Story Map: Oil Spill Response and Assessment Guidelines for Sea Turtles
During an oil spill important decisions need to be made fast, so it's critical that experts are equipped with the tools they need to consider all types of marine resources.
This is especially important when it comes to protected species like sea turtles.
To best prepare oil spill experts for oil spills where sea turtles could be impacted, NOAA has released “Guidelines for OIl Spill Response and Natural Resource Damage Assessment: Sea Turtles." The document is accessible online.
Top sea turtle and oil spill experts came together to develop these guidelines. The 200-plus page document contains invaluable resources on a wide range of topics, including sea turtle vulnerability at various life stages, conceptual models for injury assessment, and field and lab data collection protocols.
A story map has been developed to translate this valuable information about sea turtles for a general audience. It displays many of the impressive facts and figures used in the guidance document.
By doing this, NOAA aims to foster information sharing among experts responsible for protecting sea turtles, and the American public that cares about them.