Decades of conservation efforts have led authorities to downgrade the turtles to threatened, though many challenges still remain
The last century have been brutal for sea turtles of all species. Beach developments destroyed nesting sites for the giant marine reptiles, pollution and warming waters made them ill, fishing nets snared them, and industrial-scale harvesting to feed people crashed their populations. But there is finally some good news when it comes to sea turtles.
Yesterday, NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced they’ve downgraded populations of the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, in Florida and Mexico from endangered to threatened.