TURTLE ISLAND is increasinglyworking on climate changerelated issues. Our new report,

‘Deadly Waters: The Threat of ClimateChange and Rising Sea Levels to SeaTurtle Nesting Beaches,’ is no excep-tion. The report is available online forfree to researchers, students, and thepublic. It looks at the impacts of climatechange, chiefly sea level rise, on majorsea turtle nesting beaches for all sevenspecies of sea turtles.

As sea levels rise due to climate change,our report finds that many importantsea turtle nesting beaches could bewashed away. As some species of turtlesrely heavily on singular nesting beaches,the impact of a loss of even one nestingbeach would be devastating.

Right now, six of the sevenspecies of sea turtles are listed asendangered, threatened or vul-nerable by the U.S. EndangeredSpecies Act (ESA), nationalagencies, or international conserva-tion bodies. The loss of key nestinghabitat could be detrimental to allspecies of sea turtles if not urgentlyaddressed.

Our report identifies major nestingbeaches around the world that are atrisk from climate change such asFrench Frigate Shoals in Hawaii where

green sea turtles nest, andPadre Island National Seashore

in Texas where Kemp’s ridley seaturtles nest.

French Frigate Shoals, part of an atolllocated in the Northwestern HawaiianIslands, are currently less than 6 feetabove sea level. Rising sea levels reducethe beach area on these islands, andcould eventually submerge them.

Right now 90 percent of the Hawaiiangreen sea turtles (locally known ashonu) nest on the beaches of FrenchFrigate Shoals. Fifty percent of thosegreen turtles nest at East Island. Thepotential for the loss of this importantnesting sites due to climate change isreal.

continued on page 2

Climate Change & Sea Turtles

WINTER 2016-17

Viva la Tortuga!Viva la Tortuga!NEWSLETTER OF TURTLE I S LAND RESTORAT ION NETWORK SEATURTLES .ORG

2 SeaTurtles.org

Letter from the Director

Our report offers recommendations forscientists and policy makers about howto ensure that sea turtles thrive andremain a part of our marinescape. Theability of sea turtles to be resilient toclimate change depends on sea turtlepopulations being robust and theirhabitat being protected. Please downloadyour free copy of our report online at:SeaTurtles.org/DeadlyWaters.

continued from page 1

I RECENTLY RETURNED FROM

South Africa where I attendedan international treaty con-

ference known as the Conventionon the International Trade inEndangered Species (CITES).CITES controls international tradein endangered species products topromote greater protections forhighly migratory endangeredmarine species, including twospecies of sharks and several speciesof rays. Joining me at the meetingwas Turtle Island's InternationalPolicy Director Randall Arauzand Activist Regi Domingo, bothbased in Costa Rica.

I am delighted to report thattogether we were successful ingetting all of these species placedon the Appendix that will controlpreviously unregulated trade.

The meeting was held inJohannesburg, and was attended bygovernment representatives frommore than 180 nations and scoresof environmental organizationsfrom around the world. CITES isan international agreement betweengovernments whose aim is to ensurethat international trade in speci-mens of wild animals and plantsdoes not threaten their survival.

Historically, CITES has focusedattention on terrestrial megafauna—such as lions, rhinoceros, andelephants, and although 5,600 ani-mals and 30,000 plants are pro-tected by the treaty, only 103 fishspecies have made the list prior tothis meeting.

The need to add focus on marinefish species, in light of the crisisfacing our oceans from overfishing,ocean acidification, and pollution iscritical to the survival of our planet.

Specifically, Turtle Island workedto add silky sharks, thresher sharks,and several species of mobula rays(known as ‘devil rays’) on toAppendix II, which lists species thatare not necessarily now threatenedwith extinction but that maybecome so unless trade is closelycontrolled. International trade inspecimens of Appendix II speciesmay be authorized if certain con-ditions are met, and will not bedetrimental to the survival of thespecies in the wild.

It was an honor to represent thehundreds of thousands of TurtleIsland supporters, and to work toprotect species like silky andthresher sharks, and mobula raysthat need international protectionsto survive the threats they face fromoverfishing and climate change.These magnificent animals migratebeyond national boundaries andinto international waters, and theirsurvival relies on cooperation of allthe governments of the world.

Turtle Island Restoration Network,recognized as an internationalorganization by the United Nations,participates at various internationaland regional treaty organizationsincluding the Law of the Sea,Inter-American Tropical TunaCommission, IUCN World Con-servation Congress, in addition toCITES and others. We will continueto attend these important meetingsand fight for greater protectionsfor marine wildlife.

Sincerely,

A WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT

OF SCIENCE-BASED ACTIVISTS

TODD STEINER, Executive DirectorTurtle Island Restoration Network

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IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, Kemp’sridley sea turtles come ashore tonest from April to July. In 2014,

Turtle Island began coordinating andtraining volunteers to help identify andprotect nesting turtles as part of theUpper Texas Coast Nesting BeachMonitor Program.

Turtle Island's trained sea turtle patrol

teams walk along the Upper Texas Coastlooking for sea turtles, crawl tracks, anddisturbances in the dunes that wouldindicate a sea turtle left the water tolook for a suitable place to lay eggs.

Our dedicated volunteers patrols about70 miles of beach each day of the nest-ing season no matter the weather. Thisseason our incredible volunteers walked

a combined total of 4,957 miles (almostthe distance from Galveston to Paris,France), spent 979 hours out lookingfor turtles and did 613 patrols on theUpper Texas Coast.

The first nest this year was found onNorth Padre Island on April 13th byanother team of volunteers. Our team’sfirst turtle sighting occurred on May27th. This year, the total count ofKemp’s ridley sea turtle nests on theentire Texas Coast was 185.This is upslightly from last year and is a trend wehope continues as Kemp’s ridley seaturtles are one of the most endangeredsea turtles in the world. Their survival iscontinually threatened by industrialfishing, oil spills, and climate change.Turtle Island is actively working torestore and protect these turtles in theGulf of Mexico. Thank you to each ofour turtle patrol volunteers for theirtime and effort, and to our membersfor supporting this critical effort.

SeaTurtles.org

RON WOOTEN

Summer Beach Monitoring in Texas

OUR GULF OF MEXICO staff iscollaborating with the NationalMarine Sanctuary Foundation,

and the Flower Garden Banks NationalMarine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) staff ona Sea Turtle in the Sanctuary initiative.

This program will instruct studentsthrough in-class presentations on theFGBNMS, sea turtles, and solutions forreduction of marine debris in our ocean.

The initiative will also launch the firsttwo Ocean Guardian Schools in theGulf of Mexico!

An Ocean Guardian School makes acommitment to the protection andconservation of its local watersheds, theworld's ocean, and special ocean areas,like national marine sanctuaries. Theschool makes this commitment by pro-posing and then implementing aschool- or community-based conserva-tion project according to NOAA.

Two Galveston Independent SchoolDistrict schools have committed forthe 2016-2017 school year. Elementarystudents will recycle plastic bottles andfishing line, while middle school stu-dents will create a community gardenand rainwater collection system. TurtleIsland is also working with two Ocean

Guardian Schools in California. Onewho will focus on restoring steelheadhabitat, and the other will retrofit theirnew campus to be more ocean friendlythrough actions like installing rainwatercatchment. Follow us at Facebook.com/SeaTurtles.org to get updates on theseinitiatives.

Ocean GuardianSchools

An underwater view of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

NOAA/FGBNMS

LAS GEMELAS, Cocos Island, andthe Galapagos Islands are all partof the same underwater moun-

tain range in the Eastern TropicalPacific. Turtle Island is studying howthese areas are connected, and howsharks use these seamounts.

In May 2015, Turtle Island placed twoacoustic receivers at Las GemelasSeamount (located approximately 400miles off the coast of Costa Rica, and40 miles from Cocos Island NationalPark). These receivers ‘ping’ whenever atagged shark swims by, and providescientists with information on itsmovements.

In August 2016, Turtle Island recoveredthe receivers at Las Gemelas, and wasdelighted to find that a hammerheadshark tagged in Cocos Island had vis-ited it, and then returned to CocosIsland. This indicated that Cocoshammerheads are also using the LasGemelas Seamount, and that there isconnectivity between the areas.

The receiver also indicated that athresher shark, which had been taggednear the seamount, made two morebrief visits to the same seamount inJanuary and in May 2016. This datashould be helpful in developing theregulations for Costa Rica’s relatively

new Las Gemalas SeamountManagement Area.

New Data Proves Connectivity Between Las GemelasSeamount and Cocos Island

TURTLE ISLAND is working tocreate a marine protected swim-way for migrating sharks and sea

turtles in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.One of the ways we are working to dothis is by studying and tracking themovements of turtles and sharks. Ourresearch will be used to help govern-ments, organizations, and marine pro-tected areas managers understand theimportance of protecting a corridor ofthe ocean, and understand the connec-

tion between island chains in thisregion.

Turtle Island believes that silky sharks,a highly-migratory species, should beglobally protected and no longer targeted for its fins.

More than 15,000 of you signed on toour petition calling for global protec-tions for silky sharks. The petitionspecifically called on the Presidents of

Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, andGuatemala to support listing silky sharkson Appendix II of the Convention onthe International Trade in EndangeredSpecies (CITES). Listing a species pro-vides it with special protections globally.In the case of the silky shark, fishingnations would need to provide scientificevidence on the sustainability of theirextraction for export. If that informationis not provided, then the internationaltrade of the species is barred.

Turtle Island worked with partnerorganizations in Central America tohand deliver the petitions to eachnation’s president.

This year the CITES wildlife conserva-tion meeting was held in Johannesburg,South Africa. Our Executive DirectorTodd Steiner and International PolicyDirector Randall Arauz attended themeeting and spoke with world leaders,advocating for nations to support silkyshark protection. Thanks to our advo-cacy, and that of our partners, silkysharks, thresher sharks, and rays were alllisted on Appendix II of CITES, andwill gain much needed protectionsglobally!

RODRIGO FRISCIONE, NAKAWE PROJECT

NESTOR E. RAGO ROMERO

Silky Sharks Gain Global Protections

SeaTurtles.org4

5

ONE OF TURTLE ISLAND’S core values centers around giving people theopportunity to take action for the sea turtles, sharks, dolphins, and the oceans.In addition to volunteering and sending emails to decision makers, our sup-

porters also take action by making tax-deductible contributions to support our work.

We see making a gift to Turtle Island as more than a financial transaction. We see it asa deeper commitment to protecting animals, defending the oceans, and fightingagainst extinction.

We asked some of our most faithful supporters about why they choose Turtle Islandand here is what some of them have said:

Get to Know the Silky Shark� Silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis) are named for theirexceptionally smooth skin

� Female silky sharks are slightlylarger than males

� The silky shark is classified as“Near Threatened” on theIUCN Red List

� They are active predators andlove to eat mackerel, tuna, mullet, and squid

� A typical silky shark litter size isbetween 2 and 14 young, andthey are believed to have alifespan of about 23 years

� They can be found in theAtlantic, Pacific, and IndianOceans

� They prefer warm waters

� They can be lone hunters, orschool with fellow sharksaround the same size

� The silky shark is on the topthree list of most importantsharks in the global fin trade

� There are currently no inter-national limits placed oncatches of the silky shark, butTurtle Island is working to getlimits in place to protect thesepelagic sharks

RODRIGO FRISCIONE, NAKAWE PROJECT

PHOTO CREDITNEEDED

“I choose Turtle Island RestorationNetwork because I feel like I am a

small part of a team that makes a bigdifference, and it brings me joy toshare in Turtle Island's victories along the way.” —DORIAN B.

:

“I donate because I want to be a part of the preservation of somethingvery important like the ocean, andwhat lives in it. The animals need

to have protection just as we do.” —THERESA H.

“I support Turtle Island monthly for all the good work they do in bringingawareness to the forefront of people’sminds to help turtles everywhere

to thrive.” —KANARA W.

:

“I want to be a part of the big picturethat is long-term conservation, so that

is why I give.” —BRYONY A.

“A sustained donation supports yourefforts to create meaningful change forsea turtles and the ocean. And that'simportant to me!” —PATRICIA W.

To learn about giving opportunities and ways to bring your values to life, please visit

SeaTurtles.org/support-us

More Than Just a Gift

SeaTurtles.org

6 SeaTurtles.org

Shop at Sea Turtles.org/Shop

Adopt a Nest of Sea Turtle HatchlingsAdopt-a-Nest Package Includes:. Personalized adoption certificate . Sea turtle window decal . Sea turtle fact sheets . Viva La Tortuga! newsletter. Optional Antique Brass Pendant or Felted Wool Hatchling

Regular Nest—$45

Special Nest with Antique Brass Pendant—$60

Special Nest with Felted Wool Hatchling—$75

When you order online, you can down-load a gift certificate immediately to giveto your loved one so they know theirAdopt-a-Nest package is on the way.Order online at SeaTurtles.org/Adopt.

The Turtle Island store offers a selection of high quality, eco-friendly clothing, jewelry, booksand fine art. Your purchases helpfund Turtle Island’s campaigns to save endangered sea turtles,salmon, sharks, and other marinewildlife species worldwide.

Help Save MarineWildlife with a 2016 Charitable IRA Rollover

TURTLE ISLAND donors aged 70½and older can support our workwith a Charitable Individual

Retirement Account (IRA) Rolloverin 2016 and enjoy tax benefits whileputting their contribution to work tosave sea turtles, sharks, dolphins andother marine wildlife! The charitableIRA rollover (also called a qualifiedcharitable distribution) is excludedfrom your taxable income when youmake the rollover directly to a charita-ble organization. The transfer stillcounts towards your required mini-mum IRA distribution. By choosing toprovide a Charitable IRA Rollover toTurtle Island Restoration Network ofany amount (up to $100,000), you willprovide crucial resources without incur-ring income tax from the distribution,allowing us to use 100% of your distri-bution to protect and restore oceanwildlife species. Please check with yourtax advisor for details and rules thatmay affect your specific situation.

Wild Ocean SocietyMembers–MarineWildlife ProtectionLeaders

TAKE YOUR TURTLE ISLAND

membership to the next level.Join our Wild Ocean Society by

making a leadership gift of $1,000 ormore to lead the fight to protect seaturtles, sharks, dolphins and othermarine wildlife species. Donors at eachlevel enjoy recognition and exclusivebenefits including up-to-the-momentinformation on Turtle Island’s cam-paigns and current conservation issues,presentations, special gifts and muchmore. These tax-deductible contribu-tions provide crucial support todevelop effective hands-on conserva-tion programs and hard-hitting policychange campaigns to ensure the sur-vival of marine animals. Learn more atSeaTurtles.org/MajorDonorCircle.

Leave a Legacy for Ocean Wildlife

WHEN YOU MAKE plans to leavea generous contribution toTurtle Island Restoration

Network through a bequest in your will,or other estate gift, you are creating alegacy of hope for marine wildlife! Yourgift will help ensure that sea turtles,dolphins, sharks and other irreplaceablespecies receive the protection and carethat they need, far into the future.

It’s simple to plan a bequest to TurtleIsland Restoration Network. VisitSeaTurtles.org/BequestGift forinstructions and language you can useto include the organization in yourwill, add a simple codicil to your exist-ing will, or plan other ways to givethrough your estate.

Always check with your professionaladvisor regarding financial plans. Anadvisor may be able to help identify taxbenefits through additional charitablegiving vehicles that also benefit oceanwildlife and habitats. Your informationis always confidential. Thank you!

Turtle MagnetSet $18

Glass TurtlePendant $45

Silver CharmBracelet $30

Please contact DevelopmentDirector Erica Heimberg at erica@tirn.net or

1-800-859-7283 to learn moreabout how you can supportTurtle Island. Thank you!

7

THE FOLLOWING DONORS have made a gift to TurtleIsland every year for at least 20 years:

Mr. David Hayes; Ethan Revsin; Ms. Rosalind D. Zachow;Wayne Persons; Daniel Silver MD; Norfleet and YvonneBlaine; Brenda Jean Bailey DL; Ms. Sherron Kritzer; Roy O.Brady Jr. and; Laura L. Hawkins; Curt and Diane Fuhrmann;Guy Hagstette; Marnie Walker Gaede; Margaret and J. AlfredBroaddus; Peter and Margaret Reed; Ms. Latimer Kells; Bruceand Maricela Rasmussen; and Annette Varady

We thank you all, and all our caring members, for the trustyou put in us to protect animals and fight against extinction.We could not do it without you.

If we accidentally did not include your name in this list,please contact us at info@SeaTurtles.org so we can personallythank you.

DR. ALEX HEARN is Turtle Island’sEcuador Representative. Previouslyhe worked as Turtle Island’s Director

of Conservation Science in early 2013.Before that he worked at the Charles DarwinFoundation in the Galapagos Islands and wasProject Scientist in the Dept. of Wildlife Fishand Conservation Biology at UC Davis(2008-13). He is one of the founders of the

Migramar Network, and has played an active role in publish-ing the science generated to date and in applying the scienceto policy. Alex has a B.S. in Oceanography and MarineBiology, an M.S. in Marine Resource Development andProtection, and a PhD in Marine Biology.

BRENDAN CUMMINGS isSenior Counsel, StrategicLitigation Group Director

and founder of the Ocean Programat the Center for BiologicalDiversity, where he has workedsince 1988. A graduate of Berkeley’sBoalt Hall School of Law, Brendan

has litigated dozens of Endangered Species Act cases, as wellas cases under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, CleanWater Act and numerous other state and federal statutes.

Special Recognition to our Ocean Heroes

Board Member Profiles

Join Turtle Island’sMonthly Giving Program

JOIN US in defending sea turtles, whales, dolphins andsharks by making a monthly gift today. When you makea monthly gift to Turtle Island, you are helping to:

� Reduce plastic pollution at key nesting beaches,

� Save more than 60,000 baby sea turtle hatchlings every year,

� Win better protections for turtles, dolphins, and whales, and

� Teach more than 10,000 school children simple thingsthey can do to save our oceans.

And much more. Donate just $5 a month or more and wewill thank you with a Turtle Island baseball cap made from100% organic cotton. If you need help setting up your dona-tion, or to change it, email us at info@SeaTurtles.Org or call1-800-859-7283 (US). Use the enclosed envelope to join, orgo online to SeaTurtles.org/Monthly. Thank you!

SeaTurtles.org

Meet the Interns

ADRIENNE BOUVERON, Habitat Restoration &Development Intern—B.A. Environmental Sociology,minor in Environmental Affairs, Colorado State University ‘13

EMILY PERSICO, Habitat Restoration & DevelopmentIntern—B.S. Environmental Science, University of Florida ‘16

ELIZABETH BYRNE, Habitat Restoration & NurseryIntern—B.A. Public Service, University of Calif. Davis ‘15

ASHLEY MURRAY, Salmonid Monitoring Intern—B.S. Environmental Science in progress, State University ofNew York-Plattsburgh

L to R: Adrienne Bouveron,Emily Persico,Elizabeth Byrne,Ashley Murray

Learn more about our internship program and pleaseshare with folks looking for opportunities to help us savethe oceans at SeaTurtles.org/Intern.

TURTLE ISLAND RESTORATION NETWORK is proudto help train the next generation of environmentaliststhrough our internship program. Get to know our

interns:

Turtle Island is pleased to introduce two new members to our boardof directors—Alex Hearn and Brendan Cummings. Get to knowour newest board members below.

Turtle Island Restoration NetworkP.O. Box 370Forest Knolls, CA 94933

in this issue:Victory! Greater Protections Won for

Silky Sharks, Thresher Sharks & Devil Rays

The Impact of Climate Change on Sea Turtles

Volunteers Work to Save Kemp’s Ridely Sea Turtles

Ocean Heroes

Viva la Tortuga!Winter 2016-17Newsletter of Turtle Island Restoration Network

DESIGN: DANIELA SKLAN | HUMMINGBIRD DESIGN STUDIO

THE SEA TURTLE RESTORATION PROJECT was founded more than 25years ago, and is a conservation initiative of Turtle Island, a leadingadvocate for the world’s oceans and marine wildlife.

Our work is based on science, fueled by people who care, and effective at cat-alyzing long-lasting positive change that protects the likes of green sea turtlesand steelhead trout.

Our mission is to mobilize people in local communities around the world toprotect marine wildlife and the oceans and inland watersheds that sustain them.

We accomplish our mission through grassroots empowerment, consumeraction, strategic litigation, hands-on restoration, environmental education, andby promoting sustainable local, national and international marine policies.Learn more at SeaTurtles.org.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Donna Howe (Chair),

Carole Allen, Barb Andrews,

Brendan Cummings, Julie

Owen Hanft, Dr. Alex Hearn,

Debbie Sivas,

Todd Steiner (Executive Director).

About the Sea Turtle Restoration ProjectA Conservation Initiative of Turtle Island Restoration Network

Contact Us:

CALIFORNIA HEADQUARTERS

P.O. Box 370, Forest Knolls, CA 94933phone 415-663-8590 or 800-859-7283e-mail info@SeaTurtles.orgwebsite www.SeaTurtles.org

LATIN AMERICA OFFICE

Randall Arauz (Costa Rica)phone 011-506-2241-5227email rarauz@seaturtles.org.

GULF OF MEXICO OFFICE

2228 Broadway, Galveston, Texas 77550phone 409-795-8426 email joanie@seaturtles.org