Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan 2019

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Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Table of Contents

Background Introduction …………………………………………………………………. 2 Program Goal ……………………………………………………………….. 3 Program Operational Structure ….…………………………………. 4 Priority Conservation Targets ..………………………………………. 5 Status of Taxa within AZA Community ….……………………….. 9 AZA Conservation and Public Engagement Activities ….….. 10 Species Status Conservation Status ……………………………………………………….. 16 Recovery Plan or other Conservation Plan in Effect …….….. 16 Threats ……………………………….………………………………………….. 18 Work Plan Conservation Objectives …………………………………………………. 19 Public/Stakeholder Engagement Objectives ….………………… 20 Communications/Public Awareness Objectives …….………… 21 Funding Objectives …………………………………………………………. 22 Literature Cited ………………………………………………………………. 23 Program Summary Table …….………………………………………….. 24

Gladys Porter Zoo

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Introduction Sea turtles are marine reptiles that have inhabited the Earth’s seas for more than 110 million years and have out-lived countless animal species, including a well-known group called the dinosaurs. Today, they are represented by seven living species in two taxonomic Families (Table 1): • The Cheloniidae – representing the six species of hard-shelled sea turtles, including the Loggerhead, Green, Hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, Olive ridley and Flatback. • The Dermochelyidae – represented by a single species, the Leatherback sea turtle.

Despite their incredible evolutionary success – they are found worldwide in tropical and temperate ocean waters – sea turtles are facing significant current threats to their survival, primarily from the impacts of human activities. As a result, all sea turtle species are potential conservation targets for this SAFE program.

Common Name Scientific Name ESA Status IUCN Red List Status (global) Cheloniidae Loggerhead Caretta caretta Threatened (USA) Vulnerable Green Chelonia mydas Threatened (USA) Endangered Hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata Endangered Critically Endangered Kemp’s ridley Lepidochelys kempii Endangered Critically Endangered Olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea Threatened Vulnerable Flatback Natator depressus Data deficient Data Deficient Dermochelyidae Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea Endangered (USA) Vulnerable

Table 1: Sea turtle species and their conservation status. In addition, all species are considered CITES Appendix I. (ESA – Endangered Species Act, IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature, CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)

The Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA): Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) Program brings together groups of AZA members with field-based partners to enhance conservation success for threatened species. The SAFE mission is to combine the power of zoo and aquarium visitors with the collective expertise of AZA members and partners to prevent animal extinction (AZA 2019). SAFE conservation initiatives may be focused on a single imperiled species, or on a taxonomic group. The Sea Turtle SAFE Program is an example of the latter.

Gladys Porter Zoo Gladys Porter Zoo

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

This SAFE Program will focus attention on some of the most critical field conservation needs for sea turtles, while maintaining support for the significant ongoing conservation efforts of AZA member institutions and growing opportunities for public engagement in support of sea turtle conservation throughout the AZA community.

Program Goal The overall goal of the Sea Turtle SAFE Program is to make significant and measurable contributions to the conservation of sea turtles by utilizing the collective resources (expertise, human capital, material, and financial support) of the AZA community to secure sustainable populations of all sea turtle species. This three-year program plan will focus efforts on two of the most critically endangered sea turtles, Kemp’s ridley and Eastern Pacific leatherback (EPL). The program’s initial goals are: measurable increases in protection of EPL nesting beaches; support for monitoring and research associated with stranding and rehabilitation networks for Kemp’s ridley; increased support for grant programs targeting EPL and Kemp’s ridley conservation; development of new tools to enhance public communication and awareness of sea turtle conservation needs within AZA and the general public; and stakeholder engagement to facilitate sea turtle conservation in range countries of target species.

Program partners plan to invite many AZA member institutions to join the Sea Turtle SAFE Program, especially those holding sea turtles in their managed collections and/or involved with field projects. The SAFE Program will work with field-based partners in implementing existing recovery plans through collaborative and strategic conservation and public engagement actions. The SAFE Program recognizes and welcomes the ongoing work of AZA members that may not directly address the priority conservation targets, however recommends that all program partners strive to provide some level of new support for sea turtle conservation directed towards the high priority conservation targets in the program plan.

Steering committee, advisors and AZA staff, December 2018 meeting, Silver Spring, MD.

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Program Operational Structure

Affiliation Representative(s) Title Contact Information Program Leader Virginia Aquarium & Mark Swingle Chief of Research & Conservation 757-385-0326, Marine Science Center [email protected] Program Partners - Steering Committee John Fallon Director of Sustainability & Coastal 504-398-3261, Audubon Nature Preservation [email protected] Institute Gabriela Vazquez Marine Mammal/Sea Turtle Rescue 504-398-3124, & Rehabilitation Coordinator [email protected] Gladys Porter Zoo Patrick Burchfield Zoo Director, Kemp’s Ridley 956-546-7187, Recovery Team Member [email protected] Aquarium of the Pacific Sandy Trautwein Vice President of Husbandry 562-951-1715 [email protected] North Carolina Amber Hitt Manager, STAR Center 252-475-2347, Aquarium on Roanoke [email protected] Island Carol Price Conservation Research Coordinator 252-222-6367 North Carolina Aquariums [email protected] Dave Peranteau Director of Animal Care & 480-291-8199, OdySea Aquarium Conservation [email protected] Alyssa Daily Animal Care Specialist 602-708-4463, [email protected] South Carolina Kelly Thorvalson Conservation Programs Manager 843-259-8640, Aquarium [email protected] Texas State Aquarium Jesse Gilbert Senior Vice President and Chief (361) 881-1215, Operating Officer [email protected] Roy Drinnen Assistant Curator of Fishes (409) 683-4103, The Aquarium at [email protected] Moody Gardens Greg Whittaker Animal Husbandry Manager (409) 683-4101 [email protected] The Maritime Aquarium David Hudson Research Scientist (203) 852-0700 ext 2304, at Norwalk [email protected] Virginia Aquarium & Matt Klepeisz Public Relations Manager (757) 385-0252 Marine Science Center [email protected] Program Advisors Oceanic Society, IUCN, Rod Mast President Oceanic Society, Co-Chair (202) 316-9718, State of the World’s IUCN SSC Marine Turtle Specialist [email protected] Sea Turtles (SWOT) Group, Editor SWOT U.S. Fish & Wildlife Earl Possardt International Marine Turtle (703) 358-2277, Service Program Coordinator, Co-Chair [email protected] Kemp’s Ridley Recovery Team NOAA National Marine Barbara Schroeder National Sea Turtle Coordinator (301) 713-0376, Fisheries Service [email protected] Ecolibrium, Inc., Duke Bryan Wallace Director, Senior Scientist (202) 295-7535, University Marine Lab EPL Conservation Network [email protected] University of Alabama Thane Wibbels Professor, Department of Biology (205) 903-8395, at Birmingham [email protected]

Table 2: Operational structure and contact information for Sea Turtle SAFE Program Team (current December 2019).

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

The Sea Turtle SAFE Program planning team (Table 2) includes steering committee members from the initial program partner institutions and advisors with sea turtle expertise. The planning team recognizes that the initial makeup of the steering committee is lacking in experienced educators and also those with extensive stakeholder engagement expertise. As the program plan is implemented, it is the intention of the team to address these needs through recruitment and engagement with AZA committees such as Conservation Education, Public Relations, Diversity, and Field Conservation. The steering committee members have worked closely with advisors including the Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group, several members/advisors of the Kemp’s Ridley Bi-National Recovery Team, a leader of the Eastern Pacific Leatherback Conservation Network, and the National Sea Turtle Coordinator for the National Marine Fisheries Service. The program plan could not have been developed without the efforts of the entire team.

Priority Conservation Targets Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is listed as critically endangered. Its population measured by nesting data has recovered significantly from a low point recorded in the 1980s. At that time, following the discovery of its primary nesting beaches in Tamaulipas, Mexico, it was estimated there were less than 300 nesting females (702 nests) remaining in the population – down from a historic level of at least 40,000 nesting females in the same area. What followed represents one of the greatest conservation success stories, a story still unfolding on Gulf of Mexico beaches and in ocean and coastal habitats of the Kemp’s ridley (Figure 1a). Efforts were begun, initially by Mexico, to protect the nesting beaches, females and nests to ensure the highest possible survival rate for the remaining turtles. A bi-national effort to protect the vital Mexican nesting beaches (Figure 1b) and all Kemp’s ridley nests was implemented in the late 1970s with the U.S. joining Mexico. Results of these efforts could be seen by the late 1990s as the annual

a b Figure 1 a-b. (a) Gulf of Mexico location of primary nesting beach for Kemp’s ridley population at Rancho Nuevo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. (b) Sea turtle conservation camps in Tamaulipas. (Gladys Porter Zoo) numbers of nesting females, nests and hatchlings began to grow. This positive trend continued strongly for more than 10 years (in 2009 there were more than 21,000 recorded nests), including the return of major arribadas (mass nesting events) on the Mexican beaches – by any measure a remarkable recovery story (Figure 2). The Kemp’s ridley recovery team was even beginning to discuss the potential future

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

down-listing of the species based upon the long and steady record of population growth. Then in 2010, the nesting population exhibited a serious decline with less than 15,000 recorded nests. The next few years reinforced this new trend of uncertainty and culminated in a low of 12,000 nests in 2014 (Figure 2). Attempting to understand the reasons for disruption of the population’s positive growth trajectory is an ongoing effort. Acute and long-term impacts of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill are some of the major factors being studied, along with other threats such as fisheries bycatch and climate change.

26000 Kemp's ridley nests in Tamaulipas 24000 22000 20000 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 1978 1988 1998 2008 2018

Figure 2. Kemp’s ridley nests registered in Tamaulipas, Mexico from 1978-2018. (Gladys Porter Zoo)

The Kemp’s ridley was chosen as a SAFE priority conservation target primarily because of its critically endangered status. In addition, the geographic range and life cycle of the species make it a commonly encountered sea turtle in U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast. The species is impacted by both commercial and recreational fisheries, and is a significant component of sea turtle rehabilitation efforts in the U.S., especially as a result of annual cold-stunning events in the northeast.

Eastern Pacific Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) The leatherback sea turtle is listed globally as vulnerable by the IUCN and endangered by the ESA. The global population is comprised of seven genetically and demographically distinct subpopulations, also referred to as regional management units (RMU) (Wallace et al. 2010). By contrast, the Eastern Pacific Leatherback (EPL) RMU is described as one the world’s most threatened sea turtle populations. The EPL population range spans offshore ocean areas and coastal beaches in Mexico and Central and South America, from Mexico to Chile (Figure 3). Index nesting beaches are found in Mexico and Costa Rica, but additional nesting occurs throughout the region as far south as Ecuador (Figure 4). Migration and foraging habitats encompass vast ocean areas from coastal to offshore waters. Based upon data collected from major nesting beaches, the EPL population has declined more than 95 percent in the last 30 years – from thousands of nesting females per year to less than 1,000 adult females remaining in the

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

total population (Figure 4). The dramatic population decline is being driven by a combination of fisheries bycatch, egg harvesting, resource limitation potentially influenced by climate change, and other threats including the emerging issue of coastal development. In 2012, an expert working group was assembled to develop a 10-year action plan to initially halt and eventually reverse the decline of the EPL population. With support from the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the group produced a regional action plan for conservation of the EPL including addressing the most significant threat to population recovery – fisheries bycatch (Red Laúd OPO 2013).

Figure 3. Geographic range of the Eastern Pacific Leatherback subpopulation (Wallace et al. 2010).

Figure 4. Decline of nesting females of the Eastern Pacific Leatherback subpopulation (Wallace 2019).

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Figure 4. Bycatch assessment and index nesting beaches for the Eastern Pacific Leatherback.

The EPL was also chosen as a SAFE priority conservation target primarily because of its critically endangered status. Though not normally encountered in U.S. waters, the subpopulation is heavily impacted by commercial fisheries, and poaching of eggs and turtles remains a problem in some parts of its range. Unlike Kemp’s ridleys, leatherbacks do not adapt well to managed-care and are therefore rarely encountered in rehabilitation settings and are not found globally in any public aquariums.

Leatherback hatchling, Jason Bradley

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Status of Taxa within the AZA Community Sea turtles have been important components of animal collections in public aquariums since the 19th century. Today, sea turtles are recognized as beloved and iconic animal ambassadors and can be found in many AZA aquariums and zoos that house marine aquariums. Sea turtles in zoological facilities may be part of permanent or temporary collections. Sea turtles in permanent collections reside at an institution on a permanent or long-term basis, are typically associated with public display and conservation education, and are generally expected to be in an animal collection for more than one year. Temporary collections refer to sea turtles held at an institution on a temporary or short-term basis, most often associated with rehabilitation and/or research activities, and generally not expected to be in an animal collection for more than one year.

Although sea turtles are present in many aquariums, a comprehensive assessment of sea turtles in AZA institutions has not been conducted. Marine turtles are not currently managed within any of the AZA animal programs, including the Chelonian Taxon Advisory Group (TAG), which focuses their efforts on freshwater turtles and tortoises. In addition, there is no federal inventory or permit system that can provide an overall report on sea turtles in zoological collections. As a result, no formal database exists for these animals. Beginning in the 1990’s, several aquarium colleagues that were interested in sea turtles created an informal group within AZA called the Sea Turtle Working Group (STWG). The idea was to come together to advance the science of sea turtle husbandry and to promote sea turtle education and conservation. The STWG initiated several census surveys to examine the question of how many sea turtles are in aquariums. The surveys were conducted primarily in North America and were distributed widely to both AZA and non-AZA institutions. To date there have been four such surveys, in 1996, 2002, 2010 and 2017. The 2017 survey was specifically targeted to AZA member institutions, though it was not possible to calculate a specific response rate, it was significantly less than 100 percent (Swingle pers. comm.). Though surveys included all sea turtle species, there were no reports of flatback or leatherback sea turtles. Results of the sea turtle census surveys since 2000 are presented in Table 3.

Census Institutions with Survey Sea Turtles Loggerhead Green Hawksbill Kemp's Ridley Olive Ridley 2002 40 60 76 11 18 0 2010 46 88 116 11 15 2 2017 Unknown 26 61 9 9 4

Table 3. Results of sea turtle census surveys conducted by the Sea Turtle Working Group and AZA. Results from 2017 survey did not allow for determination of the number of institutions with sea turtles. (Swingle pers. comm.)

A significant component of the Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan will be to conduct comprehensive assessments of the numbers of animals in AZA member institutions, and potentially to assess non- member facilities as well. This data will provide a valuable baseline for understanding the current state of sea turtles in aquarium collections. Currently, U.S. federal rules prohibit nearly all captive breeding of sea turtles and access to animals for public display is extremely limited. Additionally, existing federal husbandry and maintenance guidelines were not developed with adequate input from organizations like AZA or other zoological professionals. The Sea Turtle SAFE Program will use survey data to support objectives of the program plan and to bring together the sea turtle husbandry community to examine these management issues as they relate to conservation of sea turtles within AZA institutions and in the stranding and rehabilitation networks.

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

AZA Conservation and Public Engagement Activities Sea turtle conservation is an important component in the conservation initiatives of many AZA institutions and their project partners. The initiatives have many forms: from conducting stranding response, rescue and rehabilitation programs, nesting beach programs and public awareness programs, to providing financial support for in situ conservation projects around the world. According to the AZA Annual Reports on Conservation and Science (ARCS) from 2015-17, 79 institutions reported more than 150 sea turtle field conservation projects with a total investment of more than $12.7 million dollars (Table 4).

Sea Turtle Field Conservation 2015-2017

Totals (2015-2017) # Reporting # Project Year $ Amount Spent Facilities Submissions 2015-2017 79 154 $12,790,330

Per Species (2015-2017) # Reporting # Project Species $ Amount Spent Facilities Submissions Sea Turtles (spp.) - Species Unspecified 52 80 $7,219,551 Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Atlantic Ridley) 10 18 $2,399,568 Loggerhead Sea Turtle 25 36 $1,303,162 Green Sea Turtle 27 36 $1,035,468 Hawksbill Sea Turtle 21 21 $514,183 Leatherback Sea Turtle 13 20 $220,099 Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Pacific Ridley) 6 8 $98,300

Table 4. Data from 2015-2017 ARCS database for sea turtle conservation projects supported by AZA institutions. Some projects include multiple species and/or span multiple years.

North Carolina Aquariums South Carolina Aquarium

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Similarly, AZA institutions provided support for sea turtle research projects during the same time frame. According to the ARCS reports from 2015-17, 13 institutions reported support for more than 25 sea turtle research projects with a total investment of more than $880 thousand dollars (Table 5).

Sea Turtle Research 2015-2017

Totals (2015-2017) # Reporting # Project Year $ Amount Spent Facilities Submissions 2015-2017 13 28 $886,465

Per Species (2015-2017) # Reporting # Project Species $ Amount Spent Facilities Submissions Leatherback Sea Turtle 1 2 N/A Sea Turtles (spp.) - Species Unspecified 8 8 $857,555 Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Atlantic Ridley) 3 5 $16,045 Loggerhead Sea Turtle 4 11 $9,887 Green Sea Turtle 6 11 $2,977

Table 5. Data from the 2015-2017 ARCS database for sea turtle research projects supported by AZA institutions. Some projects include multiple species and/or span multiple years.

AZA member institutions demonstrate a notable commitment to conservation, scientific research and public engagement activities. This is exemplified by the work of the Sea Turtle SAFE Program Partners. SAFE Program Partners Aquarium of the Pacific: The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA has been involved in sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation and monitoring for twenty years. In addition to having two olive ridley sea turtles on exhibit for educational purposes, the Aquarium serves as a center for rescued sea turtles for the southern California coastline. Working in partnership with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Aquarium’s veterinary staff regularly helps to rehabilitate ill or injured sea turtles and release them back into the wild. Sea turtles brought to the Aquarium for rehabilitation in recent years have included green sea turtles, loggerheads and olive ridleys. The turtles have been found with buoyancy issues, tangled in fishing gear, or otherwise injured. The Aquarium’s veterinarian performs exams, tends to wounds, or performs surgeries as needed to rehabilitate the turtles. The turtles are placed in the Aquarium’s holding systems for observation to ensure their complete recovery before they are scheduled for release. On a few occasions, the Aquarium was asked by the NMFS to assist with tagging rescued sea turtles. Researchers and members of the public were able to track movements of the turtles for several weeks or months following their release. Information obtained by tracking movements of these sea turtles helps researchers gain a better understanding of migratory habits. The Aquarium has also developed a Southern California Sea Turtle Citizen Science program to monitor what is now considered the northernmost population of year-round resident green sea turtles along the Pacific coast. This partnership between the Aquarium and the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority helps monitor sea turtles in the San Gabriel River watershed using community members, volunteers, and staff.

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Audubon Nature Institute

Audubon Nature Institute: The Coastal Wildlife Network (CWN) is a conservation program coordinated by Audubon Nature Institute located in New Orleans, Louisiana. CWN takes a comprehensive and proactive approach to marine mammal and sea turtle response in Louisiana. CWN is the only entity in Louisiana that is authorized for marine mammal and sea turtle rehabilitation. During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, CWN was at the forefront of marine mammal and sea turtle rehabilitation efforts and admitted 196 sea turtles into rehabilitation. Injuries and illnesses varied from crude oil exposure/ingestion, boat strikes, pneumonia, and fishery interactions, and CWN refined techniques for sea turtle intake, triage, and rehabilitation efforts. Gladys Porter Zoo: The Mexico/United States of America population restoration project for the Kemp´s ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempii, on the coasts of Tamaulipas is one of the longest-running conservation projects in the World. Gladys Porter Zoo staff have been involved with this conservation effort since 1972, and have administered the U.S. segment of the project since 1981. The Zoo’s involvement comprises conservation activities at the six sea turtle camps in Tamaulipas, various non- invasive research projects, and an environmental education component. Gladys Porter Zoo has been closely involved with sea turtle conservation, research, education and rehab/rescue in South Texas for over three decades. Gladys Porter Zoo also supports additional sea turtle conservation in Mexico through collaborative agreements with the AZA-accredited Acuario de Veracruz (Kemp’s ridleys, green sea turtles and hawksbills); and the University of Michoacan (black sea turtles and leatherbacks). North Carolina Aquariums: The NC Aquariums at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores, and Roanoke Island have been involved with sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation for decades. Each aquarium holds permits to keep, transport, and rehabilitate protected sea turtles and they partner with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), which coordinates all responses to sea turtle strandings in the state. Veterinary and husbandry staff work closely with NCWRC and the North Carolina State University School of Veterinary Medicine to aid in the rescue and rehabilitation of sea turtles. The aquarium at Roanoke Island opened the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center in 2015 to expand the facilities available to care for turtles and allow the public to see the turtles and their care. The STAR Center provides diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and rescue expertise, and year-round housing for stranded and injured turtles. The aquariums operate Jeanette’s Pier which participates in the Responsible Pier Initiative, a collaborative program working directly with fishermen to provide the necessary resources to deal with sea turtle interactions and strandings on or around fishing piers. In addition, the aquariums host an array of education programs, camps, field trips, teacher training, and

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

outreach programs that tell the story of endangered and threatened sea turtles along the Atlantic coast. The affiliated NC Aquarium Society financially supports rescue and rehabilitation work, as well as veterinary research to better understand pathology and medical treatment for sea turtles.

North Carolina Aquariums Gladys Porter Zoo

OdySea Aquarium: Since the initial planning stages of designing and building OdySea Aquarium and developing the exhibits, species lists and conservation goals, sea turtle conservation has been one of the main focal points. OdySea houses seven sea turtles of two different species (loggerhead and green) that originated from rescue facilities in Texas, Florida, and Virginia and have been deemed non-releasable. OdySea has also taken on many initiatives to aid in sea turtle and marine conservation. The Aquarium has a goal to support sustainable fishing practices and reduce plastic pollution and waste from facility operations. In June 2019, OdySea hosted a month long celebration of Sea Turtles call Shell-a-Bration that included signage and social media centering on the Plight of the Sea Turtle. As a relatively new aquarium, OdySea is becoming involved in sea turtle conservation by not only providing public education, but also becoming hands-on with research and field work for at-risk sea turtle populations and promoting SAFE initiatives for these species. During the initial few years of operation, OdySea has been able to educate more than 2 million visitors and has made contributions to turtle rescue/hospitals. South Carolina Aquarium: The South Carolina Aquarium began rehabilitating sick and injured sea turtles just after opening in 2000 and treats four species, including loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, green and leatherback. The loggerhead is South Carolina’s state reptile and is considered an indicator species for the health of both land and sea ecosystems. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is the permitting agency managing sea turtle activity in the state. Live sea turtles stranded along the coast are transported to the Aquarium where animal care staff provide lifesaving treatment at the Sea Turtle Care Center™, a hospital, research center and public exhibit facility that makes the real-life rehabilitation of sea turtles visible to every guest. The veterinarian team diagnoses each turtle and works with hospital staff and volunteers to provide medical treatments and quality rehabilitative care. Rehabilitated sea turtles are released to hopefully become reproductive members of the sea turtle population. After seeing a dramatic increase in patients being admitted with plastics in their GI tracts, and witnessing sea level rise consume nesting beaches along the coast, the South Carolina Aquarium began working beyond its walls on conservation initiatives to actively mitigate these major conservation threats.

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation since 2007 and is a response partner with the national Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network. The program admits green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, and loggerhead sea turtles and has admitted more than 1,400 sea turtle patients and released more than 1,300 of those turtles back into the wild. Aquarium sea turtle recovery partners include the National Park Service/Padre Island National Seashore, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Texas General Land Office. The Aquarium financially supports Gulf of Mexico sea turtle research studies and the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Binational Conservation Program.

Virginia Aquarium Virginia Aquarium

Texas State Aquarium: Texas State Aquarium exhibits and interprets sea turtles representing four Gulf of Mexico species. All of the aquarium’s exhibit animals are either non-releasable or actively under in- depth treatment for eventual release. The Aquarium’s Wildilfe Rescue program has been participating in sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation since 2007 and is a response partner with the national Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network. The program admits green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, and loggerhead sea turtles and has admitted more than 1,400 sea turtle patients and released more than 1,300 of those turtles back into the wild. Aquarium sea turtle recovery partners include the National Park Service/Padre Island National Seashore, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Texas General Land Office. The Aquarium financially supports Gulf of Mexico sea turtle research studies and the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Binational Conservation Program. The Aquarium at Moody Gardens: Moody Gardens works closely with the NOAA sea turtle staff and the laboratory facility on Galveston Island. This includes educational display of stranded and rehabilitating turtles; pre-release conditioning of larger sea turtles; sea turtle release logistical support; long term housing for a non-releasable Kemp’s ridley; housing, rehabilitation and release of cold-stunned turtles; research support for NOAA and Texas A&M University at Galveston (including purchase of satellite telemetry tags); and education and outreach. The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk (TMA): TMA is participating in a number of sea turtle projects, including the AZA SAFE program for sea turtles, alerting local boaters that there are multiple species of sea turtles present in the Long Island Sound during the summer months, and working to protect nesting beaches in South America. Long Island Sound is a stopover point for five species of sea turtles, and as such is connected to populations in the Caribbean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, and South Atlantic Ocean. The TMA sea turtle conservation program is focused on expansion of both in situ and ex situ projects. TMA’s Animal Husbandry staff assists in the turtle stranding network to attempt to save sea turtles that are vessel-struck in the area. TMA is also initiating an international

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

collaboration to help endangered sea turtles in Santa Marta, Colombia. They are working with two aquariums and a university to help build capacity for cultivation of native foods, particularly jellyfish, for rescued turtles and hatchlings. The efforts highlight the ecological importance of jellies and sea turtles.

Gladys Porter Zoo Virginia Aquarium

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center: The Virginia Aquarium manages the Virginia sea turtle stranding and salvage network and responds to all strandings throughout the state, 250-300 annually and more than 6,000 since 1987. Stranding response also includes disentanglement operations. Stranded animals are thoroughly examined externally and internally (necropsy) and biomedical investigations include determinations of cause of death, disease surveillance and overall health, while additional studies examine life history (age, diet, sexual maturity) and basic biology. Live animals are medically treated, rehabilitated and returned to the ocean. Aquarium staff also conduct regional sea turtle ecology, population and conservation research, including work directed at mitigation of fisheries bycatch. The Aquarium recently led a collaborative effort to develop a regional sea turtle conservation plan for the Chesapeake Bay and coastal ocean waters off Virginia and Maryland. The Aquarium also supports field conservation programs such as the Bi-National Kemp’s Ridley Recovery Project and the International Sea Turtle Symposium.

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Species Status Conservation Status The priority conservation targets for the initial program plan of the Sea Turtle SAFE Program will be the Kemp’s ridley and the Eastern Pacific Leatherback (EPL) subpopulation, also referred to as a regional management unit (RMU).

Common Name Scientific Name Target Level IUCN Red List Status (global) Cheloniidae Kemp’s ridley Lepidochelys kempii Population Critically Endangered Dermochelyidae Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea Eastern Pacific RMU Critically Endangered

Table 6: Sea Turtle SAFE Program priority target species and their conservation status.

The Kemp’s ridley population is listed as critically endangered throughout its range by the IUCN Red List, and endangered by the ESA. The most recent IUCN assessment was conducted in 2019 (Wibbels and Bevan 2019) and the Kemp’s ridley species has been assessed as critically endangered since its initial review in the early 1980s. Though nesting numbers (both nesting females and nests) have increased dramatically since the 1980s, the population continues to struggle to achieve recovery goals.

Gladys Porter Zoo Bryan Skerry, National Geographic

The Eastern Pacific leatherback subpopulation, or RMU, is described as one of the world’s most threatened sea turtle populations. The EPL is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List assessment from 2013 (Wallace et al. 2013). Based upon long-term datasets from major nesting beaches, the EPL subpopulation has experienced a precipitous 95% decline in the last three decades.

Recovery Plan or other Conservation Plan in Effect The Kemp’s ridley has a recovery plan that was formally revised in 2011 entitled Bi-National Recovery Plan for the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), Second Revision (NMFS, USFWS, SEMARNAT 2011). Following an unexpected decline in nesting numbers in 2010, 2013 and 2014, the Kemp’s Ridley Recovery Team convened a special meeting to “determine causes if possible, review adequacy of current recovery plan actions being implemented, and make recommendations to strengthen the recovery actions where needed.” The results of the meeting were published in 2015 entitled

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Recommendations of the Kemp’s Ridley Bi-National Recovery Team Meeting, Gladys Porter Zoo, Brownsville, TX, November 20-21, 2014 (USFWS 2015). Several members of the recovery team have been part of the SAFE planning process as steering committee members and/or advisors. The objectives and actions included in the Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan are aligned with recommendations of the Kemp’s Ridley Recovery Team.

U.S Pacific populations of the leatherback sea turtle have a recovery plan that was issued in 1998. The most recent update of the plan occurred in 2013 entitled Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation (NMFS and USFWS 2013). In 2012, with support from the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), an expert working group was assembled to develop a 10-year action plan to reverse the decline of the Eastern Pacific leatherback population. The group produced a regional conservation plan for the EPL entitled Regional Action Plan for Reversing the Decline of the East Pacific Leatherback (Red Laúd OPO 2013). In association with the regional action plan, NFWF published a business plan entitled Reversing the Decline of the East Pacific Leatherback (NFWF 2013). These two documents currently provide the guiding framework for EPL conservation efforts, including continuing to address the most significant threat to population recovery – fisheries bycatch. Following development of the action plan, an effort was initiated to coordinate and integrate the many people and projects working on leatherbacks in the region. The resulting network was formalized in 2015 and is called Red Laúd OPO or the Eastern Pacific Leatherback Conservation Network. One of the organizational leaders of the network is participating as an advisor to the SAFE planning process. The objectives and actions included in the Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan are aligned with recommendations of the EPL Regional Action Plan.

Red Laúd OPO Gladys Porter Zoo

As the SAFE field conservation initiatives are intended to integrate into and support existing conservation action plans, the existing Kemp’s Ridley Recovery Plan and Eastern Pacific leatherback Regional Action Plan will serve as guiding programs to help assess the impacts of increased efforts and support generated by SAFE. The conservation objectives identified in this Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan are the first steps in what will be a long-term commitment to ensuring the survival of sea turtle populations. The program plan provides a framework and identifies opportunities for current and future program partners. The Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis. It will remain the prerogative of each individual program partner to determine where to commit funds and resources as they develop their institutional plans to support the sea turtle conservation program. The Sea Turtle SAFE Program welcomes all interested AZA aquariums and zoos to become program partners.

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Threats Sea turtles face a variety of threats to survival and many of the threats are anthropogenic in origin. Because sea turtles inhabit a wide range of ocean habitats (near-shore to pelagic), and mature females, eggs and hatchlings interact with terrestrial habitats, the list of threats is also quite varied. At sea, threats include predation, exposure to pollution (such as oil or other toxic chemicals, plastic debris), vessel strikes, and interactions with bottom dredging activities (channel maintenance, sand mining). Probably the single greatest threat is bycatch, primarily in commercial fisheries (industrial and artisanal) but with a significant component from recreational fishing, as well. In terrestrial habitats, threats include poaching of turtles and eggs, predation, and coastal development (such as beach alterations, light pollution). In addition, climate change (global warming, ocean acidification and sea level rise) will continue to have significant and pervasive impacts on future sea turtle populations.

The Kemp’s Ridley Recovery Team has identified the greatest threats to species recovery in the marine environment. While acknowledging that existing nesting beach protection programs must be maintained, addressing fisheries bycatch in both Mexico and the U.S. are identified as priorities (USFWS 2015). Objectives in the Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan will directly address Kemp’s ridley bycatch in recreational and commercial fisheries as a significant issue.

Virginia Aquarium Sean Whelan, WHOI

The regional action plan for the Eastern Pacific leatherback attributes the declining trend primarily to fisheries bycatch (longline and gillnet fishing) throughout its range. Additionally, nesting beach protection must be maintained and enhanced to mitigate the impacts of poaching, predation, and coastal development on the remaining mature females, eggs and hatchlings (Red Laúd OPO 2013). Objectives in the Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan will directly address protection of EPL nesting beaches and mitigation of commercial fisheries bycatch as significant issues.

Virginia Aquarium 18

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Work Plan

Strategic Objectives The Sea Turtle SAFE Program objectives are outlined below and in the Program Summary Table. The overall goal of the program is to make significant and measurable contributions to the conservation of sea turtles. The program will work with field-based partners to implement existing recovery plans through collaborative and strategic conservation and public engagement activities as outlined below. The priority conservation targets of this initial three-year action plan will be the Eastern Pacific leatherback and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. The program’s initial goals are: measurable increases in protection of EPL nesting beaches; support for monitoring and research associated with stranding and rehabilitation networks for Kemp’s ridley; increased support for grant programs targeting EPL and Kemp’s ridley conservation; development of new tools to enhance public communication and awareness of sea turtle conservation needs within AZA and the general public; and stakeholder engagement to facilitate sea turtle conservation in range countries of target species.

Conservation Objectives 1 Support sea turtle stranding response and rehabilitation networks in U.S., with emphasis on Kemp's ridley The U.S. national stranding response and rehabilitation networks are the first responders for monitoring sea turtle health and documenting threats to species. The Kemp’s ridley Recovery Team’s recovery plan (USFWS 2015) recommendations include that maintaining these networks and the important functions that they provide is essential for the species’ recovery. This SAFE conservation objective addresses the recovery plan recommendation by: (1) assessment, organization, and support of AZA members participation in sea turtle stranding response and rehabilitation networks, and (2) working with federal and state partners to develop situational emergency response plans for mass stranding and/or unusual mortality events impacting sea turtles. 2 Implement monitoring program(s) for sea turtle interactions with U.S. recreational fisheries, with emphasis on Kemp's ridley U.S. national stranding response and rehabilitation networks are increasingly responding to sea turtles interacting with hook-and-line recreational fisheries. For example, programs exist in some areas to specifically address the issue of hooked turtles on fishing piers. While the overall extent of sea turtle interactions with recreational fisheries is unknown, the Kemp’s ridley Recovery Team (USFWS 2015) recommended that monitoring programs should be implemented to better understand the nature and extent of the problem, with a goal to ultimately reduce mortalities from hook-and-line fisheries. This SAFE conservation objective addresses the recovery plan recommendations by: (1) analyzing the current state of monitoring and response to sea turtle interactions with recreational fisheries, (2) working with federal and state partners to develop data collection and response protocols and best practices, and (3) coordinating training(s) for AZA members and others in the response networks. 3 Support sea turtle bycatch monitoring and mitigation programs for commercial fisheries in U.S. and range countries of Kemp's ridley and Eastern Pacific leatherback Bycatch in commercial fisheries is recognized by the Kemp’s ridley Recovery Plan (NMFS, USFWS, SEMARNAT 2011) and the Eastern Pacific leatherback Regional Action Plan (Red Laúd OPO 2013) as a primary threat to recovery for both species. Addressing this issue can be complicated and challenging, and ranges from identifying the problem – what fisheries are involved, spatial and temporal ranges – to developing mitigation strategies. This SAFE

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

conservation objective addresses the recovery plan recommendations by: (1) analyzing bycatch issues for Kemp’s ridley and other sea turtles in U.S. waters, (2) supporting bycatch assessment and mitigation in range countries through facilitation of grant opportunities and other project support, and (3) supporting acquisition of materials, supplies and technology for bycatch mitigation. 4 Ongoing monitoring of the Kemp's ridley population The Kemp’s ridley Recovery Team’s recovery plan (USFWS 2015) recommendations identify significant remaining gaps in scientific understanding of the population, including information on vital rates (clutch frequency, remigration intervals, growth and mortality rates, etc.), identification of foraging, breeding and inter-nesting habitats, and determination of migratory pathways. This SAFE conservation objective addresses the recovery plan recommendations by: (1) working with scientific advisors to identify Kemp’s ridley research needs that could be supported by the SAFE Program, (2) analyzing Kemp’s ridley stranding and telemetry data from the U.S. and Mexico, and (3) supporting Kemp’s ridley research projects involving the stranding response and rehabilitation networks. 5 Support monitoring and protection of Eastern Pacific leatherback nesting beaches The Eastern Pacific Leatherback Regional Action Plan (Red Laúd OPO 2013) was developed to reverse the catastrophic decline of the population, as most dramatically evidenced by a more than 95% reduction in nesting on index beaches. One of the action plan’s primary strategies is to implement monitoring and protection projects on the major nesting beaches in Mexico and Central America. This SAFE conservation objective addresses the regional action plan recommendations by: (1) working with scientific advisors and field partners to identify and prioritize EPL nesting beaches needing support, (2) developing an Adopt-A-Beach program to facilitate support (funding and in-kind resources) for monitoring and protection of EPL nesting beaches, and (3) supporting acquisition of materials, supplies and technology for EPL nesting beach projects.

Gladys Porter Zoo Gladys Porter Zoo

Public & Stakeholder Engagement Objectives 6 Connect sea turtle conservation with larger issue of environmental sustainability to effect behavior change Both the Kemp’s ridley and Eastern Pacific leatherback sea turtle populations are significantly impacted by commercial fisheries and marine debris, primarily plastics. Many AZA member institutions participate in sustainable seafood programs through their in-house restaurant and catering services and their community outreach programs about sustainable practices. In

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

addition, many AZA members have instituted programs to reduce single-use plastics in their retail and back-of-house operations. As a result, AZA member constituencies are often motivated by links to sustainability. Linking discussions of sea turtle recovery with sustainability may be a strategy to motivate people to support sea turtle conservation (regulations, policy, behavior change). This SAFE public and stakeholder engagement objective addresses this issue by: (1) developing ways to link sustainable seafood with sea turtle conservation, (2) developing ways to link single-use plastics with impacts to sea turtles, and (3) measuring the behavior change achieved from these efforts. 7 Advocate for legislation and policy that supports sea turtle conservation Recovery plans advocate for strong sea turtle protection policies and regulations. This SAFE public and stakeholder engagement objective addresses this issue by: (1) public engagement through effective communications to effect policy in support of sea turtle conservation. 8 Engage with range country communities to support sea turtle conservation Recovery plans advocate for support of local communities and regional resources to help build cultures that value sea turtle protection and conservation. This SAFE public and stakeholder engagement objective addresses this issue by: (1) developing support for community education projects associated with field projects, (2) collaborating with regional aquariums and zoological parks to support Kemp’s ridley and EPL conservation, and (3) identifying opportunities and facilitating support for local economies, such as markets for local products and eco-tourism. 9 Support cross-cultural and cross-training engagement opportunities with field partners and AZA members AZA member institutions and partners are engaged with sea turtle research and conservation activities on a large scale and have developed a wide range of skills and expertise. Field partners working with Kemp’s ridley and EPL sea turtles have local and regional knowledge of the species and understand the conservation needs with respect to local communities and economies. This SAFE public and stakeholder engagement objective addresses this issue by working with AZA program partners and field partners to identify: (1) engagement opportunities associated with nesting beaches, and (2) personnel exchange and cross-training opportunities associated with stranding response, rehab and bycatch mitigation.

Gladys Porter Zoo Gladys Porter Zoo

Communications & Public Awareness Objectives 10 Increase the number of AZA institutions and collaborators that participate in the Sea Turtle SAFE Program Many AZA member institutions have sea turtles in their animal collections and/or participate in sea turtle stranding response and rehabilitation programs. These and other members promote

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

public awareness and provide support for sea turtle field conservation programs. In addition, many other NGOs are actively engaged in sea turtle conservation. This SAFE communications and public awareness objective will include outreach to AZA members and other potential collaborators with a goal of increasing the number of program partners and others supporting sea turtle conservation. 11 Raise awareness of sea turtles, their threats and conservation challenges among AZA members and their audiences Many AZA members have programs, exhibits and other ways to engage their internal and external customers about sea turtles and conservation. These engagement strategies and associated materials are not always consistent or readily available to all institutions. This SAFE communications and public awareness objective will raise awareness of sea turtles and their conservation needs, especially Kemp’s ridley and EPL, by: (1) developing consistent messages and materials for the AZA community, (2) creating a media toolkit for sharing, and (3) facilitating a sea turtle conservation speaker series with a focus on the priority target species. 12 Utilize World Sea Turtle Day, June 16 each year, as a focal point for conservation messaging and outreach World Sea Turtle Day (June 16) has been established as an annual date to celebrate sea turtles. This SAFE communications and public awareness objective will take advantage of this annual day by developing public communications messaging and materials to promote awareness and support for sea turtle conservation, with emphasis on telling the stories of our priority conservation targets, the Kemp’s ridley and EPL.

Funding Objectives 13 Increase funding from AZA member institutions and other sources for sea turtle conservation efforts outlined in this program plan This SAFE funding objective will generate and facilitate increased financial support for conservation of Kemp’s ridley and EPL sea turtles through strategies that include: (1) establishment of a 501c3 account for managing contributions, (2) establishing a committee to develop and oversee fundraising activities, (3) developing a program to support monitoring and protection of EPL nesting beaches, and (4) establishing a small grants program to support conservation projects for these priority target species.

Virginia Aquarium Audubon Nature Institute

Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan, August 2019

Literature Cited

Association of Zoos and Aquariums. 2019. SAFE Species Program Handbook. Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Silver Spring, Maryland.

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. 2013. Reversing the Decline of the East Pacific Leatherback: A 10 year business plan to stabilize the East Pacific Leatherback Regional Management Unit and reverse the current population trend to a recovery trajectory. NFWF, Washington DC, 10 pp.

National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, and SEMARNAT. 2011. Bi-National Recovery Plan for the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), Second Revision. Silver Spring, Maryland, 156 pp. plus appendices.

National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013. Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, Maryland, 93 pp.

Red Laúd OPO. 2013. A Plan of Action for Reversing the Decline of the Eastern Pacific Leatherback. 12 pp. Accessed at savepacificleatherbacks.org.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2015. Recommendations of the Kemp’s Ridley Bi-National Recovery Team Meeting. Gladys Porter Zoo, Brownsville, Texas, November 20-21, 2014.

Wallace et al. 2010. Regional Management Units for Marine Turtles: A Novel Framework for Prioritizing Conservation and Research across Multiple Scales. PLoS ONE 5(12): e15465. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0015465

Wallace, B.P., Tiwari, M. and Girondot, M. 2013. Dermochelys coriacea (East Pacific Ocean subpopulation). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T46967807A46967809. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS. T46967807A46967809.en.

Wibbels, T. and Bevan, E. 2019. Lepidochelys kempii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T11533A142050590. Downloaded on 22 July 2019.