The Importance Of Sea Turtles In The Ecosystem

It is a bucket list adventure for all snorkelers and divers to swim with turtles. These creatures are beautiful and exciting, but most people do not know how important this species is in the marine ecosystem. This article aims to explain why sea turtles are essential and draw attention to why and how we should protect them.

What are the 7 species of sea turtles?

Which sea turtles are endangered?

All turtles in our oceans are as vulnerable, threatened, or endangered/critically endangered.

Where do sea turtles live?

You’ll find turtle species in almost all the world’s oceans (except cold climates such as the Antarctic and Arctic), from inshore shallow bays to deep oceans. Flatback turtles live only in the waters in the Pacific around Australia and Papua New Guinea, while the other six species are found worldwide.

Male turtles spend most of their lives in the sea, but adult females will nest on beaches during the nesting season.

Author’s tip: if you want to see turtles in their natural environment, check out my ‘where to swim with turtles‘ article!

How long do sea turtles live?

One of the most interesting facts about sea turtles is that how long they live. Their general lifespan is 50-80 years, but some species can live up to 150, even 180-200 years. Most marine turtles mature between the age of 20 to 30 years and continue reproducing for another 10-20 years.

Why are turtles important to the ecosystem?

To understand sea turtles’ importance to the marine ecosystem, let’s examine how they help keep our oceans healthy.

Maintaining healthy seagrass beds

Specific marine turtles (Green turtles) feed on seagrass, acting as aquatic lawnmowers and preventing the seagrass from overgrowing.

Turtles eat fresh grass that grows a few centimeters from the sea bottom so they naturally keep seagrass meadows well-groomed. They remove and sweep away the old parts of the grass blades and like this, create healthy meadows that are crucial sources of oxygen and carbon and are also habitats for a variety of marine life.

Enriching beaches

Nesting turtles lay and bury their eggs in the sand. Hatchlings are food source for animals but also the unhatched eggs and even the remains of the eggshells are important for coastal ecosystems. While decomposing, eggshells supply nutrients.

Providing shelter for tiny organisms

Turtles provide home for epibionts. These are micro and macro creatures like barnacles, crustaceans and algae that usually grow on solid surfaces but settle also sea turtle shells, probably to take advantage of the fact that turtles swim through nutrient-rich, good quality waters so by attaching themselves to the shell, they stand better chances of survival and broader dispersal.

Why are sea turtles important to humans?

People cannot live without healthy ocean ecosystems. Oceans produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, so their health is crucial to our planet as well as to the creatures that live on it.

Marine turtles have a crucial role in maintaining our waters’ ecological balance. They control jellyfish populations, remove overgrowing algae and sponges from coral reefs, and keep seagrass beds groomed so our oceans remain healthy and thriving.

Besides their ecological importance, turtles are great tourist attractions. Where they are present, the area’s economic value increases; as people want to see and swim with turtles, they boost tourism and generate income for local businesses such as dive centers and conservation organizations.

However, it should be stressed that turtle-viewing activities should follow strict rules; turtles should never be chased, touched, fed, or disturbed in any way.

What threats are marine turtles facing?

Climate change

Turtles are vulnerable to climate change because it negatively affects their habitats and nesting beaches. High sand temperature, for example, causes a decrease in oxygen levels inside the nest, which could lead to fewer hatchlings surviving to adulthood.

A rise in temperatures affects the turtles’ gender. Fewer male hatchlings are born, which influences the species’ overall survival. Additionally, coral bleaching can occur in warm waters, which can devastate reefs that are the main food source for certain species, including the hawksbill turtle.

Pollution

Ocean pollution has devastated the sea turtle population. Ghost nets and plastic waste are the primary pollutants affecting these sea creatures.

Coastal development

Development in beachfront areas also hurt ocean turtles. This includes various human activities around nesting beaches with numerous impacts, including the following:

• development along the coast has led to habitat loss and fragmentation, which decreases nesting opportunities
• coastline alteration often causes erosion and removal of dunes, which are important nesting habitats for some species
• noise from construction activities can scare nesting females away from their nests
• increased boat traffic around nesting beaches also contributes to injuries and deaths of turtles

Illegal poaching

Turtles are hunted for their meat, shells, and eggs. Sea turtle meat is considered a delicacy in most coastal communities, particularly in Asia and Central America. Turtle shells are also used to make different jewelry and other decorative items that can sell for hundreds of dollars each.

Illegal poaching does not only decrease turtle populations but already leads to the extinction of certain species in some regions.

What would happen if sea turtles went extinct?

Turtles play a vital role in maintaining healthy marine and coastal ecosystems, so their extinction would have a major impact on the whole planet. If parts of the ecosystem are affected, the rest will be affected, too.

The general health of the waters would start declining as turtles keep seagrass beds and coral reefs balanced, directly or indirectly affecting all marine creatures.

Costal and dune ecosystems would suffer greatly, too. Without turtle eggs and hatchlings, coastal areas would lose their primary source of nutrients, become weak, and start eroding faster.

How many sea turtles are left?

It is estimated that the current sea turtle population is around 6.5 million. 90% of the remaining turtles are female and only 10% are male.

The numbers greatly vary for each species, and it is very difficult to say exactly how many turtles are left, but it is thought that Kemp’s Ridleys (less than 10,000), Flatbacks (10-20.000), Leatherbacks (30-40.000), and Hawksbills (25-80.000) have the smallest population. There are slightly more Loggerheads (50,000) and Green turtles (80-90.000 nesting females), while the rest are Olive Ridleys.

How many sea turtles die each year?

Tens of thousands of turtles die each year worldwide.

When did sea turtles become endangered?

The population of sea turtles started declining significantly in the 1970s due to the overharvesting of their eggs and the illegal trade for their shells and meat. Habitat destruction, climate change, and pollution are also significant contributors to the decline of these species.

What can people do to help sea turtles?

Use less/no plastic

According to studies, approximately 14 million plastics are thrown into the ocean annually. Marine debris kills about 1,000 sea turtles annually; they either get entangled or eat it. Turtles easily mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and consume them, rupturing their internal organs and causing intestinal blockages.

Trash comes from human activity, and it is our responsibility to prevent it from entering our waters. Try to live as sustainably as you can, reduce your waste, and recycle everything you can.

Also, avoid single-use items like water bottles or straws. Most of these items are not recycled and take many years to break down, so they wind up in landfills and then find their way into rivers and the ocean, killing marine life.

Reduce light pollution

Sea turtles depend on dark skies; they use the moon’s and stars’ light to navigate. Artificial light in beachfront areas confuses the turtles, so after laying the eggs, females have difficulties finding their way back to the water, which also causes hatchlings to get disoriented. Therefore, it is essential to keep nesting beaches as dark as possible.

Fish responsibly

Fishing is a fantastic outdoor activity, but you need to follow some rules when doing it in areas where turtles may be present so you do not harm them.

• don’t throw the fishing line overboard while fishing or boating. Fishing lines can entangle marine turtles, which can kill them.
• consider using a barbless hook or circle hook when fishing so there are no sharp barbs on your line that could harm marine life if it gets tangled
• if you have any leftover fishing line from your trip, bring it home with you instead of tossing it overboard, where it could tangle with wildlife later on down the road!
• change location if a turtle shows interest in your bait
• if you catch a sea turtle accidentally or find an injured one, call the Coast Guard or a local conservation organization immediately

Do not buy turtle shell souvenirs

Lastly, do not buy souvenirs made from turtles, such as shell jewelry or accessories. These products come from wild-caught animals and contribute to the decline of endangered species.

Spending money on such products is like supporting hunting for turtles, so avoid places selling products made from turtle shells and warn others not to do the same.

Conclusion

As keystone species, turtles have a critical role in the marine ecosystem; they help create and maintain healthy habitats for other creatures and control algae and jellyfish populations. There are numerous threats to them that make these species vulnerable, threatened, or endangered. As most challenges they face are related to human activities and climate change, focusing on safeguarding their habitats and protecting their nesting grounds must be a priority. There is no healthy ocean without sea turtles!

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