Marine Turtle Conservation Fund

Background
The Marine Turtle Conservation Fund (MTCA) is soliciting proposals for the conservation of priority nesting populations of six of the seven species of marine turtles throughout their range outside of the continental United States. The U.S. Government enacted the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 as amended in response to the decline of many marine turtle populations worldwide and the serious threats to their long-term survival. The primary purpose of the Act is to provide financial support for projects that conserve nesting populations and habitat and address other threats to their survival.

Grant Details
The goal of this program is to reduce threats to marine turtles in their natural habitat. Proposals should identify specific conservation actions that have a high likelihood of creating lasting benefits. Project activities that emphasize data collection and status assessment should describe a direct link and benefit to management action.

The marine turtle program prioritizes projects that fulfill the intent of the MTCA, focusing on activities such as protecting nesting females and eggs, developing local human and institutional capacity for marine turtle conservation, cultivating conservation values, interests, and actions, addressing fisheries by-catch threats, incorporating an interdisciplinary approach, promoting networks, partnerships, and coalitions, developing and executing marine turtle conservation management plans, habitat conservation and management, promotion of networks, partnerships, strengthening local and national capacity to implement conservation programs on nesting beaches.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include individuals; multi-national secretariats; foreign national and local government agencies; non-profit non-governmental organizations; for-profit organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; U.S. territorial governments.

Period of Performance
Start dates for proposals with nesting/hatching occurring primarily during months of June 2021 through October 2021 should have start and period of performance dates May 1, 2021 - April 30, 2022. For those proposals with nesting/hatching primarily during months of November – March should have start dates of October 1, 2021 - September 30, 2022.

Grant Value
$2,400,000