Species Status 

 Turtles 



GREEN TURTLE 



Common Name: GREEN TURTLE 

 Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas 



Listing Date: 07/28/78 



Species Status: Endangered/Threatened 



Species Trend: Unknown 



Current Estimated Population: 145-1 ,266 females nesting on Florida beaches per year and 



214-768 females nesting on Hawaiian beaches per year. 



SPECIES POPULATION STATUS 



The green sea turtle was listed as endangered/threatened on July 28, 1978. The breeding 

 populations off Florida and the Pacific coast of Mexico are listed as endangered; all other 

 populations are listed as threatened. 



Total population estimates for the green turtle are unavailable, and trends are particularly 

 difficult to assess because of wide year-to-year fluctuations in numbers of nesting females, 

 difficulties of conducting research on early life stages, and long generation time. Present 

 estimates of nesting females in the U.S. range from 145-1,266 on Florida beaches per year and 

 214-768 on Hawaiian beaches per year. Nesting in Florida is likely reduced from historical 

 levels and has been virtually eliminated in the Dry Tortugas; however, nesting has recently 

 (1989-1995) appeared to be stable or increasing. In Hawaii, nesting numbers are lower than 

 historical levels, but have increased substantially in the past 20 years. Populations in Surinam, 

 Ascension Island, and Tortuguero, Costa Rica, appear to be stable, but other populations 

 including Seychelles; Europa, Reunion; Indonesia; Peninsular. Malaysia; and Ogswara Island. 

 Japan continue to decline. The recovery team for the green turtle concluded that the species 

 status has not improved appreciably since listing. 



The greatest cause of decline in green turtle populations in the U.S. is the loss of habitat. 

 Worldwide, commercial harvest and egg poaching are the primary causes of population decline. 



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