Sea Turtles

Several species of sea turtles are endangered all over the world. In this post we will look at three that are classified as vulnerable on the ICU Red List but it is worth mentioning that the green sea turtle is listed as endangered and the hawks bill turtle is critically endangered.

Habitat

All three of these turtles live most of their lives in the ocean. The females come to land to lay their eggs and then return to the water to feed and mate. Male sea turtles hardly ever come to land but may become stranded due to injury or weather.

Threats

Sea turtles face many dangers in the ocean. Many of them are caught in fishier nets by accident but there is illegal hunting and trade that are also issues for many species. Another major issue that faces sea turtles is habitat loss.

Like many animals on earth humans are moving in on their habitats and making it impossible for them to live there. Human trash is also a major issue and many turtles are found with fishhooks or plastic stuck in them. Lastly, when humans and turtles meet in the water there is the potential for turtles to get hurt by boat propellers. This can cause air to get trapped in their shells making it impossible to dive for food.

Why Protect them?

Turtles play an important part in the ocean’s health and earth’s history. Many turtles help to keep coral reefs healthy and are a part of the ocean’s food chain. They also represent a group of reptiles that have lived on earth for 100 million years. Having this connection to the past is important when studying evolution.

Turtle skulls and fin bones from the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History’s Collection

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