Sea turtles are on the brink of extinction, and plastic waste in oceans is to blame. Read Ever Wonder Adventure’s latest campaign to see how losing sea turtles would devastate all marine life and what you can do to help.
When it comes to marine conservation efforts, you may notice that sea turtles are the focus of a lot of conversations. That’s because they’re one of the most important animals in the ocean - and also one of the most vulnerable. A lot of things are harming sea turtles right now, but an immediate threat is the alarming amount of plastic pollution in the waters. Luckily, there are things you can do to reduce your impact on these majestic, beautiful creatures, and Ever Wonder Adventure’s latest campaign will tell you exactly what those things are.
Learn more at https://www.everwonderadventure.com/save-sea-turtles
As a keystone species, sea turtles maintain the balance of marine ecosystems through their natural behaviors. Notable examples include leatherback turtles, which feed on jellyfish and prevent devastating population blooms, and adult green sea turtles, which graze on seagrass, keeping seagrass beds healthy and benefiting other species that rely on them. Take these two species out of the equation, and you’ll have jellyfish and seagrass overgrowth that will crowd every other living thing out of the ocean.
But the impact of sea turtles isn’t just limited to the waters. Ever Wonder Adventure’s campaign notes that sea turtles are also important for sandy beaches, as their nesting behavior creates dune ecosystems that promote biodiversity and prevent shoreline erosion; their eggs also supply the environment with nutrients that would be otherwise inaccessible by beach-dwelling organisms.
However, modern sea turtle populations are threatened by human activity, and sources such as the UNEP Report, the Sea Turtle Rescue Alliance, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) note that plastic pollution is of particular concern. According to the WWF, 52% of the world’s turtles have consumed plastic waste after mistaking it for prey; in 22% of these cases, the plastic ruptured the animal’s organs or caused internal blockages that prevented the turtles from feeding.
Other forms of plastic waste, such as abandoned fishing nets, can cause entanglement, often leading to drowning. That, or an opportunistic predator might stumble upon the scene and eat the turtle while it’s trapped. That’s a pretty terrible fate.
Because of their vital role in marine ecosystems, many conservation groups, including the International Marine Conservation Institute, emphasize that the loss of sea turtles would result in cascading effects on ocean life. This all seems pretty bleak, doesn’t it? But there are still things you can do to prevent catastrophic extinction events. For one, Ever Wonder Adventure’s campaign says you can switch to reusable water bottles and shopping bags and participate in coastal cleanup events. You can also help sea turtle populations indirectly by choosing seafood options that are harvested using sustainable, turtle-safe methods.
Want to get a little more involved? You can join conservation efforts and advocate for more stringent conservation strategies from local governments. If we take immediate action and work together, Ever Wonder Adventure says that we’ll be able to preserve sea turtle populations and ensure marine ecosystems remain in balance.
Speaking of, awareness is a huge part of conservation, and this is what Ever Wonder Adventure focuses on. If you want to stay on top of the latest environmental issues, check out their website. You can also support them by purchasing their merchandise; this will help them continue to put out content that’ll keep the public educated. It’s another easy way for you to help sea turtles, so everyone wins in the end, right? Especially the turtles.
Visit https://bit.ly/Save-Sea-Turtle to learn more.
