Save the Turtles

Why won't anybody please think of the turtles!!!

Pretty dramatic, huh? Rest assured, these pictures are tame compared to the graphic, heartbreaking, gory ones I found while researching my topic. Due to my respect for wildlife, and my mom's intense love for turtles, I won't be showing those. Yes, the reality is often darker than it needs to be. But, if it gets the point across, then it's worth the trouble.

Today, I will be discussing a few ways that my household and I have found to make the world a little better. Follow my list to learn about saving our beloved Sea Turtles while also sharing some interesting facts about them and their impact on the ecosystem.

Let's talk about why Sea Turtles are crucial to the environment.

1. They serve as conduits of energy and nutrient transfer within their ecosystems.

They help maintain the area in which they reside. For example, Green Turtles eat from seagrass meadows, and by doing so, preventing it from growing too long and suffocating on itself. Because of this, the grass becomes a nursery for undersea life and acts as both a carbon sink and an oxygen provider for the ocean. Who knew stuffing your face could be so important? It's not only the Green Turtles either; every breed helps out in their way!

Hawksbill Turtles keep sponges at bay by eating them from the seabed, allowing slow-growing coral reefs to form and become home to many marine creatures. Leatherbacks reduce the number of jellyfish by eating them. Why is that important? Well, jellyfish tend to prey on fish eggs and larvae, which means they dramatically lower the number of fish in the oceans. Also, they are dangerous to humans as well, at least during low tide when they are close to the beaches. Loggerheads eat hard-shelled crustaceans and increase the rate of which they disintegrate, which helps promote nutrient recycling of the ocean bottom.

2. They provide habitats for undersea organisms.

As mentioned before, by allowing the growth of coral, reducing the number of prey and keeping the grass trimmed, turtles assist in providing safe homes for undersea organisms. However, did you know that their bodies are habitats too? It's true. Barnacles, various algae, and small creatures called epibionts, attach themselves to the body and shell of the turtle. By doing this, they get carried around and become a food source for fish and shrimp. In fact, some species of fish base their diets solely off of epibionts found on Sea Turtles.

3. They are a food source for various creatures.

It may not be comforting, but it is the circle of life. Sea Turtles are a vital food source for other organisms, especially in the early life stages. Creatures such as ants, crabs, rats, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, feral cats, dogs, mongoose and vultures are known to dig up unmatched turtle eggs as they are a nutrient-rich source of food. Baby turtles are a source of food for various prey such as sea birds, invertebrates, and fish while the adults are hunted btpy sharks and killed whales. The reality is very depressing, I know, but think of the positive environmental benefits that they provide by existing. All the more reason for us to help them. Let's talk about that for a minute, shall we?

What can we do to help?

Well, my household and I get together once a month and clean up our local rivers and lakes. It may not seem significant, but honestly, it is. Keeping garbage away from shorelines and beaches is essential for the survival of our beloved shelled friends. By ensuring that the trash is properly disposed of, the likelihood of it ending up in the water is significantly reduced. The less litter in bodies of water means that turtles won't consume it. It's pretty simple, but it makes a world of difference!

However, getting your hands dirty isn't necessary to help out the cause. By recycling shopping bags, as opposed to throwing them away, you reuse plastic that would otherwise sit in landfills, which are currently overflowing with trash. They fly into trees, land in bushes, and wash into our oceans, rivers, etc. Receptacles are an excellent short-term solution but not a definitive answer for the future. Various grocery stores, like Walmart, offer a shopping bag recycling bin located at the entrance and exit. From there, they are taken to a processing plant to be broken down and be made into everyday items. You learn something new everyday!

Another simple, yet effective way to help out is to buy and use biodegradable or edible six-pack ring holders. My household and I are guilty of buying beverages that are in ring holders, which are fatal to undersea creatures, unless we are careful. Plastic “holders,” as we call them, can get wrapped around the bodies and heads of turtles, fish, and other organisms. That horrible fact aside, they also take forever to decompose naturally, around 450 years give or take. Yikes, and here I thought 2020 was a long time; I can't imagine four decades of pain and suffering. By using more eco-friendly alternatives, holders that can be eaten or broken down, will remove a significant threat to the oceans.

I hope that this article is educational to you guys; after all, humanity messed up Earth in the first place, so it's up to us to fix it!

Until next time, be safe and think before you throw.