October 13, 2025 — Leatherback sea turtles visiting the waters off Cape Cod each year face a higher risk of fatal boat strikes than in any region along the Atlantic or Gulf coasts, according to a new study that includes contributions from three Cape researchers.
Between 2010 and 2022, watercraft struck 88 leatherbacks in waters off the Cape and Nantucket — more than a quarter of the 337 recorded collisions nationwide during the same period.
The largest marine turtle species in the world, leatherbacks are listed as endangered by the state and federal government. Under the Massachusetts Wildlife Action Plan the turtles are a species of greatest conservation needs.