# Leatherback Turtle - Source: NOAA Fisheries (fisheries.noaa.gov), Public domain, NOAA Fisheries - Reading level: Grades 9 and up - Subjects: Animals, Ocean, Science - Topics: pacific, turtles, leatherback, nesting, fisheries, turtle - Length: 5600 words, about 40 min - By: NOAA Fisheries - Published: 2026-03-08 - Original: - Page: - Open in Sprouts: ## Leatherback Turtle Dermochelys coriacea ### Protected Status ### Quick Facts Leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles in the world. Credit: Taken under permit by NOAA Fisheries ## About the Species The leatherback sea turtle is the largest turtle in the world. They are the only species of sea turtle that lack scales and a hard shell. They are named for their tough rubbery skin and have existed in their current form since the age of the dinosaurs. Leatherbacks are highly migratory, some swimming over 10,000 miles a year between nesting and foraging grounds. They are also accomplished divers with the deepest recorded dive reaching nearly 4,000 feet—deeper than most marine mammals. The leatherback turtle has the widest global distribution of any reptile, with nesting mainly on tropical or subtropical beaches. Once prevalent in every ocean except the Arctic and Antarctic, the leatherback population is rapidly declining in many parts of the world. They face threats on both nesting beaches and in the marine environment. The greatest of these threats worldwide are incidental capture in fishing gear (bycatch), hunting of turtles, and collection of eggs for human consumption. The Pacific leatherback turtle populations are most at-risk of extinction. Pacific leatherbacks are one of nine ESA-listed species identified in NOAA’s Species in the Spotlight initiative. Through this initiative, NOAA Fisheries has made it a priority to focus recovery efforts on stabilizing and recovering Pacific leatherback populations in order to prevent their extinction. NOAA Fisheries and our partners are dedicated to conserving and recovering leatherback turtle populations worldwide. We use a variety of innovative techniques to study, protect, and recover this endangered species. We engage our partners as we develop regulations and implement recovery plans that foster the conservation and recovery of leatherbacks and their habitats, and we fund research, monitoring, and conservation projects to implement priorities outlined in recovery plans. ### Population Status The leatherback sea turtle is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. It is estimated that the global population has declined 40 percent over the past three generations. Leatherback nesting in Malaysia has essentially disappeared, declining from about 10,000 nests in 1953 to less than one or two nests per year since 2003. The Pacific leatherback turtle populations are most at-risk for extinction as evidenced by ongoing precipitous declines in nesting through their range. Primary nesting habitats of the Eastern Pacific leatherback turtle population are in Mexico and Costa Rica, with some isolated nesting in Panama and Nicaragua. Over the last three generations, nesting in this region has declined by over 90 percent. In the Western Pacific, primary nesting habitats are in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The largest remaining nesting population, which accounts for 50-75 percent of the Western Pacific population, occurs in Papua Barat, Indonesia and has also declined by over 80 percent. In the Northwest Atlantic, leatherback nesting was increasing; however, there have been significant decreases in recent years at numerous locations, including on the Atlantic coast of Florida, which is one of the main nesting areas in the continental United States. Large but potentially declining nesting populations also occur in the eastern Atlantic, along the west African coastline, but uncertainty in the data limits our understanding of the trends at many of those nesting beaches. The 2020 Status Review of the leatherback sea turtle under the ESA provides additional information on abundance and population trends. ### Appearance The leatherback has a primarily black, rubbery skin with pinkish-white coloring on its underside. They are the only species of sea turtle that lack scales. Their shell (carapace) consists of small, interlocking dermal bones beneath the skin that overlie a supportive layer of connective tissue and fat and the deeper skeleton. Their carapace has seven ridges along its length and tapers to a blunt point. Their front flippers are proportionally longer than in other sea turtles and their back flippers are paddle-shaped. Both their rigid carapace and their large flippers make the leatherback uniquely equipped for long distance foraging migrations. ### Behavior and Diet Leatherback sea turtles undertake the longest migrations between breeding and feeding areas of any sea turtle, some averaging 3,700 miles each way. They spend most of their lives in the ocean, but females leave the water to lay eggs. Leatherbacks are strong swimmers and can dive to depths of approximately 4,000 feet—deeper than any other turtle—and can stay down for up to 85 minutes. Leatherbacks lack the crushing, beak characteristic of other sea turtles that feed on hard-bodied prey. Instead, they have pointed tooth-like cusps and sharp-edged jaws that are perfectly adapted for a diet of soft-bodied open ocean prey such as jellyfish and salps. A leatherback's mouth and throat also have backward-pointing spines that help retain gelatinous prey. ### Where They Live Leatherbacks occur in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Nesting beaches are primarily located in tropical latitudes around the world. Globally, the largest remaining nesting aggregations are found in Trinidad and Tobago, West-Indies (Northwest Atlantic) and Gabon, Africa (Southeast Atlantic). Leatherbacks occupy U.S. waters in the Northwest Atlantic, West Pacific, and East Pacific. Within the United States, the majority of nesting occurs in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Leatherbacks have been satellite tagged at sea on foraging grounds off Nova Scotia, Canada and tracked to nesting beaches in the Caribbean. Western Pacific leatherbacks feed off the Pacific coast of North America, and migrate across the Pacific to nest in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Eastern Pacific leatherbacks, on the other hand, nest along the Pacific coast of Mexico and Costa Rica, and forage in the south-central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. ### Lifespan & Reproduction Leatherback turtles grow faster than hard-shelled turtles. However, there is uncertainty about the age at which they reach sexual maturity. Average estimates range from 9 to 20 years of age. Likewise, little is known about their life expectancy, but they are likely long-lived, with longevity estimates of 45 to 50 years, or more. Female leatherbacks nest at night on tropical and subtropical beaches. They dig a large body pit to lay their eggs in deep egg chambers/nests. A nesting leatherback will disturb a huge area on the beach and leave behind long, circling tracks. In the United States and Caribbean, the nesting season lasts from March to July. Satellite tagging studies of leatherbacks from the Western Pacific indicate that turtles that nest during different times of the year have different migration patterns. Summer nesting turtles (July through September) have tropical and temperate northern hemisphere foraging regions, while winter nesters (November through February) traverse to tropical waters and temperate regions of the southern hemisphere. Female leatherbacks return to nest every 2 to 4 years. Leatherbacks nest several times during a nesting season, typically at 8- to 12-day intervals and lay clutches of approximately 100 eggs. The eggs incubate approximately two months before leatherback hatchlings emerge from the nest. ### Threats ### Bycatch in Fishing Gear The primary threat to leatherback turtles is their unintended capture in fishing gear which can result in drowning or cause injuries that lead to death or debilitation (for example, swallowing hooks or flipper entanglement). The term for this unintended capture is bycatch. Sea turtle bycatch is a worldwide problem. The primary types of gear that result in bycatch of leatherback turtles include gillnets, trawls, longlines, and vertical buoy lines attached to pot/traps. ### Direct Harvest of Turtles and Eggs Historically, leatherbacks were killed for their meat and their eggs were collected for consumption and sale. Presently, leatherback turtles are protected in many countries, but in some places, the hunting of leatherbacks and collection and consumption of eggs continue. ### Loss and Degradation of Nesting Habitat Coastal development and rising seas from changing environmental conditions are leading to the loss of nesting beach habitat for leatherback turtles. Human-related changes associated with coastal development include beachfront lighting, shoreline armoring, and beach driving. Shoreline hardening or armoring (e.g., sea walls) can result in the complete loss of dry sand suitable for successful nesting. Artificial lighting on and near nesting beaches can deter nesting females from coming ashore to nest and can disorient hatchlings trying to find the sea after emerging from their nests. ### Vessel Strikes Various types of watercraft can strike leatherback turtles when they are at or near the surface, resulting in injury or death. Vessel strikes are a major threat near ports and waterways, and adjacent to highly developed coastlines. Adult sea turtles, in particular nesting females, are more susceptible to vessel strikes when making reproductive migrations and while they are nearshore during the nesting season. Vessel strikes are a significant cause of leatherback strandings in the eastern United States. ### Ocean Pollution/Marine Debris Increasing pollution of nearshore and offshore marine habitats threatens all sea turtles and degrades their habitats. Ingestion of marine debris is another threat to all species of sea turtles. Leatherback turtles may ingest fishing line, balloons, plastic bags, plastic fragments, floating tar or oil, and other materials discarded by humans which they can mistake for food. They may also become entangled in marine debris, including lost or discarded fishing gear, which can lead to injury or death. ### Changing Environmental Conditions For all sea turtles, higher sand temperatures can be lethal to eggs, or alter the ratio of male and female hatchlings produced (via temperature-dependent sex determination). Rising seas and storm events change beach morphology, causing beach erosion which may flood nests or wash them away. Changes in the temperature of the marine environment are likely to alter habitat suitability, as well as the abundance and distribution of food resources, leading to a shift in the migratory and foraging range and nesting season of leatherbacks. ### Scientific Classification Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 08/03/2026 ## In the Spotlight ### Pacific Leatherback Turtle The Pacific leatherback is one of NOAA Fisheries' Species in the Spotlight. This initiative is a strategic approach to endangered species recovery that focuses on highly at-risk species for which immediate, targeted actions can halt their decline and stabilize their populations. Pacific leatherback sea turtles are genetically and biologically unique. They migrate extreme distances across the Pacific Ocean from nesting to foraging/feeding areas, and are generally larger in size than Atlantic leatherbacks. Pacific leatherback populations have plummeted in recent decades—Western Pacific leatherbacks have declined more than 80 percent and Eastern Pacific leatherbacks have declined by more than 97 percent. Extensive turtle and egg harvest and bycatch in fishing gear are the primary causes of these declines. Leatherbacks are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Pacific leatherback continues to decline. The status for Pacific leatherbacks make them a priority for conservation efforts within NOAA Fisheries and with our partners worldwide to stabilize and recover this iconic species. ### Where Pacific Leatherback Turtles Live Pacific leatherbacks are split into two populations—Western Pacific and Eastern Pacific—based on range distribution and biological and genetic characteristics. Western Pacific leatherbacks nest in the Indo-Pacific region and migrate to the tropical waters of the Indonesian seas, the South China Sea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and throughout the temperate waters of the North Pacific, including areas of open ocean in the central North Pacific and coastal areas off the west coast of the United States, as well as to southeastern Australia and New Zealand. Eastern Pacific leatherbacks nest along the Pacific coast of Mexico and Costa Rica and migrate south to foraging grounds off South America. Pacific leatherbacks are considered highly at-risk because of the steep decreasing trend in their populations since the 1980s. Western Pacific leatherbacks have declined more than 80 percent and Eastern Pacific leatherbacks have declined by more than 97 percent. More recent trend analyses, on the primary nesting beaches in both the East and West Pacific, continue to show declines. ### Habitat Leatherbacks are pelagic (open ocean) animals, but they also feed in and migrate through coastal waters. Western Pacific leatherbacks engage in one of the greatest migrations of any air-breathing marine animal, swimming from tropical nesting beaches in the western Pacific (primarily Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands) to foraging grounds in the eastern North Pacific off the U.S. coast. The nearly 7,000-mile trans-Pacific journey through the exclusive economic zones of multiple Pacific nations and international waters requires 10 to 12 months to complete. In 2012, critical habitat was designated off of the U.S. West Coast (California, Oregon, and Washington), because these areas are key foraging sites for the Western Pacific leatherback. Adult females require sandy nesting beaches in warm, tropical climates for egg laying. Eastern Pacific leatherbacks nest along the Pacific coast of the Americas, primarily in Mexico and Costa Rica. Western Pacific leatherbacks demonstrate a bimodal pattern of seasonal nesting during the winter and summer months in the west Pacific, primarily in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Like other sea turtle species, leatherbacks face significant threats from bycatch in fisheries (e.g., entanglement and/or hooking), illegal collection of eggs and killing of adult turtles, coastal development, pollution, marine debris, and climate change. Leatherbacks are particularly vulnerable to bycatch in fishing gear. Gear modification and best practices have been implemented in many fisheries that have reduced incidental bycatch of leatherbacks, but globally, impacts from artisanal and industrial fishing operations have not been resolved. Today, bycatch remains the most significant threat to Pacific leatherbacks throughout their migratory corridors and foraging/feeding areas. ### Species Recovery ### U.S. Conservation and Management The United States has taken significant steps to protect leatherbacks in our waters. In the Pacific, a leatherback conservation area was established off the coast of California in 2001 that prohibits drift gillnet fishing from August 15 to November 15 in 213,000 square miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone. In 2009, the Marianas Trench, Rose Atoll, and Pacific Remote Islands marine national monuments were established, prohibiting commercial and recreational fisheries, thus providing important protected areas for sea turtles in this region. And similar to Atlantic fisheries, Hawaii-based longline fisheries have been regulated to reduce leatherback interactions. Additionally, vessel owners and captains participating in the Hawaii-based longline fishery and the California drift gillnet fishery must attend Protected Species Workshops annually where they receive new and updated information on sea turtles in the Pacific Ocean and new, relevant fisheries regulations, as well as training on safe handling and release procedures including the resuscitation of sea turtles. Longline fishermen are also required to carry and use dip nets, line cutters, and de-hookers to release any incidentally-caught sea turtles. ### International Efforts While significant conservation activities continue in the United States, the highly migratory nature of Pacific leatherbacks necessitates regular cooperation with international partners to address the main threats. International collaboration includes participation in several multilateral and regional treaties that have resulted in measures to conserve leatherback populations. Some of the accomplishments under these agreements include the development of the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles East Pacific Leatherback Task Force, which has identified measures to reduce mortality of Eastern Pacific leatherbacks in marine habitats and protect nesting sites and nesting females to increase reproductive productivity. The United States also maintains a leadership role within several Regional Fishery Management Organizations, proposing and/or supporting resolutions to protect sea turtles including binding measures to reduce fisheries interactions. In addition to regional and multilateral agreements, NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service support bilateral projects (through grants and in-kind support) to recover Pacific leatherbacks throughout their range. For example, in Papua Barat, Indonesia—a significant nesting area for Western Pacific leatherbacks—NOAA Fisheries and U.S. FWS have collaborated with local institutions, like The State University of Papua (UNIPA), for more than a decade to reduce poaching on nesting beaches, establish regular nesting surveys, improve community engagement in the protection of the nesting beaches, and ensure that protection continues into the future. UNIPA’s work has been instrumental in building local support for conserving and recovering Pacific leatherbacks. As a result, NOAA Fisheries named Dr. Fitry Pakiding from UNIPA, a Species in the Spotlight hero. NOAA Fisheries and U.S. FWS also work bilaterally with several countries to reduce leatherback bycatch in coastal waters, particularly in the Pacific. ### Species in the Spotlight Priority Actions As part of our Species in the Spotlight initiative, NOAA Fisheries developed a Priority Action Plan for the Pacific leatherback, which details the key conservation efforts that are needed to recover this critically endangered species. Without focused efforts in the Pacific, leatherbacks may not recover and may become eliminated from the entire ocean basin. Together with U.S. FWS, we identified the following priority actions. - Reduce fisheries bycatch and in-water harvest - Improve protection on nesting beaches - Support in-water research and monitoring to inform conservation actions - Foster cooperation with international partners - Encourage public engagement In our first five years of the Species in the Spotlight initiative, we have: - Helped in efforts to reduce leatherback bycatch in coastal fisheries of five countries (Mexico, Peru, Chile, Philippines, and Indonesia) - Protected key nesting beaches and foraging areas in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and California - Reduced bycatch in U.S. pelagic longline fisheries - Strengthened cooperation with Indonesia and Mexico - Celebrated California's annual Pacific Leatherback Day and offered outreach and educations program ### 2017 Species in the Spotlight Hero Award The State University of Papua (UNIPA) has been actively engaged in recovering the largest remaining leatherback nesting population in the Western Pacific for more than 10 years. UNIPA has worked at "ground zero" for leatherback conservation in the Western Pacific. They established a science-based management plan that minimizes sea turtle nest failure and enhances hatchling production. ### 2019 Partner in the Spotlight Award Over the last decade, the Eastern Pacific Leatherback Network, or Red Laúd del Océano Pacífico Oriental ("Laúd OPO") in Spanish, has brought together scientists and conservation practitioners across the Eastern Pacific to compile and synthesize key nesting and fisheries bycatch data to help protect and recover Pacific leatherback sea turtles. The Laúd OPO network initiated a regional bycatch assessment. Based on this information, Laúd OPO has identified the most critical conservation actions to be taken by local and national governments. ### 2021 Partner in the Spotlight Award Over the last 15 years, Tetepare Descendants’ Association (TDA) has been instrumental in efforts to recover leatherbacks on Tetepare Beach and Rendova Beach in the Solomon Islands, which are key nesting beaches. TDA Rangers carry out overnight foot patrols, tag and measure nesting females, and protect nests from predators and poachers. They hold training workshops, engage the community, and encourage participation in the leatherback monitoring program. TDA works tirelessly to protect Pacific leatherbacks and continues to persist with unwavering determination. ### 2023 Partner in the Spotlight Award Andreas Hero Ohoiulun, World Wildlife Fund Indonesia, has demonstrated leadership, persistence, and a collaborative approach with local communities, which has achieved extraordinary conservation gains for Western Pacific leatherbacks in the Maluku Province in Indonesia. Hero’s efforts to establish a harvest monitoring and mitigation program reduced the traditional harvest of leatherbacks by 86 percent in the Kei Islands. On Buru Island, poaching of nests was reduced to less than 1 percent, and harvest of nesting females was eliminated completely. Hero also helped establish the Kei Island Marine Protected Area, and initiated steps towards creating an MPA to conserve nesting leatherbacks on Buru Island. ## Management Overview The leatherback turtle is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Additionally, the leatherback turtle is listed under: - Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) - Annex II of theProtocol for Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife(SPAW) In the United States, NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have joint jurisdiction for sea turtles, with NOAA having the lead in the marine environment and U.S. FWS having the lead on the nesting beaches. Both federal agencies, along with many state and U.S. territory agencies and international partners, are working together to conserve and recover sea turtles and have issued regulations to eliminate or reduce threats to sea turtles. ### Recovery Planning and Implementation ### Recovery Action To help identify and guide the protection, conservation, and recovery of sea turtles, the ESA requires NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. FWS to develop and implement recovery plans which provide a blueprint for conservation of the species and measurable criteria to gauge progress toward recovery. The major recovery actions for leatherback turtles include: - Protecting sea turtles on nesting beaches and in marine environments - Protecting nesting and foraging habitats - Reducing bycatch in commercial, artisanal, and recreational fisheries - Reducing the effects of entanglement and ingestion of marine debris - Reducing vessel strikes in coastal habitats - Working with partners internationally to protect turtles in all life-stages - Supporting research and conservation projects consistent with Recovery Plan priorities Two recovery plans have been developed to recover and protect leatherback turtle populations found in U.S. waters. Each is focused on the unique needs of leatherback turtles in the various regions. - Recovery Plan for the U.S. Caribbean, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico Populations of the Leatherback Sea Turtle - Recovery Plan for the U.S. Pacific Populations of the Leatherback Sea Turtle The highly migratory behavior of sea turtles makes them shared resources among many nations, so conservation efforts for sea turtle populations must extend beyond national boundaries. This necessitates international collaboration and coordination. Learn more about international conservation efforts below. ### Implementation NOAA Fisheries is working to minimize effects from human activities that are detrimental to the recovery of leatherback turtles in the United States and internationally. Together with our partners, we undertake numerous activities to support the goals of the leatherback turtle recovery plans, with the ultimate goal of species recovery. Efforts to conserve leatherback turtles include: - Protecting habitat and designating critical habitat - Reducing bycatch - Rescue and disentanglement - Eliminating the killing of turtles and the collection of their eggs - Eliminating the harassment of turtles on nesting beaches and foraging habitats through education and enforcement - Consulting with federal agencies to ensure their activities are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species Pacific leatherbacks are one of NOAA Fisheries' Species in the Spotlight. ### Critical Habitat Once a species is listed under the ESA, NOAA Fisheries evaluates and identifies whether any marine areas meet the definition of critical habitat. Those areas may be designated as critical habitat through a rulemaking process. A critical habitat designation does not set up a marine preserve or refuge. Rather, federal agencies that undertake, fund, or permit activities that may affect designated critical habitat areas are required to consult with NOAA Fisheries to ensure that their actions do not adversely modify or destroy these designated critical habitats. In 1979, NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. FWS designated critical habitat for endangered leatherback turtles for coastal waters adjacent to Sandy Point in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. In 2012, NOAA Fisheries also designated critical habitat for endangered leatherbacks along the west coast of the United States. Leatherback sea turtle swimming at ocean surface. Credit: NOAA Fisheries ### Conservation Efforts ### Reducing Bycatch NOAA Fisheries is working to reduce the bycatch of sea turtles in commercial fisheries. Our efforts are focused on documenting bycatch, understanding how, why, and where sea turtles are bycaught, and how to reduce that bycatch. We have developed modifications to fishing gear and practices to reduce bycatch and/or reduce bycatch injuries. We require these modifications in certain U.S. commercial fisheries including gillnets, longlines, pound nets, scallop dredges, and trawls that accidentally catch sea turtles. Measures include: - Gear modifications - Changes to fishing practices - Time/area closures In the United States, NOAA Fisheries has worked closely with the shrimp trawl fishing industry to develop turtle excluder devices (TEDS) to reduce the mortality of sea turtles bycaught in shrimp trawls. TEDs are required in the shrimp otter trawl fishery and, in early 2021, in larger vessels participating in the skimmer trawl fishery. Since 1989, the United States has prohibited the importation of shrimp harvested in a manner that adversely affects sea turtles. The import ban does not apply to nations that have adopted sea turtle protection programs comparable to that of the U.S. (i.e., require and enforce the use of TEDs) or to nations where bycatch in shrimp fisheries does not present a threat to sea turtles (for example, nations that fish for shrimp in areas where sea turtles do not occur). The U.S. Department of State is the principal implementing agency of this law while NOAA Fisheries serves as technical advisor and provides extensive TED training throughout the world. We are also involved in cooperative gear research projects, implementation of changes to gear and fishing practices, and safe handling protocols designed to reduce sea turtle bycatch and mortality in the Gulf of America\* (formerly Gulf of Mexico) and Atlantic pelagic longline fisheries, the American Samoa and Hawaii-based longline fisheries, the Atlantic sea scallop dredge fishery, and non-shrimp trawl fisheries in the Atlantic and Gulf of America. ### Fisheries Observers Bycatch in fishing gear is the primary human-caused source of sea turtle injury and mortality in U.S. waters. The most effective way to learn about bycatch is to place observers aboard fishing vessels. Observers collect important information that allows us to understand the amount and extent of bycatch, how turtles interact with the gear, and how bycatch reduction measures are working. NOAA Fisheries determines which fisheries are required to carry observers, if requested to do so, through an annual determination. Observers may also be placed on fishing vessels through our authorities under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. ### Responding to Strandings and Entanglements A stranded sea turtle is one that is found on land or in the water and is either dead or is alive but unable to undergo normal activities and behaviors due to an injury, illness, or other problem. Most strandings are of individual turtles, and thousands are documented annually along the coasts of the United States and its territories. Organized networks of trained stranding responders are authorized to recover dead turtles or assist live turtles and document important information about the causes of strandings. These networks include federal, state, and private organizations. The actions taken by stranding network participants improve the survival of sick, injured, and entangled turtles while also helping scientists and managers expand their knowledge about threats to sea turtles and causes of mortality. Because sea turtles spend most of their life at sea and out of sight, information learned from strandings are an important way for us to identify and monitor problems that threaten sea turtle populations. Within the United States and its Territories, there are three regional networks that serve to document and rescue stranded and entanglement sea turtles: - Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of America, and Caribbean: Coordinated under the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN) - Pacific Ocean (continental U.S. West Coast): Coordinated by NOAA’s West Coast Regional Office - Pacific Islands (Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands): Coordinated by NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and the Pacific Islands Regional Office The actions taken by stranding network participants improve the survivability of sick, injured, and entangled turtles while also helping scientists and managers to expand their knowledge about diseases and other threats that affect sea turtles in the marine environment and on land. ### International Conservation Efforts The conservation and recovery of sea turtles requires international cooperation and agreements to ensure the survival of these highly migratory animals. We work closely with partners in many countries across the globe to promote sea turtle conservation and recovery. Two international agreements specifically focused on sea turtle conservation are: - Indian Ocean - South-East Asian (IOSEA) Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding - Inter-American Convention (IAC) for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles Additional international treaties and agreements that also protect sea turtles include: - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): Listed in Appendix I, which prohibits international trade of wild flora and fauna - Cartagena Convention: Protected under Annex II of the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Protocol \*Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” (Jan. 20, 2025), directs that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. On August 7, 2025, NOAA Fisheries and the National Ocean Service amended regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations to reflect the renaming. The name change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations. This website continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” when quoting statutes or previously published materials. ### Regulatory History The leatherback turtle was first listed under the ESA in 1970. In 2017, NOAA Fisheries and U.S. FWS received a petition to identify the Northwest Atlantic leatherback subpopulation as a DPS and list it as threatened under the ESA. We found that the petitioned action may be warranted and conducted a global status review. After evaluating the best available science and conservation efforts on behalf of the species, we determined that the petitioned actions were not warranted because all leatherback populations meet the definition of an endangered species. Therefore, as we described in the 2020 12-month finding, the leatherback turtle remains listed as an endangered species under the ESA. In 1992, we finalized regulations to require turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawl fisheries to reduce sea turtle bycatch. Since then, we have updated these regulations as new information became available and TEDs were modified to improve their turtle exclusion rates. TEDs are also required in the summer flounder fishery in certain areas along the Atlantic coast of the United States. We have also implemented other measures to reduce sea turtle bycatch in fisheries through regulations and permits under both the ESA and Magnuson-Stevens Act. These requirements include the use of large circle hooks in longline fisheries, time and area closures/mesh size restrictions for gillnets, and modifications to Virginia pound net leaders and Atlantic sea scallop dredges. ## Key Actions and Documents ### Actions & Documents - Notice; Issuance of Permit (89 FR 82573, 10/11/2024) - Notice of Availability - Draft Environmental Assessment (88 FR 54303, 08/10/202… - Correction to Receipt of Application (88 FR 859, 01/05/2023) - Receipt of application (87 FR 78659, 12/22/2022) - Issuance of permit - Notice of availability (environmental assessment) - Receipt of application - Receipt of application ## Science Overview As an essential part of our conservation program, NOAA Fisheries conducts research on the biology, behavior, and ecology of the leatherback sea turtle. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions and enhance recovery efforts for the species. ### Population Assessments Sea turtle population assessments ideally include information on the species’ abundance and distribution, life history, and human impacts. This information can help NOAA Fisheries evaluate the effectiveness of conservation and recovery measures, and can help guide actions to enhance recovery. To estimate population abundance, researchers conduct aerial and vessel-based surveys of selected areas and capture and mark turtles in the water and on beaches. We also incorporate data collected on nesting beaches via stranding networks and fromfisheries observer programs. Other information that informs sea turtle population assessments includes population structure (genetic analyses), age to maturity, survivorship of the various life stages (e.g., hatchling, juvenile, adult) foraging and reproductive behavior, movement and distribution, and habitat studies. ### Tagging and Tracking Studies Satellite telemetry allows researchers to track sea turtles as they migrate between and within foraging and nesting areas. Tags are designed and attached in a manner that minimizes disturbance and/or harm to the turtle. The data help us understand migration patterns, identify feeding areas, and identify where turtles overlap with their primary threats (e.g., fisheries, vessel traffic). Research scientist preparing to place a satellite tag on a leatherback turtle off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of Scott Landry (NOAA Fisheries Permit #1557-03). NOAA Fisheries’ scientists began tracking Pacific leatherbacks from central California foraging grounds in 2000, and have expanded these studies to the nesting beaches in the western Pacific after documenting that the California turtles originated from there. Learn more about tagging and tracking of leatherbacks in the Pacific: - Long-Range Migrations and Habitats - Tagging Research in Papua New Guinea - Movements from Nesting to Feeding Areas Across the Pacific ### Research to Reduce Bycatch in Fishing Gear We observe fisheries to understand the level of sea turtle bycatch and the ways in which turtles interact with fishing gear. We work with partners and industry to develop modifications to fishing gear and/or fishing practices to reduce sea turtle bycatch while at the same time retaining a sustainable catch of targeted species. These efforts include the development of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) for use in trawl fisheries, use of circle hooks and certain bait types in longline fisheries, and time and area closures/mesh size restrictions and low profile designs for gillnets. ### Sea Turtle Genetics NOAA Fisheries’ National Sea Turtle Molecular Genetics Center serves as a worldwide central repository for sea turtle tissue and DNA samples and constitutes a major area of research supporting sea turtle conservation. For example, a turtle’s genetic “fingerprint” can be used to determine which nesting population it originated from. ## Documents The Technical Memo presents information, analyses, and conclusions related to the study of sea… ## Data & Maps ## Research Exploring the potential connection between dFADs deployment areas and important oceanic or coastal… Research results on leatherback movement behavior from satellite tags applied off the coasts of… Satellite tagged leatherback sea turtles from the northeastern Gulf of America provide information… We explore the potential for dynamic ocean management in an emerging hotspot of leatherback sea… ## Outreach & Education ## Picture credits - Taken under permit by NOAA Fisheries, not established () - Taken under permit by NOAA Fisheries, not established () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked () - NOAA Fisheries, US government page; this picture's owner not checked ()