Sea turtles have been around for millions of years so they know how to adapt to changing environments like moving land and shifting shorelines. The system of survival they’ve developed has been working for them, but sea level rise, beachfront real estate, and man-made walls are encroaching on their habitat, making it harder for them to nest and for their hatchlings to survive.
In Florida, the nonprofit Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) is particularly concerned about three species of sea turtles that regularly nest in Florida: loggerheads, green turtles, and leatherbacks, all of which are listed as endangered or threatened in the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Although the turtles are now increasing in number as a result of conservation efforts, the conservancy is concerned that their recovery may be short lived.
