Why are sea turtles in big trouble these days?

Sea turtles are finding it very hard to survive these days. They are often being illegally hunted because of their meat which is regarded as delicacy in many exquisite restaurants and they are also finding it very hard to cope with the climate change and its side effects such as cyclones, rising seas and warming temperatures.

The latest study by the British scientists at the University of Exeter has found out that climate change and illegal hunting are not the two only threats which threaten sea turtles' survival. Large and even small-scale fisheries are also regarded as big threats to their survival. Why is that?

In their latest study scientists focused on small-scale fisheries in Peru, South America. By analyzing the available data scientists concluded that many sea turtles which originate from nesting beaches in Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Galapagos, are likely to be captured each year as a bycatch while they reside in Peru's waters,

The role of large scale fishing in sea turtles decline has been known for quite some time but this is the first study which shows that small-scale fisheries can also have devastating effect on turtles and other marine life.

The coastal area around Peru is one of the favorite destinations for five species of sea turtles, including loggerhead, green, leatherback, olive ridley and hawksbill turtles. On the other hand, Peru today has around 10,000 fishing vessels and 37,000 people working in fisheries.

Is it possible to keep both fishermen and sea turtles happy? The scientists believe that this could be achieved if fisheries were to change their fishing practices by for instance introducing circle hooks and dehookers to line fishing and using net illumination.

Sea turtles play extremely important role in marine food chain. Their favorite food includes kelp and other sea grass and this is extremely important because sea grass must be kept short to remain healthy (beds of healthy sea grass are essential breeding and development areas for many marine species).

Fisheries will have to pay more attention to these lovely creatures because their decline in population could very soon result in less caught fish.

Climate change causing problem to breeding of sea turtles

Climate change is causing damage to many animal species around the globe, and famous sea turtles are one of the most affected species. The latest study has revealed that sea turtles could have severe difficulties with breeding in years to come, once climate change impact becomes stronger.

Every year at certain point of time sea turtles come to lay their eggs in the sand. Little they are aware of triple threat that is coming with climate change, in form of cyclones, rising seas and warming temperatures.

Scientists have studies the world's largest population of sea turtles in Australia's northern Great Barrier Reef, and they have concluded that blazing hot sands presents the greatest threat to the animals' breeding success over the long term. Short-term speaking sea level rise is likely to cause the most damage to breeding of sea turtles but by 2070, sands in many areas will be so hot that eggs will not be able to survive, and sea turtles will likely face extinction.

Sea turtles play very important role in marine ecosystems, and balance of these ecosystems will be severely damaged once these peace-loving animals stop grazing kelp and algae.

Climate change could bring sea turtles to the brink of extinction.

The effects of warming are already obvious, and the fascinating fact with the sea turtles is that sand temperatures play major role in determining the sex ratio of turtle eggs. Warmer temperatures of the sand do not only more females, but also reduced hatchling success, and more deformities. If temperatures of the sand rise above 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius), then the eggs die.

Since climate change impact is unlikely to be stopped we must look for alternative solutions like installing shady areas on the beach, replanting vegetation along beach edges to get more shades, or relocating eggs to cooler places. If we fail to come up with the adequate conservation efforts, then sea turtles will likely go extinct.

Endangered animals - Sea turtles

Sea turtles have their habitats in all the world's oceans except the Arctic ocean. At this moment there are seven species of sea turtles in the world. Sadly, six species are being listed as endangered species. Sea turtles have been on Earth since Mesozoic but because of us humans they are brought at the brink of extinction.

Sea turtles are not only amazingly beautiful, they are also very advanced creatures with extraordinary sense for time and location and they use Earth's magnetic field as their navigational system. It takes them 30 years to mature, and this is the only time when adult female sea turtles return to the land to nest. Depending on turtle species, female sea turtle can nest between 150-200 eggs with incubation lasting about two months. Only about 0,01 % of this eggs have an actual chance to become a grown turtle one day because of many predators that lurk around.

Sea turtles are hunted almost everywhere on the world map, despite the fact that their hunting is illegal in many countries. More often than not they become food in fancy restaurants around the world. Even in ancient times sea turtles were famous as exotic delicacies (China). Meat is not the only reason for their excessive hunting, their shells for instance are traditional decorative ornamental material often used in Japan and China.

Six out of seven sea turtles species are listed as either threatened or endangered species.

What people fail to see is the significance of these lovely creatures in ecosystems, not only in oceans but also on the beaches. If these wonderful creatures were to become extinct it could cause tremendous negative impact on ecosystems in oceans and on the beaches. Two species are already critically endangered - Kemp's Ridley and Hawksbill turtles, and two other species Olive Ridley, and Green turtles aren't very far from being listed as critically endangered.

Their importance is just as vital in oceans as it is on beaches. Turtles eat sea grass in ocean, and sea grass must be kept short to remain healthy; beds of healthy sea grass are essential breeding and development areas for many species of fish and other marine life, and in beaches they contribute nutrients to beach (as well as dune, which is similar) vegetation from their eggs.

Many countries have realized the significance of these wonderful creatures and are already working on laws and legislation that would mean their survival. Sea turtle conservation started in 1970's and 1980's but with no significant success because many turtles still end up in turtle soups and some other delicacies. That's not all, in Nicaragua turtle hunting has even become a way of living.

In order to help these creatures scientists studied their migration, nesting habits, hatching habits and mating habits to help us learn more about them so we could save them from extinction. But will that be enough? Only time will tell, but current situation doesn't give us much hope.