Oil and Sea Turtles: Biology, Planning, and Response

This 2003 guidance document is the third in a series of publications prepared by NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) to provide response-related information on specific warm-water resources. (See links to the other related publications below.) Oil and Sea Turtles presents a basic overview of sea turtle biology, summarizes what is known about the effects of oil on sea turtles, reviews potential response actions in the event of a release, and presents case histories from previous spills.

Funding for this publication was provided through NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program, which is designed to protect and restore the nation's coral reefs and assist conservation of reef ecosystems internationally. This program includes efforts to monitor and assess coral health, map coral reef ecosystems, conduct research to better understand biological, social, and economic factors that affect coral reefs, partnerships to reduce the adverse effects of fishing, coastal development, and pollution, and identify coral reef areas for special protection.

More Information The following page provides a list of links for more information about sea turtles, response information for warm water resources, as well as the spill incidents referenced in this publication.

Sea Turtle Links

Report Chapters and Related Documents Following are chapters of this publication, and some related documents, as Portable Document Format (PDF) files:

Oil and Sea Turtles: Biology, Planning, and Response If you have a fast Internet connection, you may want to download the entire report. (Document format: PDF, size: 2.7 M)

Introduction Includes title page, table of contents, and acknowledgments. (Document format: PDF, size: 706.9 K)

Chapter 1, Taxonomy and Distribution Describes species identification, range, habitat, and diet for the sea turtle species found in U.S. coastal and territorial waters. (Document format: PDF, size: 1.1 M)

Chapter 2, Life History and Physiology Briefly describes sea turtle life history and physiology, including adaptations for diving and salt regulation. (Document format: PDF, size: 161.5 K)

Chapter 3, Natural and Human Impacts Discusses the threats sea turtles face from both natural forces (such as egg loss, predation, extreme temperatures, and disease) and human (anthropogenic) forces (such as fisheries by-catch, poaching, alteration of nesting beaches, and pollution and and garbage). (Document format: PDF, size: 468.4 K)

Chapter 4, Oil Toxicity and Impacts Summarizes research on the toxicity of oil to sea turtles, along with indirect impacts that might occur during an oil spill and subsequent cleanup methods. (Document format: PDF, size: 289.8 K)

Chapter 5, Response Considerations Provides basic information on response activities that might be considered in sea turtle habitat. Also discusses: unintended adverse impacts to turtles that may be caused by response activities; preventative measures that may need to be implemented; and the application of sea turtle information for spill response and planning. (Document format: PDF, size: 952.5 K)

Chapter 6, Case Studies Past and present spills that threaten sea turtles, including selected case studies. (Document format: PDF, size: 525.8 K)

Glossary and Appendices (Document format: PDF, size: 1.8 M)

Oil and Sea Turtles Fact Sheet Basic information about our Oil and Sea Turtles publication in a one-page factsheet. (Document format: PDF, size: 445.1 K)

Barge Morris J. Berman Spill: NOAA's Scientific Response A 1995 report that discusses major response issues related to the 1994 grounding of the tank barge Morris J. Berman in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Document format: PDF, size: 2.0 M)

Oil Spill Case Histories 1967 through 1991 Summaries of significant U.S. and international spills between 1967 and 1991. In the Bookmarks section on the left, click the name of a spill: Alvenus, IXTOC I, Nowruz Oil Field, Vista Bella, and Witwater. (Document format: PDF, size: 2.0 M)

Pages on our site that complete this series

Oil Spills in Coral Reefs: Planning and Response Considerations A 2001 report summarizing relevant research on coral reefs, written for anyone working in or planning for spill response in coral reef regions.

Oil Spills in Mangroves: Planning and Response Considerations A 2002 report summarizing current research on mangrove ecosystems, written to help minimize environmental impacts in mangroves when oil spills threaten them.