toward the vast ocean. These creatures are sea turtles. Sea turtles are large marine reptiles that are cold-blooded vertebrates and have leathery or bony flippers and shell (Lutz and Musick, 1996). They are aquatic reptilian creatures that has wide spectrum of coloration ranges between yellow, greenish, and black depending on the type of sea turtles. They are from the kingdom of Animalia, class of Reptilia (Matthews, 1990). The earliest known sea turtles appear in the fossil record in the Late Jurassic
pollution has become a problem for sea turtle hatchlings along developed coastlines. The hatchlings have a natural instinct to move to the brightest direction which on a naturally lit beach is the night sky over the ocean. However, the artificial light that is found on developed coastlines, disorients sea turtle hatchlings and as a result they move towards this light instead of the ocean. According to an article on conserveturtles.org, only 1 in 1000 sea turtle hatchlings survive to maturity therefore
The loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, is a threatened species with a highly migratory behavior and shifting habitat requirements depending on maturity (NMFS and USFWS 1998). The loggerhead nesting grounds are typically in warm temperate regions (NMFS and USFWS 1998). In the original listing from USFWS (1978), the loggerhead sea turtle was listed as threatened throughout all of its range. The document goes on to state that one of the main threats to the loggerhead sea turtle was that it was
Imagine a world where sea turtles are extinct; did you know that was preventable? The hawksbill sea turtle population is drastically low and if action is not taken they will soon become extinct. Several factors come into play in the extinction of this species; the most evident one is their breeding behavior. Due to the natural breeding behavior of the hawksbill sea turtle and their inability to sustain a viable population, they are going extinct; however, if they were introduced into breeding programs
different species of Sea Turtles grace our ocean waters . From the beds of the Indian ocean to the colorful reefs of the Coral Triangle , even the sandy beaches of the Eastern Pacific. Human activities have tipped almost all the skills of the survival of these ancient turtles . Even though you think these turtles are not endangered , they are one of the most endangered species in the world . People have slaughtered these creatures for their eggs, meat, skin and shells, sea turtles suffer from poaching
The Leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, is the largest sea turtle species and is highly migrational. They inhabit every ocean and are endangered in all of them (James et al. 2005, Roe et al. 2014). They require warm waters and tropical beaches for nesting and juvenile development, and cold Northern waters for foraging (Eckert 2002). Their diet is dependent on gelatinous zooplankton (Jones et al. 2012). Their major threats include pollution, bycatch, and egg harvesting. Many initiatives
Sea turtles are ancient creatures. They have been around for more than 110 million years ago. Turtles can live up to 100 years old fi they are able to protect themselves from harm. The Latin name for a sea turtle in general is Chelonioidea. Sea turtles are classified in following: Animalia Kingdom, Chordata phylum, Repitila class, Testudines order and Crypotdia suborder. They are also classified in the Chelonlidae or Dermochelyidae family. The genus and species of sea turtles depends on the species
Sea turtle is one of long distance migratory species in the marine environment. There are four out of seven species of sea turtles recorded to nest in Terengganu, Malaysia which includes Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea). Stranding is defined as any sea turtle, dead or alive with abnormalities (injured, weak, diseases) washes ashore or near the shore (Vélez-Rubio et al., 2013). With the increasing
Hawksbill Sea Turtle The hawksbill is quite a peculiar name, but makes complete sense after it’s explained. The mouth of these turtles is narrow and pointed resembling a beak, hence the name hawksbill (Hawksbill Turtle). The hawksbill sea turtle is a stunning, tropical turtle with many interesting habits and characteristics. This particular sea turtle has many unique physical characteristics that set it apart from other sea turtles. These turtles are rather small when compared to others. The average
thousands of hatchling turtles emerge from their nests and enter the Atlantic Ocean. However, even at birth, sea turtles struggle with survival sometimes due to natural threats. Predators such as raccoons, crabs, and birds raid eggs and hatchlings. Sadly, the biggest threats to these majestic creatures are caused by humans. In many coastal communities, such as in Central America and Asia use sea turtles as a source of food, even though in many cultures, including these, sea turtles have spiritual or
I. Introduction The Chelonian sea turtle and Passenger Pigeon may look different even though they are both from kingdom Animalia. One specie has a lung and the other has a lung-air sac system, these two species have many differences but as well have many things in common. In a book they are even compared that both species was and still are impacted by humans, even though the book is not written by a scientist it’s well written and research in what truly affects both species (Davidson, 2001)
Sea Turtles and Evolution Human activity is endangering a vast array of lifeforms that have inhabited the Earth for millions of years. Recently I visited the Field Museum in Chicago Illinois to tour an exhibit titled The Evolving Planet. The story that the exhibit told was that of life on planet Earth, and how throughout time Earth has reinvented itself using whatever surviving species that remained after its latest mass extinction period had ended. It depicted in a graphic format how time and catastrophes
The Effects of Marine Debris on Sea Turtles A fact that is tragically unknown by much of the human population is that marine debris has a large effect on sea turtle populations throughout the world during various stages of the sea turtles’ lives. This type of pollution has proven detrimental to the habitats of sea turtles, as well as to their lives. Marine debris can be defined as any manufactured or processed solid waste imported into the marine environment (Campani, et al., 2013). Various examples
Turtles have been around for about 230 million years (Dobbs 1). In that time, they have seen the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and the rise of mankind. Marine turtles have been around for about 65 million years (Dobbs 1). This family has withstood the test of time and is being threatened by human’s impact on the sea. All six of the marine turtles occurring on the shores of America are at least threatened. Marine turtles are very important to the ecosystem but humans are endangering this family directly
Why Should You Help Sea Turtles? Think about it. You go snorkeling and down below you is a sea turtle stuck in fishing gear. It is squirming to get out, but is not able to. This is happening all over the world as you are reading this. The WWF or in other words World Wide Fund is day by day trying to figure out more solutions to the many threats that sea turtles get daily. As each day passes, these turtles are dying out and are very endangered. You can hardly find them at the beach or in the ocean
Sea Turtle Sea turtles are exquisite ocean creatures that are quickly disappearing from our oceans. The population of sea turtles in the oceans is directly affected by three main factors related to human interference. Sea turtles are one of the oldest reptile groups. They are even older than snakes or lizards. Seas turtles are quickly disappearing from our oceans as pollution from trash, oil, gases and the unconscious fisherman are hurting this beautiful creature. One of the biggest threats to
small, green, female sea turtle rushes to make it to the ocean without being attacked by predators. Obstacles lie on the beach for the sea turtle to avoid; broken glass, fishing lines, nets, garbage from the last visitor of the day before. The sea turtle gets entrapped in the fishing line, unable to make it to the ocean, and ultimately devoured by the seagulls. Recently, this has been the pattern for sea turtles; however, there was a time when this wasn’t the case: “[Sea turtles] have existed for over
Abstract Sea turtles are a very well known marine species. But not many people really know the true stories behind sea turtles. They are considered a very endangered species in the marine ecosystem therefore the aim of this study is to inform people a more in depth view of sea turtles, including the characteristics of sea turtles. Such as, the different types of sea turtles, their habitats, and their reproductive system. Also a few real life cases that involves stories about sea turtles that are
the nest and returns to the ocean. Temperature has a major impact on the mortality of these unhatched sea turtles. According to a study by David Pike, eggs laid in tropical regions, about 5 ℃ warmer than temperate regions, had a 28.7% lower chance of hatching. Such a small difference in temperature can mean the difference between life and death. Temperature also controls the gender of the sea turtles. Warmer sand towards the top of the burrow produces females, while the cooler sand at the bottom produces
scale it’s huge and scientists predict a rise of up to 6°C in this century if greenhouse gasses are not cut drastically. Climate change is not just about the arctic sea ice melting, there are many other implications such as, severe storms, floods, and droughts; the sea becoming more acidic; rainforests dying, and drastic rise in sea levels. There are current strategies in place which are tackling climate change in general such as renewable energy and low carbon transport however there are also management