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Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN)

• Report a stranded sea turtle to a STSSN state coordinator

Sea Turtle Strandings in the Gulf of Mexico

The Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN) was formally established in 1980 to collect information on and document strandings of marine turtles along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts. The network, which includes federal, state and private partners, encompasses the coastal areas of the eighteen-state region from Maine to Texas, and includes portions of the U.S. Caribbean.

Data are compiled through the efforts of network participants who document marine turtle strandings in their respective areas and contribute those data to the centralized STSSN database.

• Online Stranding Reports
  Using online reports, you may obtain basic summarized stranding information from 1986-2006. For years 2007- current see the Weekly Reports below. When available all years will be combined into one system.
  The data used to generate the reports have been verified from 1998-2006; however they are subject to change as additional data are received. The data from 1986-1997 are preliminary and are in the process of being verified.
  Queries may include Year, Month, Region, Zone, State, County, and species.
  Note: Check the box to accept the Data Access and Release Policy [pdf]
  
  
• Public Data Access and Release Policy [pdf]
  
  
• STSSN Stranding Report Form:
  • front of stranding report form [pdf]
    
    
  • back of stranding report form [pdf]
    
    
  • instructions for stranding report form [pdf]
  
  
  
• STSSN State Coordinators [pdf] (also see links toward bottom of page)
  
  
• Regional statistical zone maps:
  • U.S. Gulf of Mexico statistical zone map [gif]
    
    
  • Southeast U.S. Atlantic statistical zone map [gif]
    
    
  • Northeast U.S. Atlantic statistical zone map [gif]

Weekly Reports

The 2007 - current Weekly Reports are in a new format which allow for more specific near real-time queries. These data are reported directly by the STSSN State and National Coordinators. These Weekly Reports are preliminary and subject to change, therefore they are not recommended for use in publications/analyses. It may take a few minutes to execute a large query. 2007 data posted October 2013.

• Zone: 2007 - current Sea Turtle Strandings by Zone
  
  
• Narrative: 2007 - current Sea Turtle Strandings Narrative

References

• Wolke, R.E. and George, A. 1981. Sea turtle necropsy manual. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC-24, 20p.
  
  
• Rainey, W. 1981. [pdf] Guide to sea turtle visceral anatomy. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC-82. also available in HTML format
  
  
• Wyneken, J. 2001. The Anatomy of Sea Turtles. U.S. Department of Commerce NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-470, 172 pp. Also available in HTML format. See supplemental videos below.
  • Wyneken, J. 2004 (español). La Anatomia de las Tortugas Marinas. U.S. Department of Commerce NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-470, 172 pp. [Version en espanol de Wyneken, J. 2001. The Anatomy of Sea Turtles. U.S. Department of Commerce NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-470, 172 pp.] Ver videos complementarios citados.

The Anatomy of Sea Turtles videos

To view these videos you will need QuickTime. You may download QuickTime . These files are very large and may take several minutes to download.

La Anatomia de las Tortugas Marinas

Para ver lo siguientes videos usted necesitara bajar el programa de QuickTime . Estos archivos son pesados y le tomara algunos minutos bajarlos.

Links to STSSN coordinator agencies

The following links provide additional information on marine turtles and the organizations who coordinate the STSSN.

Please note that references leaving the SEFSC web page are indicated with this icon  and does not constitute an endorsement by the SEFSC of any information, products, or services found on external web sites.

• National Parks Service- Padre Island National Seashore
  
  
• McNeese State University 
  
  
• National Parks Service- Gulf Islands National Seashore
  
  
• USFWS- Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
  
  
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Florida Marine Research Institute 
  
  
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources- Coastal Resources Division 
  
  
• South Carolina Department of Natural Resources- Marine Turtle Conservation Program 
  
  
• North Carolina Wildlife Resource Conservation 
  
  
• Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center 
  
  
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources 
  
  
• National Aquarium in Baltimore 
  
  
• MERR Institute, Inc 
  
  
• Mystic Aquarium 
  
  
• Marine Mammal Stranding Center 
  
  
• Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research & Preservation 
  
  
• New England Aquarium 
  
  
• College of the Atlantic 
  
  
• U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Fish and Wildlife

More Information

• NOAA's Northeast Region Sea Turtle Stranding and Disentanglement Program
  
  
• WIDECAST- Sea Turtle Care and Medicine 
  
  
• What to do if you find a dead or injured sea turtle- Florida 

Contact

• Wendy Teas (Wendy.Teas@noaa.gov)

(Updated 05/2015)

Green Turtle
(Chelonia mydas)
Photo Credit: Andy Bruckner, NOAA