Recovery Programs 

 Turtles 



STATUS OF RECOVERY PROGRAM 

 GREEN TURTLE - ATLANTIC POPULATION 



Plan Stage: Final Plan Approved Date: 10/29/91 



SPECIES COVERED 



GREEN TURTLE (ATLANTIC) 



RECOVERY PLAN STATUS 



NMFS approved and distributed a final recovery plan for green sea turtles in the Atlantic Ocean 

 in 1991. 



RECOVERY ACTIONS 



The major points outlined in the recovery plan are: 



1 . Protect and manage nesting habitat: 



a. Evaluate current laws on beach armoring, and strengthen laws if necessary; 



b. Ensure laws regulating construction and beach armoring are enforced; and 



c. Acquire in fee-title all undeveloped nesting beaches between Melbourne and 

 Wabasso Beach, Florida. 



2. Protect and manage populations on nesting beaches: 



a. Monitor trends in nesting activity by means of standardized surveys; 



b. Evaluate nest success and implement appropriate nest protection measures; 



c. Protect and manage populations in the marine environment; 



d. Determine seasonal distribution, abundance, and status of sea turtles in the 

 nearshore marine environment; and 



e. Determine etiology of sea turtle fibropapillomas and monitor mortality of those 

 turtles affected. 



NMFS has made a major effort to reduce green turtle mortality in shrimp trawl fisheries by 

 improving the regulations that require the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs). 



NMFS has provided resources for collecting information on basic sea turtle biology. 



NMFS funded projects are being conducted to detemiine species composition, relative 

 abundance, and seasonal distribution of sea turtles in important nearshore waters of the 

 southeastern U.S. 



