Sea turtles are extremely vulnerable to climate change due to their unique life history. Join us in working with other activists working to slow and reverse climate change that threatens all life on Earth.

Climate change impacts sea turtles in a number of ways:

  • Temperature determines sea turtle gender,
  • Rising seas inundate and destroy nesting beach sites, and
  • Changing ocean current patterns may prevent hatchlings from reaching their critical pelagic habitat they need to reach to survive their first few months and years at sea.

The time to act is now. Help us build resilient sea turtle populations, restore key ocean and beach habitat and ensure the long-term survival of these ancient species, while we reduce the impacts of oil and gas emissions and drilling.

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Deadly Waters: The Threat of Climate Change & Rising Sea Levels to Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches

One impact of sea level rise is the loss or diminishment of beaches, including those on which sea turtles nest. In this report, we examine the impacts of sea level rise on major sea turtle nesting beaches for the seven species of sea turtles. From existing data and sea level rise projections, we have identified two major US nesting beach areas that are at risk from climate change: French Frigate Shoals in Hawaii and Padre Island National Seashore in Texas.

Read the Report

What We’re Doing

Daily Sea Turtle Nest Counts on the Texas Coast

| 2026, Gulf of Mexico, Nest Counts, Protect Nesting Beaches, Save the Leatherback, Sea Turtles, Texas, Turtles | No Comments
Daily nesting reports from the Texas coast and Padre Island National Seashore. Three endangered sea turtle species - the critically endangered Kemp's ridley and threatened loggerhead and green - return…

Action Alert: Urge Your Legislators to Support the Protect Gulf Life Act (H.R. 8919, “Beyer Bill”)

| 2026, Comment, Conservation, Current Action, Endangered/Threatened Species, Gulf Education & Outreach, Gulf of Mexico, Human-Wildlife Conflicts, Lawsuits, Marine Mammals & Seabirds, Sea Turtles | No Comments
Header photo credit: NOAA.

Rising Pacific Ocean Temperatures Trigger Legal Requirement to Protect Loggerhead Sea Turtles from Driftnets

| 2026, California, Conservation, Driftnets, Endangered/Threatened Species, Entanglement, Human-Wildlife Conflicts, Lawsuits, Longlines, News, Sea Turtle, Sea Turtles | No Comments
Rising Pacific Ocean temperatures are triggering a federal legal requirement, triggered by litigation by Turtle Island (TIRN) and Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) to close a large stretch of Southern…