceans for Conservation:Pro Peninsula Fisher's Exchange

You Tube- Sea Turtle Videos...Awesome!

Petition

Turtle News Makes a Comeback!

Kemp's Nest Emerges Naturally in Galveston!

Quick Action Needed!

Two New Satellite Tracked Turtles are Live Online!

Enforcement of Protection Laws Deserves Praise

Observers to be Allowed on Trawlers to Collect Turtle Data

OpEd from Carole Allen

The "Herrera Film" Shows Arribada of 1947

Local NOAA Scientist Ben Higgins on TV!

By Carole Allen for STRP

Padre Island Releases Begin

Most of Gulf Dead Zone Nutrients Come from Just Nine States