Loggerhead Sea Turtle Research Paper

Humans have heavily affected sea turtle mortality rates, but one may ask what the benefit of having a stable and healthy population of sea turtles is. Sea turtles hold many important roles in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems where they are found. Along coasts where sea turtles are found nesting, beaches have been seen to have an increase in organic matter, phosphorus, nitrogen, and lipids (Bouchard 2000). This matter left by the sea turtle is in the forms of unhatched eggs and eggshells, which are then brought into the food chain through decomposers, such as beetles, or sea turtle predators, such as crabs (Bouchard 2000).

Sea turtles have a promiscuous mating system with multiple matings. Environmental conditions such as water temperature and day length trigger sexual activity, and copulation occurs several weeks before the beginning of the nesting season. The mating area is generally in the general vicinity of the nesting habitat. After a period of mating, males depart mating areas and return to foraging areas, and females migrate to breed at a site within the region of their birth where they deposit their eggs (Limpus and Limpus 2003). Loggerheads nest on ocean beaches and occasionally on estuarine shorelines (Le Buff 1990). There are four main continental nesting locations: southeastern United States, Australia, South Africa, and southern Turkey (Dodd 1988).

The Leatherback sea turtle is one of seven different turtle spices in the world. It inhabits three major tropical bodies of water: Pacific, Atlantic, and the Indian Oceans [2]. According to IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [1] the leatherback sea turtle (Demochelys coriacea) is at a vulnerable state. With its geographically widespread distribution, the species is doing well in population size. A unique aspect about this turtle is that its diet consists only of soft-bodied animals, such as jellyfish. [16]. Hence, the research question being discusses in this paper being: How and why does the leatherback sea turtle eat only jellyfish? And what dangers do they face with migration? With research from many scientific journals, the following thesis was concluded. Leatherback sea turtles survive and feed exclusively on jellyfish because of their adapted anatomy and for migratory purpose such as foraging and mating while facing dangers of lengthy migrations due to humans.

I wrote this article “Threats to Sea Turtle Populations in the Western Atlantic” because small scale fisheries and fisherman using gillnets are negatively effecting the lives of endangered sea turtles in the Western Atlantic. Even though there are laws protecting the sea turtles, poaching still occurs whether it is small scale fisheries or local fisherman. Some of the fisherman interviewed reported that they have eaten sea turtle meat previously and some admit to still doing so. Others say that they have previously poached the sea turtle eggs from their nets that are on tropical and subtropical beaches. Sea turtles need oxygen from the surface even though they can hold their breath for a long time, but sometimes they become trapped inside the

If the plan goes ahead loggerhead turtles may have to compete with tourists, businesses and coastal residents for use of sandy beaches. If the tourist node is built, Lights from the new development will discourage females from nesting. If a female fails to nest after multiple false crawls, she will resort to less-than-optimal nesting spots or deposit her eggs in the ocean. In either case, the survival outlook for hatchlings is slim. Lighting near the shore also can cause hatchlings to become disoriented and wander inland, where they often die of dehydration or predation. have an innate instinct that leads them in the brightest direction, which is normally moonlight reflecting off of the ocean. Excess lighting from the near shore buildings

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is small to medium in size with an attractively colored shell of thick overlapping scales. This shell is the source of "tortoise shell." Hawksbill turtles are named accordingly because of their hawk-like beak. They range in size from 45-90 kilograms in weight and 0.8-1.0 meters in length. Commercial exploitation is the main cause of the continued decline of the hawksbill turtle because of the high demand for "tortoise shell" products (7).

First, what the green sea turtle eats depends upon the species. Omnivores eat a variety of plants and animals. Hatchlings eat worms, aquatic insects, young crustaceans, grasses and algae. Although as hatchlings they are omnivores, as adults they are herbivores.

The Leatherback sea turtle being in the family of Dermochelyidae is a very unique type of sea turtle out of the “7-8 species” that there are (Foster). “Leatherback Sea Turtles are the largest of the species of sea turtles alive today. They are found in oceans all around the world and are known to travel large distances throughout their lives” ("Leatherback Sea Turtle Facts For Kids, With Pictures & Video." Active Wild).

Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program has established and continues long-term studies of these sea turtles by recording copious details of each and every sea turtle nest that lie within the areas in which they patrol. The researchers mark each nest with stakes and yellow flagging tape and record specific scientific data about each nest. The same will be done on the

Two lineages of sea turtle survived through the Eocene Epoch 55 to 38 millions years ago (Bowen 2003). One lineage was the predecessor of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), the only member of the family Dermochelyidae, and the other lineage gave rise to the six species of the family Cheloniidae, one of which is the loggerhead sea turtle (Bowen 2003). Today, only seven or eight species of marine turtles survive, distributed unevenly through all three tropical oceans. The modern decline in sea turtles species is not due to inherently poor adaption to post Pleistocene conditions, but is mainly a result of current and past anthropogenic exploitation. Additionally, the greater diversity of sea turtle taxa in the past compared to today is also due to the disappearance of entire isolated oceans such as the Nirobrara Sea, which was once inhabited by a diversity of seat turtle species. It is also due to other evolutionary mechanisms. Early sea turtle lineages had a growth of “experimental” type species that were more specialized, and these eventually became narrowed down to modern species as overspecialized species had a poor response to changing

Most sea turtles are omnivores. Adults green sea turtles are herbivores while the hatchlings are omnivores. Adults green sea turtles mostly eat algae,seagrasses, and seaweed. The hatchlings eat worms, young crustaceans, aquatic insects, grasses, and algae. Without these sea turtles algae and seagrass would become overgrown.

Causing the extinction of The Pinta Island Tortoise dates back to the 19th century where whalers and fishermen killed

Did you know that sea turtles have lived for over 120 million years? Sea turtles are an ancient group of reptiles that spend most of their time swimming or floating through the water. There are seven different species of sea turtles that are alive today. When classifying sea turtles, the kingdom is Animalia, which contains all multicellular eukaryotic organisms. The phylum is Chordata, which contains many animals that have a nerve cord, a nervous system, and more. The class is Reptilia, which includes all reptiles, and the order is Testudines, which includes turtles and tortoises. Some important facts about sea turtles are their habitat, diet, and behavior, especially around other sea turtles. These, and more, are what you will learn from this

After a significant slump last year, sea turtle nesting has rebounded to record levels on beaches from the Carolinas to Florida. The good news largely can be attributed to the conservation efforts of researchers and volunteers, who have spent the summer cataloging and protecting sea turtle nests, according to the New York Times.

The Hawksbill Sea Turtle is one of seven species of sea turtles that inhabit the ocean. Their scientific name is Eretmochelys imbricata and they belong to the cheloniidae family. The hawksbill sea turtles are named for their hawk like beak. They also have a carapace with an overlapping pattern of scales that form a jagged edge along the shell. They are found mainly throughout the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. According to the national geographic, they tend to avoid deep waters and prefer coastlines where they can feast on sponges and with sandy beaches close by for nesting. According to the U.S Fish & wildlife service of North Florida, the Hawksbill sea turtle also like to swim around rocky areas, coral reefs, lagoons, shallow