Improvement of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Northwest Atlantic Population - Courtney Steinberg

A loggerhead swims along the ocean floor. Photo Courtesy: National Geographic

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is named for it’s huge head. This carnivorous turtle is the largest of all hard-shelled marine turtles; their reddish-brown shells can reach up to three feet long. During their fifty plus year lifetime, they migrate and use multiple habitats across the ocean, including beaches, water near the shore, and deep water. The area near the shore is considered to be shallower than 656 feet, whereas the deep open water area is past 656  feet. Females migrate thousands of miles from these foraging habitats to the beach, which is usually the beach where they were born. On the beach is where they lay their eggs in a nest. When the eggs hatch, the baby turtles will walk across the beach and into the water. Anywhere from one in 1,000 to one in 10,000 of these hatchlings will actually survive to lay eggs of their own. Loggerheads require high survival rates in both the young and old stages of life since they grow slowly and have a late sexual maturity. 

Location of the four identified recovery units in the U.S.
Photo Courtesy: Recovery Plan for the Northwest
Atlantic Population of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle

The loggerhead turtle is the the most plentiful marine turtle in the United States. However, declines in their population caused them to be listed on the threatened species list back in July 1978. There is a recovery plan for the Northwest Atlantic population of the turtles to aid their survival. The December 2008 second revision is the  most updated recovery plan. The Northwest Atlantic population of the turtles ranges from Virginia to Florida, and down into the gulf, including Mexico and the Caribbean islands. The area is broken into five nesting units to maximize the success of recovery. The units include: Northern Recovery Unit, Peninsular Florida Recovery Unit, Dry Tortugas Recovery Unit, Northern Gulf of Mexico Recovery Unit, and Greater Carribean Recovery Unit.

Turtle escaping a net. Photo Courtesy: NOAA

The threats that led to the population decline are still present difficulties for recovery. The practices used by commercial fisheries, particularly longline, bottom trawl, and gill net, are the most  significant human caused threats. As a result, turtles become bycatch; they are caught in nets, hooks, and are disturbed unintentionally. Other significant threats to Atlantic loggerhead populations include light pollution on nesting beaches; coastal development, and nest predation. Play this game to learn more about how humans interact with turtles.

The recovery plan is an extensive strategy to ensure loggerhead population growth, focusing mainly on their nesting habitats. Each recovery unit has a specific population growth goal to facilitate recovery. The number one priorities include monitoring trends on beaches, conducting in-water surveys, developing and enforcing regulations, acquiring beachfront properties, reducing greenhouse gasses, and preventing boat strikes. The plan estimates that the turtles will reach recovery in as few as 50 years, with the cooperation of humans. 

Sources:

http://www.defendersblog.org/2014/07/loggerhead-sea-turtles-catch-wave/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/loggerhead-sea-turtle/

http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/090116.pdf

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/loggerhead.htm