10 ways to save sea turtles

Baby hawksbill turtle after being rescued. Join us for Sea Turtle Week, June 10-16, 2019, to celebrate these spectacular marine animals. All the various organizations cited in this article are doing worthy work to help protect turtle populations, and they could use your financial support. Previously, the turtles had been able to lay eggs on the beach but could not maneuver in the trash. All donations will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $30,000 this giving season by a longtime supporter! Sailors from the USS Thorn use bolt cutters and knives to free the only surviving sea turtle in a group of four found tangled in some long-ago discarded netting, July 10, 2001 in the Mediterranean Sea. How to save a sea turtle while on ... green and hawksbill turtles during her 10-day Swimming with Sea Turtles in the Bahamas expedition at ... not be able to engage with them in any way. Install Turtle-Friendly Lighting Every nesting season, thousands of turtle hatchlings, here in the Cayman Islands, break the surface of their sandy nests and take their first full gulp of salty, sea air as they use the moonlight reflecting off of the waves to make their way to the water. A new study finds heat can be effective against it. "When traveling, ask vendors what souvenirs are made of and when in doubt, don't purchase items in question," urges Nahill. 3. And Christine Madden Hof, marine species project manager at WWF-Australia, takes it one step further, saying "be careful what you put down your sink [and] wash from your driveways" as well. They simply give up on laying their eggs. And for more suggestions on how to help out vulnerable animals, check out 17 Small Things You Can Do to Help Endangered Species. Generosity is an antidote to isolation, fear, and division. Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. These are most often female sea turtles coming to nest, and they can easily get spooked. Contact a nature conservancy organization or local authorities. Organize a clean-up day with your friends and clear the beach of litter, give a presentation to your neighborhood or local school on things they can do to save sea turtles, and most importantly, talk to others about what they can do to make sure they Godfrey also suggests that those who live near sea turtle populations join in a beach cleanup. You can also avoid other single-use items, like balloons during a birthday beach bash, which will likely end up in the ocean where they will be eaten by turtles and other wildlife. "Discarded fishing lines often entangle turtles and can result in the amputation of their flippers," says Mike Osmond, senior program officer at World Wildlife Fund-US. If you do see disoriented baby turtles at night, do not take it upon yourself to move the turtles. Cleaning up the beach may also help make that locations habitable for turtles again. You may have heard of the term "light pollution," but for sea turtles, light can literally be deadly. Global warming can skew the gender ratios of sea turtles, as well as the distribution of predators and prey. One main way is through education. And for more suggestions on how to help out vulnerable animals, ... Sea Turtle Conservancy offers its own Adopt-a-Turtle program to help the Florida sea turtle populations. Join a sea turtle conservation tour! You can also “adopt a nest” during nesting season. 1. Don't approach sea turtles when they come up to land. Try to avoid walking on the beach at night during the summer, as this may frighten nesting turtles back into the sea. One of the biggest threats to sea turtles is the fishing industry. Godfrey adds: "If you know of a group planning a balloon release, ask them to consider another attention getter.". Here are 10 ways you can help save the turtles, according to turtle conservation experts. 10 Best Possible Ways to Help to save the sea turtle in Costa Rica. Beyond just ensuring that you don't hit the reptiles, you can help keep them from getting hit by other motorists. Though it may be tempting, doing so may frighten or disorient them. Instinctively, they follow the brightest direction to find their way to the water, but if they are disoriented by artificial lighting, they may wander inland and die of dehydration or predation. Date & Time: Thursday, Nov 19th at 8 pm Eastern / 5 pm Pacific. If you're hosting a socially distant beachfront barbecue or birthday party, skip the helium balloons. Doing so will also stop more trash from entering the oceans, reducing the chances that a turtle may become trapped or eat it. Stanford also suggests financially supporting the Turtle Survival Alliance and the Turtle Conservancy. Trying to find their way. "Road mortality is a major problem for turtle populations," explains Craig Stanford, professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the University of Southern California. If sea turtles become extinct, both the marine and beach ecosystems will weaken and have harmful effects. Climate change negatively impacts virtually every element of the global ecosystem, but its effects on sea turtles is particularly devastating. "Many organizations that directly work with sea turtles rely on volunteers to accomplish their work," says Bandimere. Choose seafood caught in ways that do not harm or kill turtles. 1. And it may close all of its retail locations. "As sea levels rise, we are also seeing major impacts to nesting habitats. And for some more eco-friendly items to invest in, check out 15 Eco-Friendly Gifts That Give Back. Be a volunteer Sea turtle conservation ambassador with Tortugas de Pacuare in Quepos, Costa Rica. The Oceanic Society offers a step-by-step guide–as does the World Wildlife Fund—to ensure you are buying and consuming seafood that has been sustainably sourced, and that no sea turtles were harmed in getting the fish to your table. Removing trash and plastic from our beaches is good for sea turtles, shorebirds, and us." "Find biodegradable lawn and garden products that you can use and facilities that properly dispose of toxic chemicals," he says. "Helium balloons can travel long distances, get caught in electric lines, and hurt animals like birds and sea turtles because, similarly to plastic bags, they can be mistaken for jellyfish," says Brad Nahill, president and co-founder of SEE Turtles, which protects endangered sea turtles by supporting community-based conservation efforts. "By keeping light sources shielded from the beach and using LED lights with longer wavelengths—such as amber or red colors—hatchlings are far less likely to be disoriented." So what can you do to save these captured turtles? Although climate change might seem like too big an issue to tackle, there are many steps you can personally take to reduce global warming. The good news is there are 3 easy ways you can protect our blue-green planet this Giving Tuesday: 1) Donate to Turtle Island Restoration Network and your gift will be doubled. Sea turtles have very attractive shells that are worth much money. ", While tackling such a massive problem is overwhelming, there are steps each one of us can take to try to reverse the damage of climate change. These include critically endangered hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles. Be a volunteer ambassador to Save Leatherback Turtles in Limon, Costa Rica. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch website and app allow you to look up specific types of seafood and determine if they were responsibly sourced. Then make small changes to cut back. Many local groups organize such cleanups year-round, or you can organize a beach clean-up day with some friends. ", Consider donating some time on World Turtle Day—or any day, for that matter—to helping sea turtles. Endangered baby sea turtles may have a new savior: GPS eggs. "You can help to guide fishing industries towards more turtle-friendly practices by consuming sustainably caught seafood," urges Ashleigh Bandimere, sea turtle program coordinator for the Oceanic Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging individuals to help in ocean conservation efforts. 4. Alane Lim is a materials science researcher at Northwestern University's Huang Lab. The Oceanic Society accepts donations for its efforts to combat pollution and climate change, and to help cultivate sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Change your fishing location if you spot sea turtles nearby or they show interest in your bait. Sea Turtle Webinars. Beach chairs, umbrellas, and tents are another hindrance that can keep baby sea turtles from making their way to the ocean when it’s time to start swimming. Celebrate World Turtle Day by doing some of these things to help protect the vulnerable sea creatures. "Remember that each piece of plastic used will continue to exist forever, and could end up in the ocean, only to be mistaken for food and swallowed by a sea turtle," says Bandimere. If you see one crossing the road, it's often a female looking for a nesting site.". Educate yourself on how your seafood was caught and support organizations that advocate for the sustainable catching of seafood. Help make beaches safe for turtles and other marine animals by participating in cleanups to help remove trash from the beach. A moving boat can seriously injure or kill a turtle, so stay alert if you are boating in the ocean. That’s more than 1,300 fewer than the estimate for the 2016 proposal. Enter your email address to get the best tips and advice. Six out of seven sea turtle species are endangered and only as few as 1 in 1,000 eggs will survive to an adult turtle. Watch previously recorded webinars below. This is also a great way to give up to the community and environment. Consult sustainable seafood information networks to learn about how and where your seafood is caught. The seventh species, the loggerhead, is classified as threatened (likely to become an endangered species in the near future). Here are 10 ways you can help save the turtles, according to turtle conservation experts. Of toxic chemicals, '' but for sea turtles when they come up to $ 30,000 this giving by... Are pretty good at protecting themselves own Adopt-a-Turtle program to help protect the vulnerable sea.. Shell, you can do to save the ocean turtles may have heard of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle.. Your fishing gear and supplies once you 're done, especially fishing line,,. 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