The Green Turtle

The Green Turtle

By Kate Martin

This past Spring I went to Mexico with my mom where we had the wonderful opportunity to swim with green sea turtles at Akumal beach (as pictured above). It has always been a dream of mine to snorkel and when my mom and I saw this opportunity we knew it was too good to pass up. Seeing these turtles in their natural habitat gliding along the ocean floor and eating the green seagrass was mesmerizing. These wonderful creatures made everything seem so peaceful and calm. Unfortunately, the green turtle is an endangered species and there are several things that are causing their endangerment, but there are many things that can be done and are being done to protect this species. 

Facts about The Green Turtle

            The Green Turtle, or the Chelonia mydas is named for the green fat that is under its shell (Sea Turtle Conservancy). They get this fat from the seagrass and algae that they eat. Green turtles are some of the biggest sea turtles, but their heads are a lot smaller than most (NOAA Fisheries). They have a pair of scales in front of their eyes, whereas most turtles have two pairs of scales. Adults usually weigh between 240 and 400 pounds and are 3 to 4 feet in length (NOAA Fisheries). Green turtle’s diet usually changes throughout different phases in their life. When they are young they eat worms and aquatic insects and once they reach adulthood they are strictly herbivores (NOAA Fisheries).  Seagrass and algae are in protected coves and bays, which is mainly where these turtles are found unless they are migrating. They are not found in the open very often (NOAA Fisheries).

Habitat

The Green Turtle is found in tropical and sub tropical areas along coasts and islands. In the U.S. turtles can be found in southern San Diego, Florida, and from Texas to Massachusetts (NOAA Fisheries). Green Turtles are also found in the Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Hawaii. Many are seen throughout the Great Barrier Reef and places throughout Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Here is a video of a Green Turtle Roaming around the Great Barrier Reef with a Go Pro camera on its back. This was done by the World Wildlife Fund and was an experiment to see the view of The Reef through a “turtle’s eyes” (WWF). Image 1 represents the different nesting sites around the world. The red stars signify the major female nesting sites and the circles resemble the minor sites. This map gives us an idea of where these turtles are around the world.

Image 1

Source:http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=green

Migration and Nesting

         Female turtles migrate from their feeding grounds all the way to their nesting grounds in order to give birth to their young (Sea Turtle Conservancy). They travel back to the beach they were born on (Sea Turtle Conservancy). When hatchlings are born they must travel from the beach to the ocean where they can find food and safety. When they reach full maturity they must leave the feeding grounds and migrate to the nesting grounds (Sea Turtle Conservancy). At the nesting ground, females crawl onto the beach and spend hours into the night digging a hole so that they can lay their eggs (Image 2). Once the turtles hatch they are on their own and must find their own way to the ocean (Image 3). They are very prone to danger in the wide open and not a lot of them make it past this point.

    Image 2                                                                         Image 3

                    

Source: https://cococares.wordpress.com               http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/green-turtle

Main Threats

            Green turtles are endangered due to a lot of human involvement throughout marine life. Overharvesting and illegal trade of eggs, fishing bycatch (Image 4), habitat loss, a disease called fibropapillomatosis, human development, especially in nesting areas and boat collisions from increased boating traffic are some of the major components that are affecting green turtles. Green Turtles aren’t as affected by bycatch as much as other sea turtle species, but looking at Graph 1 below we can see that the bycatch was at an increase from 1994 until 2000 and then decreased from 2001-2007.

Graph 1                                                                 

Source:http://www.fws.gov/endangered/news/bulletin-summer2009/reduce-sea-turtle-by-catch.html
Image 4

Source: http://jawspaws.org/hawaiian-green-sea-turtle/

Green turtles are very valuable to the habitats they are a part of (WWF). Because they eat seagrass beds and algae they act as a lawn mower, which makes the feeding sites healthy and productive (WWF). It is quickly recycled and digested and becomes useful for nutrients and animals that live in seagrass and algae habitats. Seagrass is also very important for a lot of fish that are used for fisheries because of the habitat it provides and therefore very useful for our food resource (WWF).

Disease

Fibropapillomatosis is a papilloma tumor that develops from fibrous tissue (Image 5). This is why it is called fibropapillomatosis. These tumors vary in size and shape and occur mainly on the skin, but can also occur on the mouth, between scales and in the organs (Fibropapillomas in the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle).  Scientists are still not sure how this disease is spread or contracted throughout the turtles, but the disease is like a cancer and it is fast growing (Fibropapillomas in the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle). There is still research being done, but the disease is affecting this species and there needs to be a cure.

        Image 5

                                

Source: http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=green

Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific Populations of the East Pacific Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

            The recovery plan for the East Pacific populations of the green turtle was listed on January 12, 1998. The Green Turtle was listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act in this range (U.S. Fish and Wildlife). This recovery plan is specifically for the U.S. East Pacific populations of the green turtles, including those in Mexico. Throughout Mexico the population of Green Turtles had decreased rapidly. This decrease was mainly due to the direct take of eggs and overharvesting of the turtles between 1960 and 1980 on the beaches of Mexico (U.S. Fish and Wildlife). Other threats to the U.S. populations include boating collisions and debris entanglement. The goal is to delist the species. The action that is being taken incudes: decreasing boating collisions and death by commercial fishing companies, supporting Mexico to protect nesting sites, determining population size and protecting foraging sites (U.S. Fish and Wildlife). There has been an action called head starting where the eggs will be taken and incubated and the hatchlings will be raised until they are older. They will then be released into the wild near the shore where predators will not get to them. With this plan there has been a sense of action to delist the species and has helped them recover their populations.

Personal Action

            For my personal action to help the Green Turtle, I would write a letter to the president of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, telling him of the decrease in populations throughout the green turtle. The green turtle is very important for maintaining a healthy ecosystem and can be used as an umbrella species for smaller ones, especially throughout seagrass habitats. They help fish populations that are important for fisheries and by decreasing bycatch, protecting green turtle eggs and their nesting sites and putting money into research for the fibropapillomatosis disease we can help green turtle populations survive. Through the WWF I could also get a BankAmericard Cash Rewards Visa credit card that donates 100 dollars to each account opened. The WWF is helping to eliminate bycatch by using friendlier hooks and helps work with local communities to decrease the use of illegal trade of eggs. With the WWF they are helping these turtles. When I went to Akumal beach the main attraction is the green turtles and I, like many others, would be extremely saddened to not be able to see them in the wild again. By keeping them safe and protected there will be many more benefits as opposed to ignoring their critical situation.

How You Can Help!

Visit WWF where you can donate, or adopt an green turle to protect! Here is a list as well of 5 simple things you can do. Lastly, you can write to the dive shops and snorkeling tours and let them know of the green turtle endangerment that is occuring. Without turtles they will not be able to give their tours and loose customers. If they know they might loose their main attraction dive shops will hopefully put money into research and protection! Here is a snorkeling tour that I took in Mexico at Akumal Beach. You can contact and help them become aware of green turtle endangerment. 

Works Cited

Balazs, George H. "Fibropapillomas in the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle." Turtles.

            Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA,

            21 May 1995. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.turtles.org/tumour.htm>.

"Green Sea Turtle." The Animal Files. The Animal Files, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

            <http://www.theanimalfiles.com/reptiles/tortoises_turtles/green_sea_turtle.html>.

"Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia Mydas)." Factsheet on Green Sea Turtle. U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Services: North Florida Ecological Services Office, Apr. 2015. Web. 17 Nov.2015.<http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/seaturtles/turtle%20factsheets/green-sea-turtle.htm>.

"Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas)." NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries, 26 Aug. 2015.

 Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/glossary.htm#benthic>.

"Grenn Turtle." World Wildlife Foundation. World Wildlife Foundaion, n.d. Web. 16

            Nov. 2015. <https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/green-turtle>.

"Information About Sea Turtles: General Behavior." Sea Turtle Conservancy. Sea Turtle

Conservancy, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=behavior>.

"Pacific Green Sea Turtle." Center for Biological Diversity. Center for Biological

Diversity, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/esa_works/profile_pages/PacificGreenSeaTurtle.html>.

 "Sea Turtle Migration." See Turtles Org. Oceanic Society, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
       <http://www.seeturtles.org/sea-turtle-migration/>.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific 
Populations of the East Pacific Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas). By Scott A. Eckert, Avier Alvarado, George Balazs, Richard Byles, Peter Craig, Peter Dutton, Karen Eckert, John Engbring, Ames Maragos, Robert Pitman, Susan Pultz, and James I. Richardson. Silver Spring: National Marine Fisheries, 1998. Print.