Earth consists of 71% water, with sea and oceans occupying 96.5% of it. The ocean plays a significant role in regulating the Earth’s climate and it sustains large proportion of marine life such as shark, whale, jelly fish and sea turtle. Sea turtles are recognized as ancient animals that exists for more than 100 million years since the time of dinosaurs. Sea turtle is the public name for the marine turtle comprising the super family of Chelonioidea. It is a big marine reptile with bony or leathery shell, large upper eyelids, non-retractable head and powerful front flipper (Lim & Das, 1999). Sea turtles are one of the marine life which can help to maintain a healthy marine food web and are responsible for the nutrient recycle from the oceans to the beaches especially during nesting season to support the vegetation besides preventing erosion. According to Spellman (2008), the five common species of sea turtles are Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Kemp’s Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), Green turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) (refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1).
The first type of sea turtle is Dermochelys coriacea. According to Gulko and Eckert (2004), it is the only living representative for the Dermocheyldae family. Dermochelys coriacea is the largest sea turtle, and commonly known as leatherback turtle. It has the widest global range. It is widespread in every ocean except the Antarctic and Arctic. The shell length of the leatherback turtle is approximately 178cm and weighs about 250kg to 907kg. A male turtle sometimes reaches a shell length of 6.5 feet which is 198cm and weigh up to 907kg. They are named for their shell. Leatherback turtles are ...
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...er, L., & Heppell, S. (2011). The decline and rise of a sea turtle: How Kemp’s
Ridleys are recovering in the Gulf of Mexico. Solutions, 2(1), 67-73.
Duermit, L. (2007). Caretta caretta. Retrieved from http://animaldiversity.ummz. umich.edu/accounts/Caretta_caretta Ernst, C. H., & Barbour, R. W. (1989). Turtles of the world. London, UK:
Smithsonian Institution Press.
Gulko, D., & Eckert, K. L. (2004). Sea turtles: An ecologlical guide. Honolulu, HI:
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Lim, B. L., & Das, I. (1999). The turtles of Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah,
Malaysia: Natural History Publications (Borneo) Sdn. Bhd.
Spellman, F. R. (2008). Ecology for nonecologists. Lanham, MD:
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Spotila, J. R. (2004). Sea turtles: A complete guide to their biology, behavior, and conservation. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Throughout the animal kingdom, adaptations take place continuously and even the smallest of changes can leave a significant impact. Examples can be seen within any plant or animal. One example would include sea turtles, specifically, the Loggerhead Turtles. These turtles are native to the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea (Deurmit L 2007). They thrive in either temperate or tropical climates and can live in a myriad of biomes (Deurmit L 2007). These biomes include the pelagic, reef, coastal, and brackish water (Deurmit L 2007). Loggerhead turtles are omnivores and can eat anything from insects to aquatic crustaceans, to macro algae (Deurmit L 2007). According to Deurmit (2007) Caretta caretta is classified into Animalia Kingdom, Chordata Phylum, Vertebrata Subphylum, Reptilian Class, Testudines’ Order,
The efforts taking place through different conservation organizations and the State of Florida are making a mixed impact on the survival of Manatees and Sea Turtles. The decline in manatee population has decreased, but due to low reproduction rates, more needs to be done to avoid extinction. The sea turtle outlook is more species specific. Some species of turtle are seeing stabilization in population, while others are not. The State of Florida has a large array of custom license tags that support the conservation efforts taking place within the State. The proceeds go to benefit the local marine life in Florida. With financial resources, state and local cooperation, and through constant research and observation, we are able to learn more about both of these gentle animals. With human awareness of those living in Florida, these two animals will survive
The Web. 28 July 2011. http://redpath-museum.mcgill.ca/Qbp/3.Conservation/impacts.htm>. Interaction with kelp & sea otters. asnailsodyssey.com.
Loggerhead sea turtles, scientifically labeled Carretta carretta, are the most global nesting turtle species and the most abundant in United State’s waters. While they are not nesting, they travel through open ocean water, spending time searching for food and resting on the sea floor. These turtles were nicknamed Loggerheads because of their large heads and strong jaw needed to break the shells of crustaceans. Loggerheads have the largest nesting range of any sea turtle, inhabiting the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans (Spotila, 2004).
The original turtle has long been, and continues to be, a major evolutionary enigma. The oldest turtle clearly identified the turtle. Since turtles appear suddenly in the fossil record, the latest data is not changed with the creation of the event is followed by diversification and
During the time we learn about the turtle, it faces several hardships. First, the turtle attempts to cross the road, “Pushing hind legs strained and slipped, boosting the shell along, and the horny head protruded as far as the neck could stretch,” (Steinbeck, 21). Second, the turtle has to tr...
Loggerhead Sea Turtles have many important benefits and attributions not only to the ocean but to humans as well. Since Loggerheads transport nutrients from oceans to beaches through their migrations and nesting they increase the rate of nutrient recycling in benthic, ocean bottom, ecosystems (Wilson et al. 2010). They constantly will be maintaining the coral reef ecosystem as well.
These basking rocks, or even floating cork for younger turtles, are very important, they have to have a place to bask and get out of the water. Yet if you decide to keep it outside be sure to provide a place to bask, plenty of water, filters, and a covering so other predators can not harm or eat your turtle. Equipment will be different for indoors or outdoors. If you keep your turtle indoors be sure that it can occasionally get fresh air and sun light, but do not keep an aquarium next to a window! Also, make sure your aquarium or pond is clean, this is extremely important to maintain good health for the turtle and provides them with a clean habitat.
Pimm, Stuart “Opinion: The Case of Species Revival”, news.nationalgeographic.com, 13 March 2013, 20 May 2014
Rohter, Larry. "In Killing a Cove, Siding With Dolphins." The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 July 2009. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.
...gly supported and implicated by this experiment. While Bayesian inference puts turtles in a wide range, parsimony puts turtles more specifically near pareiasauromorphs. Also, in molecular scaffolding, a turtle-archosaur clade in the diapsid matrices is very evident, but highly unstable for Eunotosaurus. Eunotosaurus, though, remains with parareptiles in a majority of the scaffolding. This states that turtles could very well be considered parareptiles, while being sister groups to archosaurs. Further evidence should be done on other close relatives to these taxa, including the research of synamorphies to help support the evidence. The more experiments that are applied to studying the different ancestors and possible sisters of turtles, and even Eunotosaurus, could be what it takes to properly place turtles in the specific phylogeny and taxa that they belong to.
Simmons, Randy T. Critical thinking about Environmental issues: Endangered Species. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Print.
Lotze, Heike K., Marta Coll, Anna M. Magera, Christine Ward-Paige, and Laura Airoldi. "Recovery of Marine Animal Populations and Ecosystems." Trends in Ecology & Evolution 26.11 (2011): 595-605. Print.
Seagrass is not just a food source for micro species, but also macro species such as manatees, turtles, dolphins and dugongs (Yamada and Kumagai 2012). These marine organisms are all supported directly and indirectly by seagrasses, with some entirely dependent on it. Seagrass is often underestimated in its significance as the vast role that it plays in the oceans ecosystem is not fully understood. ...