BEAUTIFUL FOOTPRINT

ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY PROJECT

In 2014, our environmental (wildlife) biology class was tasked with three projects for the semester which constituted 60% of our grade. The "Save It" project was of particular interest to me; not only could we pick the subject matter—it was a competition. 👊😏

I won the class competition with the following PowerPoint presentation...it still brings me to tears.

#ProtectOurOceans

- Marie Venezia

WHY HEALTHY OCEANS NEED SEA TURTLES

There are five major oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic. They are all connected, comprising a single vast body of water that covers 71% of Earth’s surface.

Sea turtles play a vital role in maintaining the health of the world’s oceans for more than 100 million years. These roles include: maintaining productive coral reef ecosystems, transporting essential nutrients from the oceans to beaches and coastal dunes (nutrient cycle), maintaining predator-prey relations and animal densities, and devouring invasive species that destroy grassbeds (jellyfish), kelp forests (sea urchin), coral reefs (sea sponge), and clog our waterways (crustaceans).

Commercial fishing, loss of nesting habitat and ocean habitat, egg harvesting, and climate change are among the human-caused threats pushing all sea turtles toward extinction. As their numbers continue to decline, so does their unique ability to fulfill vital functions in the ocean ecosystems.

Despite being protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for over 30 years, sea turtles once numbering in the tens-of-millions per species, remain severely endangered due to these man-made pressures. As a result, major global changes have occurred in our oceans.

It is time for us to protect sea turtles and to rebuild their populations to ensure the health and resilience for our oceans and for the future.

Besides ocean beautification, the Olive Ridley's shell is smoother and somewhat flatter than most turtle shells and makes the perfect sea bird roost during their long migratory flights. These turtles also offer protection beneath their shells for other marine life. A substantial portion of the Olive's diet includes jellyfish and sea urchin, both considered an invasive species.

The mature Olive Ridley will grow to be 3-1/2 ft. and 110 lbs. They will breed every few years and can produce up to 3 clutches during that year consisting of approximately 30-168 eggs per clutch.

The Olive Ridley is most vulnerable due to poachers who hunt them for their beautiful shells and skins that are used to make leather.
2009 ESTIMATED OLIVE RIDLEY POP: 800,000

At full maturity the loggerhead sea turtle grows up to 9ft. and weighs anywhere from 298-1,200 lbs. They can take up to 33 years to reach maturity and produce offspring. During mating season, which occurs every 2-3 years, Loggerhead turtles can produce 3-4 clutches. They can live as long as 67 years and swim the entire ocean.

Loggerhead's are essential for underwater communities as they glide along the sea bottom turning sand in search of food. This increases the nutrient cycle for the entire ocean bottom ecosystem. This distribution of sediment creates fauna/flora to ocean bottoms and in turn promotes species diversity.

The loggerhead plays a key role in expanding the genetic diversity of barnacles worldwide. They distribute 100s of epibiont species which feed other marine life around the globe.

Loggerhead eat crustaceans and jellyfish, both considered an invasive species that threaten, and in some areas, have eradicated an entire species of marine life.
2009 ESTIMATED LOGGERHEAD POP: 44,560

Green sea turtles help to maintain productive coral reefs by consuming large amounts of jellyfish which compete for food with fish.

Greens also maintain seagrass beds by keeping them "mowed" to a perfect height. Maintaining seagrass means nutrient cycling is replenished, nitrogen is decreased (too much and fish can't breathe), animal densities are controlled, and predator-prey relations are maintained at healthy levels; a healthy seabed brings more fish for predators to eat.

When seagrass and reefs are not maintained, slime, mold, algae and fungi are allowed to grow freely. Infected seagrass creates a loss of productivity in the food web, which means decreased protein-rich food available for people and ultimately, the seagrass and reefs die.

It takes anywhere from 20-50 years for Greens to reach full maturity and breeding age. A mature Green sea turtle will grow to 4ft in length and weigh approximately 350lbs. They breed every 3-4 years and can live to be 100 years old!
2009 ESTIMATED GREEN POPULATION: 90,000

The Hawksbill or "spongivorous" is vital to coral reef systems because its main food source is sponge. Due to the chemical and physical defenses of the sponges' extreme exteriors, not all marine life can consume sea sponge like the Hawksbill turtle. With a strong beak, this turtle can easily break the sponge into pieces thereby allowing other fish to feed on the exposed meaty interior of the sea sponge. Without the Hawksbill and other spongivore marine turtles, the sea sponge is allowed to colonize a reef without impediment until the reef is dead.

The Hawksbill sea turtle is found worldwide and grows to approximately 3 feet in length. In about 30 years it reaches full maturity and weighs as much as 280 lbs. This turtle produces approximately 140 eggs every 2-3 years.
2009 ESTIMATED HAWKSBILL POP: 15,000

The Leatherback sea turtle plays a pivotal ecological role for our oceans by consuming up to 440 lbs. of jellyfish daily! Jellyfish are an invasive species, and are quickly replacing many of the once-abundant fish species as they prey on fish eggs and larvae. This means a decline in fish as a whole, less food for marine life and less food for us.

But the most significant factor for the Leatherbacks' global population decline is Asian exploitation of Leatherback nesting cites. For the Asian culture and many other cultures, turtle eggs are considered a delicacy and an aphrodisiac.

Leatherback turtles swim the entire ocean—farther than any other turtle. They grow up to 9ft. and weigh 560-1,543 lbs.
2009 ESTIMATED LEATHERBACK POP: 36,000

The Kemp's Ridley sea turtle is the most endangered of all the turtle species by 90%! Their shallow nest are poorly disguised making it easy for prey and humans to pilfer the eggs.

All turtle eggs play a vital role in beach ecosystem: eggs are a concentrated source of high-quality nutrients either cracked, uncracked, or decomposing. These nutrients help to strengthen and further stabilize beach grass and deter erosion. As part of a natural ecosystem, predators eat the eggs and their feces provide even more nutrients and stability to the dunes so that sea turtles have a place to lay their eggs.

Kemp's Ridley sea turtles are most adept at consuming sea urchin. Sea urchin can destroy entire kelp forests at alarming rates if left to reproduce freely. Otters need the kelp forests for protection from predators while raising their young and hunting for food.

Kemp's Ridley are smaller than other sea turtles at 24-28 inches. They are mature at around 15 years of age and will live to be 50. They also eat jellyfish.
2009 ESTIMATED KEMP'S RIDLEY POP: 5,500

ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY PROJECT

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