The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officially began hosting the role of State Coordinator for the Texas Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network on July 1, according to a July 8 news release from the agency. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration established the network in 1980 to document sea turtle strandings along coastal areas from Maine to Texas and in parts of the U.S. Caribbean.
The Texas network consists of several partner organizations across the Texas coast that respond to and rehabilitate stranded sea turtles. TPWD said it will work to support those organizations while continuing to partner in sea turtle conservation and recovery efforts in Texas during large-scale stranding events such as winter freezes.
As State Coordinator, TPWD will lead and facilitate statewide matters pertinent to sea turtle management and recovery connected with sea turtle strandings and incidental captures, including inter-agency cooperation, emergency response and preparedness, and support of law enforcement, the agency said. The role also serves as the network’s point of contact for notifications and other aspects of permits and authorizations under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service jurisdiction that have historically involved the State Coordinator.
TPWD and NOAA will work closely together to ensure a smooth transition and provide ongoing support to the network, according to the release. NOAA will continue to provide data management and record verification for the Texas network, facilitate necropsies, and support the Texas coordinator in key areas such as emergency response and training.
The agency offered special thanks to Dr. Donna Shaver and the National Park Service for their many years of service to the network, and to NOAA staff for fulfilling interim coordinator roles over the last several months. Sea turtle nesting-related issues remain outside the network and are the purview of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the release noted.
Texans can report an injured, stranded, entangled or dead sea turtle by calling (866) TURTLE5, and stranded or injured marine animals can be reported through the NOAA Fisheries website, the agency said.