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across Florida, and in 1997 the Florida Legislature authorized the creation of the Sea Turtle specialty license plate to promote the conservation and protection of Florida's sea turtles. The specialty plate was first offered for sale in February 1998 and quickly became one of the most popular plates in Florida, raising more than $1 million annually. Approximately 70 percent of the funding generated by the tag sales goes to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's marine turtle protection program to support research and management activities related to sea turtles. Approximately 30 percent is distributed to the Sea Turtle Grants Program, which distributes money back to the local level for turtle conservation projects. The Sea Turtle Conservancy, formerly known as the Caribbean Conservation Corporation, is the world’s oldest sea turtle research and conservation group. An international organization, Sea Turtle Conservancy was founded in 1959 by worldrenowned sea turtle expert Dr. Archie Carr to save the turtles from eminent extinction through rigorous science-based conservation. Headquartered in Florida, the organization carries out worldwide programs to conserve and recover sea turtle populations through research, education, advocacy and protection of the natural habitats. Over the course of 55 years, Sea Turtle Conservancy’s research programs have yielded much of what is now known about sea turtles and the threats they face, and the organization is applying this knowledge to carry out successful turtle protection and recovery programs. For more information, visit conserveturtles.org or call (800) 451-7111. Above: Trip participants observe a green turtle nest excavation on a beach in Guanahacabibes. Below: A satellite transmitter is applied to a green sea turtle after she nests on a remote beach in Guanahacabibes National Park. Red lights are used as to not disturb the turtle (turtles are less disturbed by long wavelengths of light such as amber or red color). G M


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