Abstract
All seven extant species of sea turtle are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These populations are impacted by boating and fishery interactions, habitat destruction, pollution, direct takes and global climate change. On average, sea turtle strandings increase by 46.7 events annually; more than 36,000 strandings occurred from 1980-2013 in Florida. There are significantly (p<0.05) more strandings per mile on the eastern (NE, E, SE) coast of Florida than in other coastal zones (NW, W, SW, S). Stranding densities are significantly (p<0.05) correlated to strength of the Florida Current and size of the sea turtle, leading to increased densities in areas on the east coast, near the Gulf Stream. Many of these strandings are due to boat strikes (20%), cutaneous fibropapillomatosis (7%), fishery gear interactions (6%) or ingestion of anthropogenic marine debris (0.3%). Human activities have caused losses in sea turtle populations that were at one point abundant and thriving. Conservation management strategies are needed in areas of high stranding densities along the coast of Florida.