Listing Green Sea Turtles Under the Endangered Species Act

NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issue a final rule to list 11 distinct population segments (DPSs) of the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas;hereaf ter referred to as the green turtle) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Based on the best available scientific and commercial data, and after considering comments on the proposed rule, we have determined that three DPSs are endangered species and eight DPSs are threatened species. This rule supersedes the 1978 final listing rule for green turtles. It applies the existing protective regulations to the DPSs. Critical habitat is not determinable at this time but will be proposed in a future rulemaking. In the interim, the existing critical habitat designation (i.e., waters surrounding Culebra Island, Puerto Rico) remains in effect for the North Atlantic DPS.