Natural and Man-Made Dangers for Sea Turtles
Most sea turtles are now on the endangered and threatened lists. The species are slowly dying off, both from natural and man-made threats. Baby sea turtles are especially susceptible to these dangers, many of them not making it to adulthood. Natural Threats Sea turtles have many different natural threats. Since baby sea turtles are so small and have soft shells still, they are considered easy prey for many different predators. On land, baby sea turtles fall prey to such animals as raccoons, birds and sometimes even dogs. There are even more natural predators under the sea, including sharks, killer whales, fish and crabs. As the baby sea turtles grow and their shells harden, they become less of a prey to these animals. It can take many years, however, for the sea turtle to grow enough to be safe. Man-Made Threats Although the sea turtles' natural predators play a part in lessening the sea turtle population, the man-made dangers are what's causing the different species of sea turtles to disappear. One of these threats includes ocean pollution. Trash, toxic residue, nets and other fishing gear that make its way into the ocean can slowly poison sea turtles. Many times, sea turtles can mistake these items for food. The sea turtles can either die from swallowing these items or they can become ensnared, eventually drowning. Artificial lighting also poses a danger to baby sea turtles. Sea turtles are buried on land, and when they hatch, they usually use the moon's glow on the ocean to get their bearings. Sea turtles will then follow this reflection to the sea where they are more safe from land predators. Artificial lights and light pollution, however, can trick a baby sea turtle to go the wrong direction. The longer the sea turtles are on land, the more susceptible they are to night predators. http://www.ledlightpanel.com/blog/threats-to-the-sea-turtles |
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