July 11, 2014 — The NOAA and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as of Thursday officially granted the threatened loggerhead sea turtle a vast expanse of critical habitat along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts – possibly the biggest protective move in US history.
Officials announced Thursday two final rules designating this critical habitat, which consists of 685 miles of beaches as well as 300,000 miles of ocean. The turtles use these beaches – stretching from North Carolina to Mississippi – for nesting and breeding, and the ocean includes areas used by the species for reproduction, as well as migratory corridors off North Carolina and Florida.
The change comes after environmentalists sued the government in 2013, forcing them to protect the area. Their efforts proved victorious for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), but the move has more far reaching effects as well.
"The fate of more than just the loggerhead sea turtle rests on the health of Atlantic coastal environments," USFWS Director Dan Ashe said in a statement. "Coastal communities from North Carolina to Mississippi are also intrinsically tied to these shorelines and waters. By conserving the turtle and protecting its habitat, we are helping preserve not only this emblematic species, but also the way of life for millions of Americans."
Read the full story at Nature World News