The document provides an overview of sea turtles, detailing seven species, their habitats, physical characteristics, dietary needs, and conservation status, with particular emphasis on the five species found off Florida's coast. It discusses threats faced by sea turtles, including natural predation and numerous human-induced dangers such as habitat destruction, pollution, and illegal harvesting. Additionally, the document outlines nesting behaviors, the hatching process, and conservation goals to protect these endangered species and their ecosystems.

2. • Marine air-breathing reptiles
• Can be found in tropical and subtropical waters
throughout the world.
• Seven species worldwide
• Five found off the coast of Florida
• Three species nest on our beaches
• All are endangered or threatened species and
are protected by Federal, State, County, and
Municipal laws.
INTRODUCTION TO SEA TURTLES

3. SEA TURTLES AND DINOSAURS
• Sea turtles have remained unchanged for
150 million years.
www.oceansofkansas.com

4. HAWKSBILL (ERETMOCHELYS
IMBRICATA)
Endangered worldwide
Most tropical turtle – found in
Caribbean Sea, Atlantic, Pacific
& Indian Oceans
Habitat - estuaries, lagoons, &
coastal reefs
100 – 200 pounds
2 – 3 feet long
Omnivore – sponges,
anemones, shrimp, & squid
160 eggs/ nest
Threats – harvested for
beautiful shell
www.inwater.org

5. GREEN (CHELONIA MYDAS)
Endangered worldwide
Found in Atlantic, Pacific,
and Indian oceans
Habitat – coastlines, bays &
sea grass beds
400 - 600 pounds
3 - 4 feet long
Herbivore – sea grass &
algae
115 eggs/nest
Threats – food, eggs, by
catch in shrimping
www.inwater.org

6. LOGGERHEAD (CARETTA
CARETTA)
• Threatened
• Found in temperate and tropical
waters around the world
• Habitat – Estuaries & bays
• 300 - 400 pounds
• 2 - 3 feet long
• Omnivore – shellfish on ocean
floor, crabs, shellfish, & mussels
• 100 – 125 eggs/nest
• Most abundant turtle in FL
• Threats – coastal development,
habitat destruction, & shrimping
www.inwater.o
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7. LEATHERBACK (DERMOCHELYS
CORIACEA)
Endangered worldwide.
Most widely distributed turtle
around the world. From Alaska
to Southern tip of Africa.
Habitat – pelagic open ocean,
migrating thousands of miles.
700 – 2000 pounds.
5 - 9 feet long.
Shell is made of tiny bone plates
covered by skin.
Eat jellyfish.
80 eggs/nest
Threats – long-line fishery,
pollution, and poaching eggs.

8. KEMP’S RIDLEY (LEPIDOCHELYS
KEMPII)
Critically Endangered
Found in the Gulf of Mexico
Habitat – Shallow sandy or
muddy flats
85 –100 pounds
2 – 2.5 feet long
Carnivore – crabs, shrimp,
fish, squid, jellyfish, sea
urchins, & clams
Nest in “arribadas” 110
eggs/nest
Threats – taking for meat
and eggs, & shrimping
industry
www.inwater.org

9. • Endangered
• Tropical waters worldwide
• Habitat – coastal bays, estuaries
& forage off shore
• 2 - 2½ feet long / 75 – 100 lbs
• Omnivore – crustaceans,
mollusks, & fish
• Nest arribadas – 110 eggs/nest
• Threats – harvest of adults &
eggs, commercial fishing, &
habitat destruction
OLIVE RIDLEY (LEPIDOCHELYS
OLIVACEAF)

10. FLATBACK (NATATOR DEPRESSUS)
• Critically Endangered
• Northern Australia
• Habitat – inshore waters, bays,
coastal reefs, & grassy shallows
• 3 - 3½ feet long / 200 lbs
• Omnivore – sea cucumbers,
jellyfish, mollusks, inverts, &
seaweed
• 55 eggs/nest – 4 nests/yr
• Threats – harvest of adults &
eggs, fishing, habitat loss, & ocean
pollution

11. SEA TURTLE’S OF FLORIDA
• 5 species of turtle are found in Florida.
• 3 turtles nest on Florida’s beaches: Leatherback, Loggerhead & Green.
www.inwater.org www.inwater.o
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www.inwater.o
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www.inwater.o
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12. SEA TURTLE NESTING
BEHAVIOR AND EMERGENCE
PROCESS
Jeremy Conrad

13. 7 STAGES OF THE NESTING
PROCESS
Arrival – female turtle emerges from the ocean onto
the beach.
Marinebio.org

14. NEST CONSTRUCTION
Body pitting – removal of the top dry layer of sand. The turtle
needs moist sand to dig nest.

15. NEST CONSTRUCTION
Digging – Nest is dug with rear flippers only. Each flipper alternates
digging. Turtle digs until it can no longer reach the bottom of the nest.
Earthwatch

16. EGG DEPOSITION (LAYING)
www.marinecreatures.com
Laying – Turtle slips into a trance and lays her eggs.

17. TAMPING & CAMOUFLAGING
www.kevinschafer.com
Tamping – Rear flippers bury the eggs and pack down the sand.
Camouflaging – Using the front flippers, the turtle throw sand
around the nest site to hide the nest from predators.

18. RETURN TO THE OCEAN
Exiting –
After laying
and burying
her eggs, the
turtle returns
to the ocean.

19. THE HATCHING PROCESS
• Eggs take 45 – 80 days to
incubate & hatch
• Use egg tooth to pip shell
• Hatchlings work together to
emerge from nest (sand elevator).
This can take several days
• Swim frenzy-swim for several
days pass reef to sargassum mats
• 1 in 1,000 survives to adult

20. EMERGENCE

21. WHAT DOES ENDANGERED
MEAN?
Endangered Species Act of 1973 – protects
plants or animals that are listed by the federal
government as endangered or threatened.
• Provides a means to conserve the ecosystem
upon which endangered and threatened
species depend, thus preventing extinction
• Can not harm, kill, or harass any sea turtle,
nests, eggs, or hatchlings.

22. WHAT DOES ENDANGERED MEAN?
CITES (Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora) –
Regulates and prohibits international trade of
plant & animal species that are threatened or
endangered.
• Can not transport, sell, or trade any
endangered species product. (ex: turtle
shells, meat, or eggs)

23. WHAT DOES ENDANGERED MEAN?
• Critically endangered – Facing an
extremely high risk of extinction from the wild
in the immediate future.
• Endangered species – An animal or plant
species in danger of extinction throughout all
or a significant portion of its range.
• Threatened species – An animal or plant
species likely to become endangered with in
the foreseeable future throughout all or a
significant portion of its range.

24. WHAT IS EXTINCTION & WHY IS IT
BAD?
Extinction – the last individual of a species dies and there are no
more of that species on earth.
• Each species of animal has its place and a specific role in the
ecosystem.
• Extinction of a species results in an imbalance in the ecosystem.
• Scientific evidence reveals that we are in the midst of and largely
responsible for the 6th and largest mass extinction in the earth’s
history.

25. SEA TURTLES & THE
ENVIRONMENT
Food Web – Sea turtles are valuable to the environment because they
are part of the food web for all living creatures. Adult turtles are a food
source for sharks and for humans. Hatchlings are a food source for birds,
crabs, and fish.
• Turtles eat sponges and sea grass, crabs, shrimp, and fish. Turtles help
to keep populations of their food sources in balance.

26. SEA TURTLES AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
• Sea turtles are a primary transporter of
marine nutrients to terrestrial habitats.
• Sea turtle nests are full of nutrients and
energy for the terrestrial ecosystem.
• Unhatched eggs, dead hatchlings, and
decaying material provide nutrition and
energy for: plants and dune vegetation,
bacteria, insects, fungi, invertebrates, birds,
crabs, and fish.

27. THREATS TO SEA TURTLES
Natural Threats – Predation of adults and
hatchlings, weather (hurricanes & erosion), and
climate change.
Predation of adults include: Killer Whales,
Sharks, Jaguars, Feral Dogs and Humans
Predation of hatchlings include: Raccoons,
Mongoose, Rats, Birds, Ants, Wild Boars, Feral
Cats & Dogs, Crabs, Fish, Plants, and Humans

28. THREATS TO SEA TURTLES
Anthropogenic threats – Threats to sea turtles as a
result of human actions.
Human threats include:
• Harvesting & poaching of eggs and adults
• International trade and commerce of turtle products
• Commercial fishing & shrimping
• Urbanization, development, coastal armoring & habitat destruction
• Artificial lighting
• Pollution & debris.

29. NATURAL THREATS
Jarrad Sherborne Jeremy Conrad
Birds, Crabs &
Vertebrates are
predators of
hatchlings

30. NATURAL THREATS
Sharks – Are a natural predator of sea turtles.
www.seaturtlehospital.org

31. NATURAL THREATS
Erosion – Hurricanes and storm surge can
cause erosion which washes out and drowns
nests.
Earthwatch

32. HUMAN THREATS
Artificial lighting - can disorient hatchlings
away from the ocean and discourage adults
from nesting.

33. HUMAN THREATS
Development and Armoring – reduce nesting
habitat
research.myfwc.com

34. HUMAN THREATS
Illegal Harvesting
Marinebio.org

35. HUMAN THREATS
Turtles are poached for food and eggs.
Poaching is common in third world countries
and the Caribbean.
Jeremy Conrad

36. FISHING GEAR
Fishing Nets can entangle turtles restricting
movements and trap turtles underwater
resulting in death by drowning.
newsfromkkp.blogspirit.com
www.stemnet.nf.ca

37. FISHING GEAR
Fishing hooks and long lines can create
serious injuries and even kill sea turtles.
www.panda.org

38. FISHING GEAR
Turtle escaping from a T.E.D. (Turtle Excluder
Device)
research.myfwc.com

39. CONSERVATION GOALS
• Enforce laws against illegal poaching of sea
turtles and their eggs
• Protect nesting beaches from armoring,
artificial lighting, and development through
establishment of parks and refuges
• Eliminate illegal international trade of sea
turtles and their products
• Reduce turtle deaths from commercial fishing
and shrimping

40. CONSERVATION GOALS
• Enforce local, national, and international
laws to reduce dumping of pollution, solid
waste and toxins into the ocean and
sensitive sea turtle habitats
• Increase education and public awareness
about sea turtle conservation efforts and
how the community can get involved.
• Continued and increased research of sea
turtle populations, their habitats (nesting
beach and in water migrations) and their
behavior.

41. WAYS YOU CAN HELP SEA TURTLES .
. .
• Pick up trash at the beach and place
in garbage can
• Volunteer for beach cleanups
• Buy turtle safe shrimp
• Hold onto your balloons
• Don’t feed the raccoons and foxes
• Build sand castles near the water as
they may obstruct nesting attempts or
disorient hatchlings emerging from
the nest.

42. WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A TURTLE
NESTING
• Stay clear of and out of the sight of the
turtle. Your movement could disturb
the turtle and scare it back into the sea.
• Do not shine your light at the turtle.
• Do not take pictures with flashes as
this will disorient the turtle and cause it
to abort the nest.

43. WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A TURTLE
NESTING
• Do not approach, touch, or ride the
turtle. This is for your safety as well as
the turtle’s.
• Do not touch, take or handle turtle
eggs.
• Do not destroy the tracks left by the
turtle as they are important for
researchers to help locate and protect
the nest.

44. QUESTIONS?