1. Plight of the Sea Turtles
Sea turtles are among the oldest creatures on earth. However, they face an uncertain future. Sea turtles are threatened in many ways, such as encroachment of coastal development on their nesting beaches, encounters with pollutants and marine debris, accidental drowning in fishing gear, and international trade in turtle meat and products.
Photo courtesy of Turtle Trax C UKB&PAB

2. Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy
Biology of Sea Turtles
Well-suited to life in the sea
Males rarely return to land
Females only return to lay eggs
Range from 85 to 2,000 lbs
Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles well suited to life in the sea. Their hydrodynamic shape, large size, and powerful front flippers allow them to dive deep and swim great distances. After leaving the nest as hatchlings males never return to shore, and females only come back long enough to lay eggs. Unlike terrestrial relatives, they cannot retract their heads very far into their shells. In most sea turtles, the top shell or carapace, is composed of many bones covered with scales or “scutes”. Turtles don’t have teeth, but have powerful jaws to eat with. They range from 85 to around 2000 pounds. Most sea turtles grow slowly and have a life span of many decades. Although they can stay submerged for hours at a time, they typically surface several times an hour to breathe.
Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy

3. Worldwide Turtle Species
Loggerhead
Green
Leatherback
Kemp’s Ridley
Olive Ridley
Hawksbill
Flatback

4. Biology of Sea Turtles Cannot retract heads far into shell
Have lifespan of decades
Tropic and temperate reptiles
Carapace composed of scutes
Photo courtesy of Turtle Trax

5. Photos courtesy of Ray Carthy
Nesting Biology
Nest May-September
Nest mostly at night
100 ping-pong ball size eggs
May return several times a season
Nest every 2-3 years
Temperature of nest determines sex of young
In summer, the female crawls ashore to dig a nest in the sand. She lays about 100 eggs the size of ping-pong balls. When she’s done, the turtle covers the eggs, camouflages the site by smoothing out the sand, and returns to the ocean. They may return several times in a season but only nests every 2 to 3 years. As with some other reptiles, the temperature of the nest determines the sex of the hatchlings. Warmer temperatures produce more females, and cooler temperatures result in more males.
Photos courtesy of Ray Carthy

6. Nesting Behavior Female turtles often appear to weep when nesting
Female sea turtles often appear to be weeping as they nest; the main purpose for these tears is to remove salt from the turtle’s body.
Photo Courtesy of Ray Carthy

7. Photo Courtesy of Turtle Trax C UKB & PAB
Florida’s Sea Turtles
Sea turtle sampler…
Loggerhead
Green
Leatherback
Kemp’s Ridley
Hawksbill
Photo Courtesy of Turtle Trax C UKB & PAB

8. Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy
Green Turtle
Largely vegetarians
100 to 1000 nests
Named for green body fat
Average 350 lbs
Average length 3.3 ft
Olive brown, dark streaks and yellow plastron
Named for their green body fat, European settlers valued them for their meat, hides, eggs, and calipee ( the fat attached to the lower shell that formed the basis of turtle soup)
Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy

9. Many of Florida’s green turtles have tumors called fibropapillomas.
Researchers believe these growths are caused by a virus but have not yet isolated a specific pathogen. The number of green turtles with these tumors appears to be increasing.
Photo courtesy of Turtle Trax

10. Ocular Tumors
Photo courtesy of Turtle Trax

11. Photo Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Leatherback Turtle
3000 ft divers
Regulate body temperature
30-60 nests
Leatherbacks turtles can dive deeper than any other air-breathing animal except perhaps sperm whales and elephant seals.
Photo Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

12. Leatherback Stats Average 6 ft in length Weigh 500 to 1,500 lbs
Covered in firm, leathery skin
Black with white, pink and blue spots
Eat jellyfish
Found in Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans
Photo Courtesy of Ray Carthy

13. Loggerhead Turtle Most common sea turtle in Florida
The beaches of Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach counties are the most important loggerhead nursery areas in the Western Hemisphere, attracting more than 15,000 female loggerheads each May through August.
On Florida’s east coast, the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge serves as a nursery for approximately one-quarter of all loggerhead nests in the Western Hemisphere.
Photo courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

14. Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy
Loggerhead Stats
Average of 275 lbs
About 3 ft in length
Ruddy brown on top, yellow underneath
Eats clams, crabs and other crustaceans
Falls prey to sharks
Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy

15. Kemp’s Ridley Turtle
The Kemp’s Ridley is the rarest sea turtle in the world and is considered the most endangered
Photo courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

16. Kemp’s Ridley Stats Weigh 85 to 100 lbs Measure 2 to 2.5 ft long
Principal diet is crabs and crustaceans
Only one major nesting beach called Rancho Nuevo in Mexico
Fewer than 1000 nesting females remain
Headstarted in Galveston, Texas
Photo Courtesy of Ray Carthy

17. Hawksbill Turtle
The Hawksbill is a small, agile turtle whose beautiful shell is its greatest liability
Photo Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

18. Hawksbill Stats Adults weigh between 100 to 200 lbs
Average of 30 inches long
Black and brown markings on amber
Oval-shaped body and distinctive jaws
Sponges are preferred food
Found in Atlantic, Pacific, Indian oceans
Photo Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

19. Photos courtesy of Ray Carthy
Threats to Turtles
Artificial Lights
Predators
Driving on beach
Photos courtesy of Ray Carthy

20. Photos Courtesy of Ray Carthy
Lighting
Photos Courtesy of Ray Carthy

21. Photos courtesy of Ray Carthy
Crows and Ghost Crabs
Photos courtesy of Ray Carthy

22. Photos courtesy of Ray Carthy
Coyotes and Foxes
Photos courtesy of Ray Carthy

23. Photo Courtesy of Ray Carthy
Raccoons
Photo Courtesy of Ray Carthy

24. Photo by Margaret Lamont
Beach Driving
Photo by Margaret Lamont

25. Additional Threats to Turtles
Trawling
TED’s
Pollution
Use pictures for each of these subjects.jpeg files

26. Photo courtesy of ACCSTR
Trawling
An estimated 11,000 turtles died before TED’s were required
Photo courtesy of ACCSTR

27. TED
Required in 1989
Allowed turtles caught to escape through a trap door
Photo Courtesy of ACCSTR

28. Turtle Exclusion Device
Photo Courtesy of ACCSTR

29. Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy
Pollution
Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy

30. Coastal Impacts
Beach Armoring
Coastal Development
Beach Renourishment

31. Beach Armoring Seawalls, bulkheads, sandbags, etc.
Degrade nesting habitat
Photo courtesy of Florida Marine Research Institute

32. Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy
Coastal Development
Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy

33. Beach Renourishment Provides nesting habitat
Might affect site fidelity
Type and size of sand might affect nesting
90 projects are planned between 2000 and 2046
Photo by Margaret Lamont

34. Conservation Efforts Research done Organizations Laws and Statutes
Photo courtesy of Turtle Trax

35. Photos courtesy of Ray Carthy
Research
Distribution, abundance, life histories
Turtle deaths, disease, and their causes
Identification of genetic stocks
Sex-determination techniques
Nesting ecology
Effects of lights, beach armoring
and renourishment
Photos courtesy of Ray Carthy

36. Bureau of Protected Species Management
The Sea Turtle section
Recovery program planning, management, and administration
Coordination of research and management activities
Habitat protection
Education
Photo Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

37. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Participates in decisions regarding sea turtles and habitat
Reviews permits for coastal development
Field evaluations
Educational Activities
Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy

38. Florida Marine Research Institute
Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network
FMRI staff responds or coordinates response to all reported turtle strandings
Species, location, measurements, and anomalies are documented
Fresh carcasses are retained for necropsy
This info used to monitor and document mortality factors

39. Laws and Statutes Federal Endangered Species Act
Florida’s Marine Turtle Protection Act
Many county and municipality ordinances
Photo Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

40. Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy
How You Can Help
Photo courtesy of Ray Carthy

41. Solutions To Decrease Light
Turn off unnecessary lights
Don’t use decorative lights
Face lights away from the beach
Shield the light source
Paint is a temporary solution
Replace exposed light sockets with recessed
Replace fixtures with directional fixtures
Replace lights on poles
Replace bulbs with sodium-vapor or bug lights
Plant or improve vegetation buffers
Use shielded motion lights
Apply window tint or blinds. Move lights away from windows

42. Sick, Injured or Dead Sea Turtle
If you see a dead, sick or injured sea turtle call the Florida marine patrol at
1-800-DIAL-FMP or
Contact FMRI turtle stranding staff by pager at (ID# )
Be prepared to answer the following questions

43. Photo by Margaret Lamont
What is the location of the turtle?
Is the turtle alive or dead?
What is the approximate size of the turtle?
Is the turtle marked with spray paint?
What is the location of the closest access point to the turtle?

44. Summary Air-breathing reptiles
Seven species of turtles; five in Florida
All are endangered or threatened
Temperature of nest determines sex
Photo by Margaret Lamont

45. Summary
Threatened in many ways: coastal development, pollution, drowning in fishing nets, and light pollution
Research has focused on females and hatchlings
Protection remains a key goal in survival
Photo by Margaret Lamont

46. Acknowledgements
Developed by April Weaver and Dr. Mark Hostetler, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, IFAS, University of Florida
In conjunction with: Dr. Ray Carthy, USGS, BRD, Florida Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
The Florida Marine Institute
Environmental Defense
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Turtle Trax
University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine

47. Acknowledgements Photo credits: Ray Carthy Margaret Lamont
Turtle Trax-Ursula Keuper-Bennett & Peter Bennett
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research
University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine