Why is it important to save the Hawksbill Turtle?
Hawksbill turtles play an important role in the ocean. They are especially important to coral reefs. They eat mainly sponges, which compete for space to grow with coral reefs. Coral reefs are home to many sea creatures, and without the Hawksbill there to eat the sponges they would have less room to grow. They also provide food for many fish by carrying barnacles and algae on their shells. Fish latch onto them and feed off of their shells in a commensalism relationship. These sea turtles play an important role in the food web. Their eggs and hatchlings are a source of food for many land animals, such as birds, foxes, coyotes, crabs, rats, mongoose, and vultures. They are known to dig up turtle eggs and prey on them when they hatch and make their dash for the sea. Also, hawksbill turtles have a lot of tourism value which helps economies of poorer Caribbean countries where the hawksbill turtles reside. Saving the hawksbill sea turtles would help keep the already dying coral reef population alive and would also provide even more money for some developing countries that reside where the turtles live. Why are they endangered? The main predators of these turtles are humans. Even though they have been placed on the endangered species list, and it is illegal to hunt for them, people still kill them for use of their bodies. They will be killed for their shells which are used for hair ornaments and jewelry. It is also very common for people to hunt them for their meat. Turtles are poached and eaten all over the world, along with their eggs. Coastal development has greatly affected the nesting grounds for turtles, and the lights from people’s homes are often mistaken for the reflection of the moon on the water, and the hatchlings will head in the wrong direction which gives predators plenty of time to catch them. Oil spills in the ocean harm all creatures in the sea, including the seaturtles. When a turtle swims through an oil spill it loses its ability to “cry” away the extra salt in the water, which is necessary for respitory reasons. So losing that ability to "cry" makes it difficult for the turtle to breathe. What steps should be taken to save the Hawksbill Turtle? Fisherman can be more equip to use TED’s or turtle exclusion devices, in their fishing gear, and they can stay away from turtle nesting grounds at nesting and hatching season. Hatchlings head for the ocean by using the moon as their guide. When lights are on in people's houses they get distracted and head in the wrong direction. On average only 1 in 1,000 turtles will live to adulthood. People can use low sodium lighting along beaches, so they won’t distract the hatchlings. On a larger scale, the World Wildlife organization is aiming to reduce turtle bycatch (catching unwanted turtles when fishing for other creatures) by working with fisheries to change to more turtle-friendly fishing hooks. These fishing hooks are called circle hooks. They are more rounded than a normal “J-hook,” and are harder for turtles to catch on to or get caught on. WWF is also working around the world to create marine protected areas to make sure that sea turtles have a safe place to nest, feed and migrate. Turtles are also being tracked via satellite. With the data retrieved from the hawksbill turtles being tracked, researchers can see where important feeding areas are, understand migration patterns, and anticipate where turtles may come in accidental contact with fisheries and their gear. |