Something remarkable is happening along New Jersey’s shoreline. After decades of declining populations, the state’s coastal turtle species are staging an unexpected recovery. This turnaround story involves more than just numbers – it’s a testament to what dedicated conservation efforts can achieve.
From late May until November, New Jersey coastal waters provide important seasonal foraging habitat for several turtle species. The Garden State’s beaches and waters have become crucial staging grounds for these ancient mariners, making their recovery all the more significant for marine ecosystems along the entire Eastern seaboard.
A Historic Rehabilitation Center Opens Its Doors
New Jersey’s Only Long Term Rehabilitation Center For Sick And Injured Sea Turtles opened a new chapter in marine conservation when Sea Turtle Recovery became operational. Prior to Sea Turtle Recovery’s opening, endangered and threatened sea turtles that stranded in New Jersey due to illness or injury could be stabilized in New Jersey but, if they needed long term care, had to be transferred out of state.
The facility represents a game-changing development for New Jersey’s marine wildlife. These sea turtles had to endure long transports as far south as North Carolina. Also, each year the increased sea turtle strandings in the Northeast Region of the United States caused several facilities to reach capacity. Now these creatures can receive world-class care right here in the Garden State.
Four Species Call New Jersey Waters Home
There are seven species of sea turtles found in the world which include, leatherbacks, loggerhead, green turtles, kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, hawksbill and flatbacks. Only four of those species tend to be found in or near New Jersey. These four species have found New Jersey’s coastal waters to be ideal foraging grounds.
The most common species found in New Jersey is the loggerhead sea turtle, or Caretta caretta. Though they’re the most frequently spotted, each species faces unique challenges and plays distinct roles in the marine ecosystem. Kemp’s Ridley, Loggerhead, Leatherback and Green Sea Turtles frequent the New Jersey coast during the warm summer months – all are threatened and endangered.
Green Sea Turtles Show Unprecedented Recovery Numbers
Perhaps no species has shown more dramatic improvement than the green sea turtle. Global populations of this iconic marine reptile have shown encouraging recovery trends in many regions over recent decades, though population status varies by location. The species remains classified as Endangered by conservation organizations. This represents one of conservation’s greatest success stories.
Locally, the numbers are equally impressive. 2023 saw triple-digit green sea turtle nests along St. Johns County beaches for the first time since we began collecting data, though this data comes from Florida waters. Still, the regional trend shows promise for New Jersey’s green turtle populations as well.
The Kemp’s Ridley Makes a Remarkable Comeback
The Kemp’s ridley turtle is the rarest and most endangered of the sea turtles species. Yet this critically endangered species has become a conservation success story. Its numbers precipitously declined after 1947, when over 40,000 nesting females were estimated in a single beach in Mexico. The nesting population produced a low of 702 nests in 1985; however, since the mid-1980s, the number of nests laid in a season has been increasing primarily due to nest protection efforts and implementation of regulations requiring the use of turtle excluder devices in commercial fishing trawls.
New Jersey waters play a crucial role in this recovery. Adults and juveniles will wander northward along the Atlantic coast of North America as far north as Nova Scotia and Newfoundland during the non breeding season to forage on crabs, small fish, seaweed, and to also scavenge on dead fish and discarded bycatch. The state’s coastal waters provide essential feeding grounds during their long migrations.
Advanced Rehabilitation Techniques Save More Lives
The success of New Jersey’s turtle recovery isn’t just about population numbers – it’s about innovative care. The Sea Turtle Recovery Center is a 4,000 square foot, state of the art facility located in Essex County. STR’s life support system uses UV and ozone to provide a safe environment for the sea turtles to heal until they can be released.
This sophisticated approach has yielded impressive results. Sea Turtle Recovery admitted our first eleven patients in December of 2016. All eleven of those critically endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles have now been successfully returned to the wild. As of the January 2022, STR has successfully released 69 sea turtle patients back to their ocean home. More recently, With the release of the three turtles on Tuesday – Teddy Swims, Taylor Drift, and Lulu – the organization has rehabilitated 122 turtles.
Seasonal Migration Patterns Create Recovery Opportunities
Several species of sea turtles, including loggerheads, Kemp’s Ridleys, and leatherbacks, migrate from their nesting beaches in warmer regions of the Atlantic Ocean to these foraging grounds in the Northeast. Sea turtles are typically found in the Northeast from about May through November, when water temperatures are warm enough.
These predictable seasonal patterns have allowed conservationists to better understand turtle behavior and plan more effective protection strategies. The Northeast, particularly areas like Cape Cod Bay, the Gulf of Maine, Long Island Sound, and the Jersey Shore offer abundant food sources for sea turtles, including crabs, jellyfish, and algae, making them attractive foraging grounds.
Technology Helps Track Recovery Progress
Modern satellite tracking technology has revolutionized how scientists monitor turtle recovery. Tammie, a loggerhead sea turtle that had been rescued by US Coast Guard Cutter Lawrence Lawson off the coast of Cape May, New Jersey was found with propeller cuts on her carapace. She was brought to Sea Turtle Recovery (STR) for rehabilitation. Atlantic Marine Conservation Society “AMSEAS” worked with STR and Western Connecticut University’s Finding Our Way program to provide Tammie with a satellite tag, making her the first seat turtle rehabilitated by STR to receive one.
These tracking efforts provide invaluable data about turtle movement patterns and habitat preferences. AMSEAS and Sea Turtle Recovery partnered up again in the Fall of 2020 to satellite tag a loggerhead sea turtle named Tabitha. Tabitha first stranded in Cape May, New Jersey in June of 2019 and was brought to STR to undergo rehabilitation for pneumonia, severe anemia, and an intestinal blockage. After over a year of rehabilitation, AMSEAS teamed up with STR to satellite tag Tabitha prior to her release.
Community Education Drives Conservation Success
Public engagement has become a cornerstone of turtle conservation success. Our public education area provides information about sea turtles, the important ecological role of sea turtles, threats endangering them, and ways to protect their future. Our facility receives an estimated 500,000 visitors each year and provides an in person glimpse of the sea turtles in our care, as well as the rehabilitation process.
The educational impact extends far beyond the facility walls. The sea turtle releases are made public for everyone to enjoy and learn about sea turtles, with the goal of promoting Sea Turtle Recovery’s work and garner donations for the organization. These public releases create lasting memories and inspire the next generation of marine conservationists.
Marine Debris Reduction Shows Measurable Impact
One of the most significant threats to turtle populations has been marine debris, particularly plastic pollution. Sea turtles often mistake plastic debris for food or become entangled in it. Reduce your plastic consumption by using reusable bags, water bottles, and straws, and ensure proper disposal of any plastic waste.
International conservation efforts have shown remarkable success in addressing this problem. Together with community members, volunteers, students and the youth group, our turtle team removed over 75 kilos of potentially harmful marine debris, helping to create cleaner and safer nesting beaches for sea turtles. Since 2018, the team has safely released well over 40,000 turtle hatchlings into the sea and removed over two tons of marine debris from turtle nesting beaches in the project area.
The Broader Ecological Impact of Turtle Recovery
Sea turtles play an important role in the oceans because they are gardeners! Sea turtles are one of the very few animals that eat sea grass; this is important because sea grass must constantly be cut short to help it grow across the sea floor. Sea grass beds provide breeding grounds for hundreds of other marine species such as fish, shellfish and crustaceans.
The recovery of turtle populations creates ripple effects throughout marine ecosystems. From Green Sea Turtles assuring the health of sea grass beds that provide fish nurseries to nesting that enriches soil for dune grasses that reduce beach erosion, sea turtles not only impact a healthy ocean ecosystem but also our lives. Their comeback represents a victory for entire coastal ecosystems.
What This Comeback Means for the Future
The remarkable recovery of New Jersey’s coastal turtles proves that targeted conservation efforts can reverse seemingly hopeless population declines. Though challenges remain – from climate change to continued development pressures along the coast – the success stories emerging from facilities like Sea Turtle Recovery demonstrate what’s possible when science, community engagement, and dedicated resources come together.
These ancient mariners have survived for millions of years, weathering ice ages and massive environmental changes. Their current recovery along New Jersey’s shores suggests that with continued protection and care, they’ll continue their oceanic journeys for millions more.
What would you have guessed about the survival chances of these magnificent creatures just a decade ago? Share your thoughts about this incredible conservation success story.
