John,
Following legal action by the Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries recently proposed protecting almost 8,850 acres of beaches and 428,000 square miles of coastal waters as critical habitat for six green sea turtle populations.
It’s a great step, but the proposal leaves out some very important habitat. Now we have a chance to push for even better protection.
Urge the agencies to strengthen and expand habitat protection for these rare reptiles.
Green sea turtles face a host of threats, including habitat loss, coastal development, plastic pollution, industrial fishing, and deadly collisions with boats. The climate crisis and rising sea levels make their plight even worse, harming the turtles' nesting and feeding grounds by killing off the seagrass and algae they eat. In the United States, green sea turtles are especially dependent on seagrass beds — which makes them uniquely vulnerable.
Preserving and expanding critical habitat for green sea turtles will give them a fighting chance at survival and, eventually, recovery. Use your voice now: Tell the agencies you support protection for all these turtles’ habitat.
