Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge

Endangered Species Bulletin, Jan, 1998 by Duane DeFreese, Sandy MacPherson

The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge represents the nation's most significant land acquisition effort to protect endangered and threatened sea turtles. The idea to establish a sea turtle refuge began in the late 1980's as a direct result of the work of the late Professor Archie Carr, a world renowned expert on sea turtles who dedicated his life to their conservation. It was designated by Congress in 1989 in recognition of the need for long stretches of undisturbed sandy beaches, with little or no artificial lighting, for successful sea turtle nesting.

In North America, sea turtles nest along the coast from Virginia to Texas. High nesting concentrations are found on the coastal islands of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida. The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge is located within a 20-mile (32-kilometer) stretch of beach on the barrier islands of Brevard and Indian River Counties on the Atlantic coast of Florida. These beaches support large nesting densities of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles. The proposed acquisition plan for the refuge set a goal for purchase of 9.3 miles (15 km) within 4 sections of this 20-mile stretch. Three of the sections are located in Brevard County and one is in Indian River County.

Scientists have been studying sea turtle nesting activities along the beaches of the refuge for over a decade. These studies confirm that the refuge is one of the most significant nesting areas for loggerhead turtles in the world, the most significant nesting area for green turtles in North America, and an occasional nesting area for leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea). From March through September, thousands of sea turtles crawl ashore to nest on the beaches of Brevard and Indian River Counties. The numerous flipper tracks left behind by the nesting females resembles the path of a night-time amphibious assault. After the arduous process of lumbering onto land, digging their nests, laying their eggs, and covering their nests with sand, the females return to the sea and leave the eggs to develop on their own. At the end of a 2-month incubation period, hatchlings emerge from their nests and begin their dangerous trek to the sea. In the nearshore waters, they begin a long and treacherous journey through waters filled with predators and other hazards. Hundreds of thousands of hatchlings will emerge from these nests, but few will survive to adulthood. Many years will pass before the surviving female hatchlings return to their natal beaches as adults to begin the next generation.

In addition to sea turtles, the beaches, dunes, coastal scrub, and maritime hammock areas of the barrier island ecosystem within and adjacent to the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge provide habitat for many other animals and plants considered rare, threatened, endangered, or species of special concern by Federal and State agencies. Federally-listed species include the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), southeastern beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris), and coastal vervain (Verbena maritima). The barrier island beaches also support a great diversity of resident and migratory bird species, including shorebirds, wading birds, and songbirds.

Establishment of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge was the beginning of a visionary conservation program made possible by a multi-agency land acquisition and conservation partnership. State and local governments participated by adding on to the protected areas of the refuge to include the last remaining high-quality natural areas of the barrier island ecosystem. Significant purchases of coastal strand, scrub, and maritime hammocks to the west of the refuge not only protect some of the most fragile and endangered natural upland communities in the nation, but protect the sea turtle nesting beaches from artificial lighting encroachment and other human impacts as well. As a result, these local and State efforts complement the four sections of beachfront property identified for Federal acquisition and protection.

Partners in the land acquisition effort include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Brevard County, Indian River County, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, The Conservation Fund, and The Nature Conservancy. Truly exceptional contributions have come from the State of Florida and local county partnerships, which account for over 70 percent of land acquisition expenditures, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation, which accounts for over 21 percent of acquisition costs for lands on the barrier island. Federal acquisition efforts account for about 8 percent of purchases to date. In addition, the grassroots support from other non-profit conservation organizations and the local community is outstanding, and is an essential factor in the success of protection efforts for the refuge and the barrier island ecosystem. Coordination efforts have been enhanced by the formation of the Archie Carr Working Group, which is composed of representatives from numerous agencies and organizations and the local community. The members of this Working Group have a diversity of interests and objectives, but share a common vision of protecting this globally important area.