Caretta Caretta
Loggerhead Turtles have been listed as threatened since 1978. They are one of the seven sea turtle species, all of which are under protection for being endangered. The loggerhead turtle is in the 'vulnerable' endangered category, but with shifting temperatures this could change very quickly to the 'critical' category.
An interesting fact, sea turtles cannot retract into their shells.
They live 40-60 years and after on average 12 years, they find their way back to the same beach they were born on to lay eggs. They are able to do this amazing feat, and navigate through the oceans of the world by sensing the .earths magnetic center, the sun and stars, even the smell of the ocean. Even though they breath air, they spend their entire life in the water, even sleep under water and only get out to lay eggs.
Habitat
Loggerhead Turtles live all over the world oceans except they are not found in the Arctic and close to the equator.
Researchers have used satellite tracking to learn that loggerheads in the Pacific undertake a long migration from nesting beaches in Japan and Australia to feeding areas off the coasts of Baja California in Mexico, Peru, and Chile, covering a distance of nearly 8,000 miles.
Read about the first ever proof of a trans-Pacific migration by a loggerhead:
Role, Importance and consequences of exctinction
Loggerhead turtles play a crucial role in nutrient recycling and sediment balance by consuming hard-shelled prey, while also providing habitat for numerous species. A single loggerhead turtle has been documented to host around 100 different species of animals and plants on its shell, creating a diverse and thriving microhabitat.
Turtle Island is a name for Earth or North America, used by some Indigenous peoples, as well as by some Indigenous rights activists. The name is based on a creation story common to several Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of North America. (Wikipedia)
The conservation of loggerhead turtles is crucial for the preservation of biodiversity and the stability of marine ecosystems. Sea turtles in general play a vital role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. The green turtles help control seagrass and leatherback turtles control jellyfish populations, and their nests provide nutrients to the surrounding vegetation.
They also are vital for coral reefs, by eating sponges which can grow faster than coral and overcrowd coral reefs. The coral are the lungs of the sea, giving us vaulable oxygen which makes loggerhead turtles a keystone species.
They are also important economically as they create turtle tourism.
Causes of decline
Uncontrolled coastal development and tourism causes habitat loss and destroys nesting
grounds.
Entanglement in fishing gear causes
drowning, laceration, strangling and starvation -turtles need to swim up for air.
Pollution, including marine debris, ingestion of plastics, persistent pollutants (forever chemicals)
Plastic bags are ingested due to being confused as jellyfish.
Climate change-related factors, such as rising temperatures and sea level.
Illegal hunting and poaching - their shells were used for decorative purposes!
Scientific Tools
Scientific tools are used to understand sea turtle biology, movement patterns, habitat requirements, and population status and help create and implement effective conservation strategies.
Tools used for sea turtle conservation are
Field data collection and logging for migratory routes and distances, nesting ground identification and monitoring, temperature logs, chips and tracking devices on turtles., genetic testing and analysis, sea level and temperature changes.
Read about the first ever proof of a trans-Pacific migration by a loggerhead:
Ways to help
We need to vote for environmental policies and politicians. A lot of the ways to help depends on this and controlling single use plastics and fishing practices.
7 of the 9 loggerhead populations are nearing extinction but they are still only listed as vulnerable. There is a push to list them as endangered but that would mean the government has to say stop to commercial fishing corporations who are already upset with the current regulations and it needs to be a global effect, due to how
far turtles travel.
Don't use straws, use reusable grocery bags and cut the loops on your plastic waste.
Bright lights on the nesting beaches
disorient the baby hatchlings, do not look for them with flashlights or vacation near known nesting grounds.
Shrimp trawlers which are required to be self releasing, still kill 650 turtles every year, buy sustainably and ethically caught fish, or only eat what you catch yourself.
You can volunteer at DEKAMER sea turtle center, working at Dalyan, Iztuzu Beach in Turkey, here is a blog by past volunteers: https://www.dekamer.org.tr/documents/volunteerblog.pdf
Dalyan, Iztuzu Beach
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