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Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan 2019

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Kemp’s ridley, Gladys Porter Zoo Leatherback, Scott A. Eckert, WIDECAST Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan 2019 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 1 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 2 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. 3 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). 4 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
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