Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) North Indian Ocean DPS, Southwest Indian Ocean DPS, Southeast Indo-Pacific Ocean DPS, South Pacific Ocean DPS, South Atlantic Ocean DPS, Northeast Atlantic Ocean DPS, and Mediterranean Sea DPS 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation

The purpose of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), is to provide a means to conserve the ecosystems upon which endangered and threatened species depend, to provide a program for the conservation of endangered and threatened species, and to take appropriate steps to recover endangered and threatened species. Under the ESA, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), together “we” or “the Services,” share responsibility to conserve sea turtles as described in the Memorandum of Understanding Defining the Roles of USFWS and NMFS in Joint Administration of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as to Sea Turtles, established in 1977 and revised in 2015. In general, NMFS has jurisdiction for sea turtles in the marine environment, USFWS has jurisdiction for sea turtles in the terrestrial habitat, and the Services commit to working together as necessary to conserve and recover listed sea turtles. 2021 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) OPR (Office of Protected Resources) Submitted Public Domain 1861