Green Sea Turtles Of Mexico, Florida No Longer Endangered Species

The endangered tag has been lifted off from green sea turtles found in the coast of Mexico and Florida, spelling success for the decades of conservation efforts spent on their survival as a species. According to US officials, the marine reptiles do not face an immediate risk of extinction; however they still fall in the threatened bracket and will continue to get protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Green sea turtles, also known as the Pacific green turtle, get their name from the color of fat, as opposed to the color of skin or shell as is falsely believed by many; they are in fact olive to black in color. The population of green sea turtles, which was considered to be not far from extinction until recently, has gone up since 1978 when only a handful of them were reported, leading to their listing under endangered species. Now approximately 2,250 nesting females are being found on the beaches of Florida, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (US FWS).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) segmented green sea turtles into 11 separate population groups globally, as part of the conservation plan that would see tailored measures for each segment. The changes for effective conservation of green sea turtles were initially proposed last year; however they were made final only on Tuesday after authorities reviewed more than 900 public counts, in addition to reviewing scientific data.

"Successful conservation and management efforts developed in Florida and along the Pacific coast of Mexico are a roadmap for further recovery strategies of green turtle populations around the world," said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for fisheries.

According to the segmentation, now only three groups of green sea turtles worldwide remain endangered. The green sea turtles that still face the risk of disappearing from the planet include those that inhabit the Central West Pacific Ocean, Central South Pacific and the Mediterranean Sea.