Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen and I have already directed our staff to make emergency response to the offshore oil crisis our immediate priority.

Point 1. Emergency Response for Sea Turtles

Threatened and endangered sea turtles are in waters off the Florida Panhandle right now. And females are expected to begin laying eggs within the week.

Our Florida staff is heading to some of the Sunshine State’s most important nesting grounds to assist with the clean-up and rehabilitation of oil-soaked sea turtles and other wildlife impacted by the spill. In the weeks ahead, we will recruit and train more volunteers to assist with these efforts.

The response to this disaster could well determine the fate of the next generation of loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley and other threatened and endangered sea turtles, so it’s vital that we act now.

Help save sea turtles…

Point 2. Prevent the Next Offshore Oil Disaster.

On July 1st, Shell Oil plans to begin offshore drilling operations in the remote and harsh waters of the Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska – setting the stage for America’s next great drilling disaster.

Since Monday, we have mobilized more than 51,000 Defenders supporters to urge President Obama to reinstate the ban on offshore drilling that protected our coasts for 27 years and to rescind Shell’s permits to conduct exploratory drilling in this vital habitat for America’s threatened polar bears, bowhead whales and other wildlife.

Yesterday, we joined with Native Alaskans and other allies to challenge Shell’s permits at a federal court hearing in Portland, OR. This week, we called on Congress to stop promoting offshore drilling. And next week, we will urge the U.S Senate to pass legislation that moves America away from its dangerous dependence on fossil fuels and addresses the impacts of climate change on wildlife like our vulnerable sea turtles without sacrificing our coasts.

Help prevent the next offshore oil disaster…

Point 3. Document the Crisis and Educate the Public.

Working with people like Defenders Board member and world-famous wildlife biologist Jeff Corwin, photojournalist Krista Schlyer, and others, we’re helping to highlight the terrible implications of the Gulf offshore oil spill through compelling images and informed first-hand accounts… so that a tragedy like this never happens again.

Defenders Senior Marine Policy Advisor Richard Charter is working with some of the top data analysts in the country to predict the spill’s trajectory, providing expert analysis on the technical perils of offshore drilling in the media, and working with policy makers to address the crisis.

This week, we launched a new blog, where we will provide up-to-the-minute news and analysis on wildlife impacted by the spill.

Help us document the crisis and educate the public…

The massive gulf oil spill is now just a few miles from Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and other critical nesting sites for threatened and endangered sea turtles. And the toxic tide could hit other vital nesting sites on the Florida Panhandle as early as next week.

The annual cycle of sea turtle reproduction leaves no time for delay! We must act now to save these sea turtles. To do so, we – and the sea turtles – desperately need your help.