Information below provided by TWPD – Phone: (512) 389-8030 – Email: news@tpwd.texas.gov
AUSTIN – As of July 1, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) officially began hosting the role of State Coordinator for the Texas Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established the STSSN in 1980, which documents sea turtle strandings along the coastal areas from Maine to Texas and in parts of the U.S. Caribbean.
The Texas STSSN consists of several partner organizations across the Texas coast that respond to and rehabilitate stranded sea turtles. TPWD will work to support these organizations while continuing to partner in sea turtle conservation and recovery efforts in Texas during large scale stranding events such as winter freezes.
TPWD and NOAA will work closely together to ensure a smooth transition and provide ongoing support to the STSSN. As the Texas State Coordinator, TPWD will lead and facilitate statewide matters pertinent to sea turtle management and recovery that are connected with sea turtle strandings and incidental captures, including inter-agency cooperation, emergency response and preparedness, and support of law enforcement.
This role also serves as the STSSN point of contact for notifications and other aspects of permits/authorizations under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) jurisdiction that have historically involved the State Coordinator. NOAA will continue to provide data management and record verification for the TX STSSN, facilitate necropsies, and support the Texas Coordinator in key areas such as emergency response and training.
Special thanks to Dr. Donna Shaver and the National Park Service for their many years of service to the STSSN and to NOAA staff for fulfilling interim coordinator roles over the last several months.
Sea turtle nesting-related issues remain outside of the STSSN and are the purview of the USFWS.
To report an injured, stranded, entangled, or dead sea turtle, please call: (866) TURTLE5 (866-887-8535).
To report a stranded or injured marine animal, please visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/report