What i learned

I learned that the green turtles are endangered and we are the main reason why. There are many people that are involved in different organizations and conservations trying to increase the population of the green turtle. Even though there are some people out there trying to help there are also other people out there who don't care and are making it worse. More people need to get involved and get the word out that we are not the only things on this earth that are trying to live. What we put in the water doesn't only effect us it effects the millions of species living in the ocean. Millions of species are endanger of going extinct or are already extinct, and its mostly our fault. So please be the ones who help the turtle and all marine animals not the ones who hurt them.

Other marine biology blogs

Samantha
http://smc0927.blogspot.com/
Mary
http://pixii725.blogspot.com/
Kyle
http://kyleism161.blogspot.com
Katie
http://clickhereandmelt.blogspot.com
Ryan
http://agentjesus161.blogspot.com
Val
http://smokeythebear1.blogspot.com
Mike
http://marineorganism.blogspot.com
Guido
http://gtraslavina.blogspot.com
Bina
http://biinaboo.blogspot.com


As well as my delicious acount-
http://del.icio.us/ahogan22

Conservation

http://www.cccturtle.org/ccctmp.htm

This a link to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation and Sea Turtle Survival League. They are fighting for the cause of the Green Turtle and many other species of turtles.

Information straight from the website

December 19, 2007 — This week in Global Ecology and Biogeography, encouraging news has emerged for one of the world's largest marine herbivores, the green turtle, Chelonia mydas. A new study shows that long-term protection of the sea turtles' nesting beaches is successful in achieving increases in the green turtle populations.
The analysis shows that green turtle nesting on four beaches in the Pacific and two beaches in the Atlantic have increased by an estimated four to fourteen percent each year over the past two to three decades.

More on this view this page
http://www.cccturtle.org/pressreleases.php?page=n_good_news_greens-release

This organization is doing so much for the endangered turtles. Look into it and see if you can make a difference too.

Nesting the mothers journey

This a map of Green turtle nesting grounds all around the world.




This a video of the mother green turtles journey to the nesting grounds were she herself was born, and the babies journey back into the sea. Click on the link and see.

http://animal.discovery.com/beyond/player.html?playerId=203719213&categoryId=210013718&lineupId=undefined&titleId=595567857

Size

Green turtles are the largest of all the hard-shelled sea turtles, but have a smaller head. While hatchlings are just 2 inches long while the adults are 3.5 to 4 feet in carapace length/76-91 cm. The green turtle is the largest of the Cheloniidae family. The largest green turtle ever found was 5 feet/152cm in length and 871 pounds. Adult weigh between 300 to 400 pounds.

Threats

Humans are the main cause of the decline in the population of the green turtle. Incidental capture in fishing gear, primarily in gillnets, but also in trawls, traps and pots, longlines, and dredges. These are serious ongoing reason which are a cause of the decline in the number of green turtles in the world and also affects the species' recovery. Another thing that humans do that are addeding to the decline of this species is long-term harvest of eggs and adults on nesting beaches and juveniles and adults on feeding grounds. This continues in some areas of the world and compromise efforts to recover this species. Even thougth the lifespan of sea turtles is not known. Without the incounters with humans it is believed that Green Sea Turtles reach sexual maturity around the age of 25 years and can live up to 80 years of age.

Nesting

The Atlantic green turtle is found in tropical and subtropical waters along continental coasts and islands which are located between 30° North and 30° South. They live in tropical waters all over the world. Only the females emerge from the water when they are laying their eggs. About every two or three years they leave their feeding grounds and migrate as far as 800 miles to their nesting beaches. Biologists believe that nesting female turtles return to the same beach where they were born. This beach is called a natal beach. They lay an average of 3 to 5 egg clutches, with about 12 days between each nesting. There are an average of 115 eggs per clutch and they incubate for about 60 days. Nesting season runs from June through October in the U.S. The largest nesting site in the Western Hemisphere is at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Males do not accompany the females, but they all get together at the breeding grounds.

Diet

The Atlantic green turtle is a herbivore. They feed on both sea grasses and algae. But while they are juveniles they eat plants and other organisms such as jellyfish, crabs, sponges, snails, and worms. Any other time in their lives they are strictly herbivores.

Habitat

The Atlantic Green Turtle is also known as the Chelonia mydas. The green turtle can be found in these three places. A high-energy oceanic beach, Convergence zones in the pelagic habitat,and Benthic feeding grounds in relatively shallow, protected waters. Mainly stay near the coastline and around islands and live in bays and protected shores, especially in areas with seagrass beds. Rarely are they observed in the open ocean.

Mommy working hard for her babies.

Wow they move fast!

Aww poor baby turtle!!!