North Carolina wildlife officials report a big win for sea turtles along the state’s coast. According to the state’s Wildlife Resources Commission, there are over 90 green sea turtle nests this season. The number is a record for the state.
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In a social media post, officials say the previous record was set in 2019, with 62 nests. Officials say this is a significant jump compared to 20 years ago when they were happy to see 10-15 nests in a season.
Green sea turtles are found all over the world, but they’ve experienced a significant decline due to fishing. The animals nest in nearly 80 countries, but even their eggs are taken for food in some places.
Sea turtles are endangered in the Gulf Coast and Florida and listed as threatened in the North Atlantic under the U.S. Federal Endangered Species Act. Killing green sea turtles and/or taking their eggs is illegal in the U.S.
