Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network
Working to inform the causes of sea turtle strandings by collecting data, documenting wounds and abnormalities, transporting sick and injured sea turtles to permitted rehabilitation facilities, and educating the public about sea turtle conservation.
Overview
All sea turtles that occur in U.S. waters are listed as either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. To advance the conservation and recovery of listed sea turtles, each sea turtle recovery plan developed jointly by NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identifies and highlights the need to maintain an active stranding network. As a result, the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN) was formally established by NOAA Fisheries in 1980 to document strandings of sea turtles along the coastal areas from Maine to Texas and in portions of the U.S. Caribbean.
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The Network is a cooperative effort comprised of federal, state, and permitted private partners working to inform causes of morbidity and mortality in sea turtles by responding to and documenting sea turtles, found either dead or alive (but compromised), in a manner sufficient to inform conservation management and recovery. The STSSN accomplishes this through the following:
- Collection of data in accordance with STSSN protocols.
- Improved understanding of causes of death and threats to sea turtles in the marine environment.
- Monitoring of stranding trends.
- Provision of initial aid to live stranded sea turtles.
- Provision of sea turtle samples and parts for conservation-related research.
- Availability of timely data for conservation management purposes.
While NOAA Fisheries coordinates the Network, it is the participating local organizations that respond to stranded turtles, collect scientific data, transport sick and injured turtles to rehabilitation facilities, and help educate the public about sea turtle conservation.
Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Operations
NOAA Fisheries announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) on NOAA Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources' (OPR) role coordinating the STSSN.
OPR serves in a coordination role for the STSSN operating in areas of U.S. jurisdiction along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. Caribbean Territories. OPR has conducted a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review to evaluate the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts caused by continued operation of the STSSN under the coordination of OPR using the 2024 Draft STSSN Operating Procedures Handbook. NOAA Fisheries is requesting comments on the draft EA.
- Draft Environmental Assessment (PDF, 74 pages)
- Draft Operating Procedures (Appendix A of the Draft EA) (PDF, 49 pages)
- Operating Procedures Appendix A - NOAA and USFWS 2015 MOU
- Operating Procedures Appendix B - USFWS Standard Conditions
- Operating Procedures Appendix C - STSSN Database Application Instructions (PDF, 192 pages)
- Operating Procedures Appendix D - STSSN Forms and Instructions (PDF, 74 pages)
Report a Stranded Turtle via Public Hotlines
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Numerous permitted organizations are trained and ready to respond. If you see a sick, injured, entangled, stranded, or dead sea turtle, immediately contact your local stranding network.
Information for Network Members
Data and Reports
Each state's Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network collects and contributes data to a centralized database. Summarized stranding data from the last 10 years that have been verified by STSSN personnel are available via the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Data Summary and Visualization Application. These data summaries should be considered preliminary as recent unverified strandings are not included.
Public Data Access and Release Policy
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Any publication or use of this data must credit the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network. Users with the intent to publicly present or publish this data should consult and collaborate with contributing network coordinators. Preliminary data and summaries posted on this site are subject to change and are not recommended for use in publications and analyses.
Contact the Network
State Coordinators for the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network.