Georgia's endangered population of loggerhead sea turtles is getting help from federal officials. On Monday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is designating eight areas on Georgia's coast as critical habitat for the species. The designation allows wildlife officials to focus their limited budget on preserving the most vital areas for the turtles.
Authorities have intercepted 156 sea turtle eggs stolen from a nest on Sapelo Island. Georgia wildlife officials said they began investigating the theft after learning the eggs had been stolen from the nest.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently re-classified loggerhead sea turtles. Some are now considered “endangered” and others remain at the lesser “threatened” category. Georgia’s turtles remain classified as threatened, and the state’s sea turtle program coordinator said the turtle population remains at risk but seems to be improving.
High surf from Hurricane Irene this weekend washed away more than sand. The endangered loggerhead sea turtles were near the end of their nesting season when the storm lashed the beaches. Turtle-watchers spotted numerous examples of nests that just disappeared after Irene.
A legal settlement over endangered sea turtles in the Pacific could be a sign of things to come in the Atlantic. Conservation groups recently agreed with the National Marine Fisheries Management Service over new rules to protect the Pacific leatherback sea turtle. In the Atlantic, the same groups are petitioning the same officials for rules to protect the threatened Atlantic loggerhead.