Designation of Marine Critical Habitat for Six Distinct Population Segments of Green Sea Turtles

To whom it may concern, Green sea turtles face many natural challenges throughout their life stages and we need to help protect them by expanding their critical habitat. New hatchlings must overcome predation from their journey from the sandy beach to the open waters. Juveniles must successfully forage for food and seek shelter in floating algae. Adults must find a mate and return to the beaches they once hatched from to lay eggs and continue this cycle once again. These natural challenges reduce sea turtle survival, but they are also being met with more challenging hurdles that are human driven. Humans are influencing every stage of the green sea turtle's life cycle by reducing nesting areas on beaches, altering habitat, causing mortality's due to the pelagic fishing industries and boat strikes and through the accumulation of nonbiodegradable waste and pollutants on shorelines. Conservation of green sea turtles has never been more important due to these compounding effects of natural and anthropogenic challenges, as well as sea level rise and global climate change. Some of these natural and anthropogenic challenges can be reduced by identifying the specific areas in the marine environment that are critical habitat. By identifying nearshore habitats and sargassum habitat conservationists can influence the survivability of sea turtles in multiple life stages. Identifying and protecting existing sargassum communities and open ocean habitat can influence the sea turtle's ability to successfully grow and develop as it provides refugia and food for young turtles. Sea turtles spend the majority of their lives in the open ocean, and have a wide distribution throughout US waters, while conserving and expanding critical habitat for green sea turtles in Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, California, Hawai'i, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands increase's their survivability. More areas within these locations need to be protected to reduce injury and death of this already threatened species!

Green sea turtles are not confined to the boundaries of a map. We must do everything we can to protect this species.Excluding areas noted to be within the green sea turtle distribution range is dangerous. While these areas may not be popular nesting or foraging sites, green sea turtles are still known to pass through them. Without proper protection, they are at an increased risk of injury or death. While we appreciate critical habitat being established for green sea turtle populations, we are concerned about areas that have been excluded from the proposal. Green sea turtles have a wide distribution range throughout US waters. If critical habitat is not designated throughout their range, this already threatened species will be at more risk! The IUCN Red List notes that green sea turtle populations are decreasing worldwide. Excluding areas from the proposed designated critical habitat is too risky for this threatened specie