Marine debris is one of the biggest threats to marine life, especially turtles. As a result, one of the first steps to take to repopulate turtle populations is to combat said marine debris.
Through various initiatives undertaken in Florida in the early and mid-2010s, there have been several success stories. Arguably the most significant success dates back to action taken in 2015 when the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program collaborated with Coastal Cleanup Corporation to clean the Biscayne National Park.
The event took place over 25 days, and a huge amount of debris was removed, including:
- Ghost nets and traplines.
- 485 lobster trap parts.
- 515 abandoned buoys.
The results around the cleanup effort have been spectacular. After careful monitoring the following year, scientists noted that 1,658 loggerhead sea turtles hatched on Biscayne Bay beaches, compared to 1,000 the year before.
The experiments and efforts showed, without a doubt, that combating marine debris is one of the keys to restoring turtle populations.
Check out the NOAA Blog for more info.