US sets aside 100s of miles of beach for turtles

(CNS): The United States federal government has extended protection to loggerhead sea turtles nesting on Florida beaches, according to the US media. Hundreds of miles of coastline and ocean was designated critical habitat this week including beaches in Broward and Monroe counties. The areas, which cover 685 miles of nesting beach and more than 300,000 square miles of ocean, mark the largest critical habitat distinction in history, said Amanda Keledjian, a marine scientist at Oceana, an ocean conservation organization. Species with protected critical habitat are twice as likely to recover than species without protection, Keledijian said.

The sea turtles will use their newly designated coastline and ocean space for nesting and feeding.

In areas designated as critical habitat by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, federal projects must be evaluated for potential harm to endangered species. Projects may include building highways, oil exploration or shipping, Keledjian said.
While the distinction is meaningful at the federal level, beachgoers are unlikely to notice any change.

Read more in the Miami Herald