Sea Turtle Facts - Endangered Species
There are seven different species of sea (or marine) turtles in our ocean waters. They live all throughout the world! From the sunny coast of California,
to more tropical areas of our earth. Sea turtles spend most of their lives in the ocean but periodically
come ashore to either bask or nest.
Over the last 200 years, human activities have negatively effected sea turtles and their future. Slaughtered for their eggs,
meat, skin, and shells, sea turtles suffer from poaching and over-exploitation. They also face habitat destruction and accidental capture.
An example of human acitvity is climate change. Climate change has an impact on turtle nesting sites because it alters sand temperatures.
Nearly all species of sea turtle are now classified as endangered, with three of the seven existing species being critically
endangered.
THEIR CRUCIAL ROLE
Sea turtles have always been very important for the health of our oceans. They help maintain the health of seagrass beds and coral reefs that benefit
commercially valuable species such as shrimp, lobster, and tuna. Turtles have major cultural significance and tourism value. Everyone wants to see a turtle in the wild, but make sure not to touch them!
If sea turtles went extinct, there would be no seagrass beds and that leads to many marine species being extinct as well. Sea turtles are big protectors in our oceans.
Even on land, when unhatched eggs are left behind they leave behind important nutrients that nourishes dune vegetation. This stabilizes dunes and prevents coastal erosion.
