Leatherback Sea Turtles in danger
Kendall Kucera
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| Investigation Underway in Puerto Rico Over Killing of Leatherback Sea Turtle Latino Daily News |
Summarization and Description:
The Leatherback Sea (Dermochelys coriacea) turtle is the largest species of turtle in the world. Research shows that this specific species of sea turtle dates back 100 million years. Leatherback’s can grow up to seven feet long and weigh over 2,000 pounds. The Leatherback’s shell differs from most sea turtles because its shell is somewhat flexible and feels similar to rubber. Unfortunately, this species of sea turtle has been on the endangered species list since January 1, 1998 due mostly to bycatch fishing and disturbances to their nesting areas.
Geographic and population Changes:
One unique thing about the Leatherback Sea turtle is that you can find the them in every ocean except the Arctic. During their feed and mating routines, they migrate about 3,700 miles during their entire migration. Mexico was once the worlds largest nesting populations for leatherback sea turtle, although there have been severe declines in the populations everywhere in the world which made Mexico no longer the leading spot. The largest nesting grounds are currently located in Papua New Guinea and South America, but there are no nesting grounds on beaches under U.S. jurisdiction. The temperature of the nesting ground determines the sex of the sea turtle; and once hatched the female will swim to sea and return when it reaches maturity to hatch its eggs, while the male will spend the rest of its life in the sea.
Listing Date and Type of Listing:
The Leatherback turtle was listed under the ESA on January 1, 1998 as an endangered species. The recovery actions are in high priority due to high seas fisheries and the killings of nesting females and collecting of eggs on the beach. Because the leatherback sea turtles have such a wide range of migration it is hard to tell exactly how large the population is.
Cause of listing and Main threats to its continued existence:
The first threat to incidental take in fisheries which means the turtles getting caught into fishing lines and entangled in trash and debris. More threats to Leatherback turtles are increased human presence, coastal construction, nest predation, beach erosion, artificial lighting, beach mining, vehicular driving on beaches, exotic vegetation, beach cleaning, beach replenishment, directed take, natural disasters, disease and parasites, environmental contaminants, debris, fisheries, predation, boat collisions, marina and dock development, oil exploration and development and power plant entrapments.
Recovery Plan:
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| Nesting baby Turtles http://www.theearthconnection.org/blog/2012/07/ a-major-victory-for-the-leatherback-sea-turtle/ |
The goal for the Leatherback Sea Turtles is to get it off the list of endangered species. The ways they plan on delisting the Leatherbacks is by protecting and managing turtles on nesting beaches by eliminating the take of turtles and their eggs through education and information, increasing the laws against taking them and ensuring that construction on the coast does not disrupt them. Another goal is to protect and manage the leatherback populations in the marine habitat; this is because 99% of a turtle’s life is spent in the sea. The task in order to carry out this goal are to monitor fisheries and protect the habitat of the turtles. The last goal that is part of the recovery plan is international cooperation to ensure that the turtles are protected in foreign waters as well as the United States.
Works Cited:
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