As sea turtle nesting beaches become more urbanized, light pollution tops the list of deadly threats affecting these endangered species.
Leatherback Turtles Nesting Habitat Restoration in Puerto Rico
Jessica Castro-Prieto and her team recently completed the nesting reporting for the 2021 nesting season which extends from April to July. 1,545 leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nests were reported, with the municipalities of Dorado, Añasco, Maunabo, Luquillo, and Arecibo accounting for 70 percent of the total nesting activity in the island.
National Wildlife Refuge Association Updates From Across The Country
Leatherback Sea Turtle Habitat Restoration In Puerto Rico
The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA), the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER), and various community-based groups are working together to reduce major threats affecting leatherback nesting beaches around Puerto Rico with funding provided by the National Fish and Widlife Foundation (NFWF).
Working For Leatherback Sea Turtles During The COVID-19 Crisis
Puerto Rico has taken some of the most forceful steps of any U.S. jurisdiction to try to stop the spread of COVID-19. These mandates put a hold on our new project to restore nesting beaches for leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in Puerto Rico. In spite of the constraints, I am working on the project where possible. I have even enlisted my family in helping to collect and plant seeds that will eventually grow to plants that we will re-plant on nesting beaches to reduce erosion and as natural fences to avoid road kills.
National Wildlife Refuge Association's Work In Puerto Rico
Our work in Puerto Rico is diverse, all in support of wildlife conservation. Your support to the National Wildlife Refuge Association allows us to hire professional staff that can provide technical and administrative support to the National Wildlife Refuge System and adjoining lands to help protect and conserve critical habitats and endangered species.