Book excerpt: "This document summarizes the current state of sea turtle assessment and related NMFS research activities and provides an overview of resource requirements. It describes the present status of U.S. sea turtle assessments under the ESA; ongoing NMFS research and analysis activities; assessment themes and gaps; NMFS sea turtle assessment staff, vessel, and aircraft resources; and estimates of resources needed to maximize the utility of existing data and survey efforts and to better meet relevant mandates of the ESA. Assessment data categories examined are reflective of sea turtle recovery plans, NMFS stock assessment improvement initiatives, and the 2010 National Research Council (NRC) report, Assessment of Sea-Turtle Status and Trends: Integrating Demography and Abundance"--Page v.