Diamondback terrapin numbers have dipped by 75% across most of their habitat in the last half-century. Now, conservationists are attempting to throw these turtles a lifeline by way of federal protection.
In the past, Chesapeake Bay Magazine explained, this reptile was overfished in places like Maryland and Virginia, where turtle soup was once a regular food source. Now, it faces a deluge of other threats across its range, which spans from Massachusetts to Texas. These include habitat loss from sea level rise, shorefront development, pollution, and boat and vehicle strikes. Plus, one of the most imminent threats to these turtles is drowning in crab traps.
To help, the Center for Biological Diversity is joining forces with 20 other organizations to secure Endangered Species Act protection for the species. The groups filed a petition to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in September.
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"Tens of thousands of terrapins are drowning in crab traps each year," Will Harlan, a senior scientist with CBD, told Chesapeake Bay Magazine. "Without the lifeline of Endangered Species Act protection, they'll sink into extinction."
The diamondback terrapin is a keystone species in the salt marshes and mangroves that it calls home, according to CBD. One important ecosystem service that these reptiles provide is eating marsh snails, which can harm marsh grasses when they reach high numbers. Culling these snail populations helps to keep these ecosystems healthy, which directly benefits humans.
For instance, mangroves help to reduce flood impacts on coastal communities during extreme events like hurricanes, according to The Nature Conservancy. The organization also explains that these unique ecosystems trap and store carbon in their soils, helping us to mitigate the impacts of an overheating planet.
If granted Endangered Species Act status, terrapins will join a number of other animals that have benefited from such protections. For instance, California's gray wolf population has recently doubled thanks to state and federal protections. Similarly, Britain is seeing a comeback of beneficial beavers because of reintroduction efforts there.
"On behalf of more than 400 scientists and conservationists who comprise the [International Union for the Conservation of Nature] Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, I urge you to take action to protect the diamondback terrapin at the federal level," Craig Stanford, chair of the group, said in a statement included in the petition. "Extensive scientific studies have shown that — from habitat loss to roadkill mortality to crab pot drownings — this species is in peril.
"Diamondback terrapins are in danger of extinction across a significant portion of their range," the petition read. "They urgently need both listing and critical habitat designated under the Endangered Species Act to protect this iconic and unique American species emblematic of our shrinking estuarine and coastal habitats."
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