Have you seen a sea turtle with a number on its shell?
Assessing green sea turtle populations helps researchers evaluate the effectiveness of conservation and recovery measures, and can help guide actions to enhance recovery.
NOAA Fisheries needs your help to spot honu with the temporary alpha-numeric marks (like “HA95” or “OA48”) on their shells. Here’s how you can take part in this fun and important citizen science project:
Be on the lookout for turtles with a white number on their shell. Keep a respectful distance of 10 feet if you spot one
Take a photo of the number, without disturbing the turtle
Record the date, time, and location—include the name of the beach/body of water, a dropped map pin, or GPS coordinates
Email [email protected] to report the turtle’s number and sighting details
To report any emergencies (dead or injured animals) call NOAA’s Marine Wildlife Hotline: (888) 256-9840.
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