Sea Turtles of the U.S. Gulf Coastal Waters

Alabama Sea Turtles and Threats to Their Survival

Sep 14, 2009

Of the five species of sea turtles found in U.S. waters, all of which are listed under the Endangered Species Act, two nest fairly regularly on the beaches of Alabama.

The Kemp’s Ridley and Loggerhead turtles rely on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for foraging and migrating, and on Gulf coast beaches for nesting. Because sea turtles are highly migratory, local conservation efforts are rarely sufficient; if turtles are protected on only part of their migratory pathway, they are still vulnerable in areas which they are not protected. It is important that conservation efforts are asserted on an international scale in order to benefit these vulnerable species.

Kemp’s Ridleys become sexually mature at a relatively young age of seven to fifteen years. These turtles nest between April and June, sometimes laying one to four times a season, and may nest every year. They regularly nest during the day, laying clutches that average 110 eggs; babies often emerge after 45 – 55 days of incubation. The Kemp’s Ridley is the most endangered of all the turtles, and uncommon on Alabama beaches.

Loggerheads reach sexual maturity at 20 – 30 years of age. They nest between May and August at night, usually every two to three years, and may lay between one and seven nests a season. Clutches typically contain between 100 – 126 eggs, which incubate for 45 – 95 days before the hatchlings emerge. This is the most common turtle species nesting on Alabama beaches.

Threats to Gulf Coast Sea Turtles

In some parts of the turtles’ range they are harvested for their meat and eggs, despite protections the U.S. and some countries may place on them. Some populations have been severely impacted by the disease Fibropapillomatosis, a disease in which tumors grow on the turtles. As more and more coastline is eaten up by development, sea turtles lose valuable nesting habitat which heavily impacts their numbers.

Along with the development come many other types of disturbance: normally hatchlings use the light reflecting off of the open ocean to navigate from their nest to the water; however, artificial lights from beachfront development disorients them and misleads them into the hustle of busy streets and parking lots surrounded by condos and souvenir shops, where they are sure to die. Hatchling mortality due to native and non-native predators is on the rise, as humans alter habitat to foster the presence of these animals on beaches. Commercial fishing operations ruin foraging habitat and routinely catch sea turtles as by-catch. Marine debris is appearing more and more in the stomachs of necropsied turtles, suggesting another cause of human-induced mortality.

The copyright of the article Sea Turtles of the U.S. Gulf Coastal Waters in Marine Conservation is owned by Sara Wittenberg. Permission to republish Sea Turtles of the U.S. Gulf Coastal Waters in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.