NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by Contract No. DG133R08CQ0062 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

Cover: The front cover images include five of the six species of sea turtles found in U.S. waters (from top to bottom and left to right): leatherback (provided by Guillaume Feuillet, Association Kwata), Kemp’s ridley (provided by Selina Heppell, Oregon State University), hawksbill (provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), olive ridley (provided by Guillaume Feuillet, Association Kwata), and green (provided by Claire Fackler, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The back cover image is the sixth species, which is the loggerhead (provided by William Precht, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).