No matter how quiet, humans will often, and unknowingly, frighten nesting sea turtles back into the sea. This one might seem obvious—we all try to avoid hitting animals when we're driving—but because turtles are slow moving, low to the ground, and often travel at night, they can be particularly easy to overlook until it's too late. Global warming can skew the gender ratios of sea turtles, as well as the distribution of predators and prey. In the past 10 years, Paso Pacífico’s rangers have protected more than 50,000 turtle eggs. "The combination of the loss of income and help covering nesting beaches from international volunteers and travelers with increased desperation for food and income is resulting in increased turtle egg collection and hunting." And remember to collect all of your fishing gear and supplies once you're done, especially fishing line, hooks, and nets. And for more suggestions on how to help out vulnerable animals, ... Sea Turtle Conservancy offers its own Adopt-a-Turtle program to help the Florida sea turtle populations. 10 Ways You Can Help Save Sea Turtles! Endangered baby sea turtles may have a new savior: GPS eggs. Help make beaches safe for turtles and other marine animals by participating in cleanups to help remove trash from the beach. Date & Time: Thursday, Nov 19th at 8 pm Eastern / 5 pm Pacific. WWF volunteers coax released baby green turtles that were found at a nest site the day before, to the waters edge with lights at Acyatan Beach on August 23, 2018 in Adana, Turkey. https://www.seeturtles.org/help-save-turtles The reptiles are often caught in fishing nets by accident (along with dolphins, sharks, and more) and die as a result. Looking at a turtle and its tough shell, you might think that these animals are pretty good at protecting themselves. "You can directly help turtles by refusing single-use plastic, using reusable alternatives to plastic bags and containers, voting to ban plastics, and picking up trash at your local beach or waterway.". "Remember that each piece of plastic used will continue to exist forever, and could end up in the ocean, only to be mistaken for food and swallowed by a sea turtle," says Bandimere. 6. "When traveling, ask vendors what souvenirs are made of and when in doubt, don't purchase items in question," urges Nahill. Doing so will also stop more trash from entering the oceans, reducing the chances that a turtle may become trapped or eat it. Bonus: It's a do-good activity that you can participate in at a safe six-foot distance! It's not which dishwasher you use, but how you use it. Doctors warn to drop this activity immediately. So do your part by avoiding anything that looks suspicious—particularly anything that involves the shell of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle. You may have heard of the term "light pollution," but for sea turtles, light can literally be deadly. Both can alter your immune response in the long run. Change your fishing location if you spot sea turtles nearby or they show interest in your bait. A moving boat can seriously injure or kill a turtle, so stay alert if you are boating in the ocean. Sea Turtle Conservancy offers its own Adopt-a-Turtle program to help the Florida sea turtle populations. Plastic bags are especially troublesome, as sea turtles can mistake them for their favorite snack: jellyfish. Choose seafood caught in ways that do not harm or kill turtles. 3. ", While tackling such a massive problem is overwhelming, there are steps each one of us can take to try to reverse the damage of climate change. Even if you don't live near major turtle habitats, that doesn't mean you can't do your part to help in the efforts to protect sea turtles. But they are far more vulnerable than many realize, with their populations decimated in recent decades by human activity and changes in environmental conditions. Previously, the turtles had been able to lay eggs on the beach but could not maneuver in the trash. Hof points to WWF-Australia's Rivers to Reef to Turtles project, which identifies the chemicals that pollute Australia's rivers and the Great Barrier Reef. Contact the following organizations to donate, volunteer, and learn more about ways to help the sea turtles: According to the Sea Turtle Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund, sea turtles face threats from overharvesting and poaching, global warming, ocean pollution, and the encroachment of human activity on their nesting sites. Beach chairs, umbrellas, and tents are another hindrance that can keep baby sea turtles from making their way to the ocean when it’s time to start swimming. SEE Turtles is beginning a monthly webinar series, starting in November with our 10 Ways To Save Sea Turtles Webinar. Through this program, we also provide round-the-clock protection to Nicaragua’s most important nesting beach for the green sea turtle. © 2020 Galvanized Media. An NPS volunteer helps Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchlings reach the water at South Padre Island National Seashore. And SEE Turtles' Sea Turtle Emergency Fund supports community-based projects around the world. That’s more than 1,300 fewer than the estimate for the 2016 proposal. "By keeping light sources shielded from the beach and using LED lights with longer wavelengths—such as amber or red colors—hatchlings are far less likely to be disoriented." For centuries, people hunt Hawksbill sea turtles for their beautiful gold and brown shells to create jewelry and other luxury items. Remove your trash (and trash left by others) and any obstacles that may become hazards for nesting sea turtles and hatchlings like beach furniture, holes, and sandcastles. For example, Bandimere suggests that "you can make an impact on climate change by voting for politicians and policies that support emission reductions, eating less meat, walking and biking more, and buying ethically made, higher quality products instead of higher quantities of lower quality items. So what can you do to save these captured turtles? If you do see disoriented baby turtles at night, do not take it upon yourself to move the turtles. 10 Things You Can Do to Save the Ocean. You can help educate your local neighborhood or school by giving presentations, and tell people about the cause during conversations. Then make small changes to cut back. "Start with something simple, such as switching plastic bags for reusable cloth bags, and work your way towards leading a plastic-free life," says Godfrey. Beyond just ensuring that you don't hit the reptiles, you can help keep them from getting hit by other motorists. Reduce global warming by taking simple steps that will likely save money in the long run: drive less, ... but they are a danger to wildlife such as sea turtles, who can swallow them accidentally, mistake them for food, ... 10 Easy Ways of Helping Turtles Survive. to increase their chances of survival. If you see one crossing the road, it's often a female looking for a nesting site.". Sea turtles have lived on Earth for about 110 million years. "The best option is to turn exterior lights off during the nesting season—usually May through September—but sea turtle-friendly bulbs and fixtures are also available," explains Godfrey, whose Sea Turtle Conservancy created a video on the topic and runs a beachfront lighting program. If you're hosting a socially distant beachfront barbecue or birthday party, skip the helium balloons. In addition, organizations like Too Rare to Wear also have information on products that have been made from turtle shells, like jewelry and souvenirs, which are often sold to tourists in tropical regions. Stanford also suggests financially supporting the Turtle Survival Alliance and the Turtle Conservancy. These turtles are especially threatened in the Indian and Pacific oceans and along the Caribbean Coast. Support sea turtle conservation efforts by “adopting a sea turtle” or making a donation to a wildlife conservation program that monitors and helps satellite-tracked turtles. You can also avoid other single-use items, like balloons during a birthday beach bash, which will likely end up in the ocean where they will be eaten by turtles and other wildlife. Although targeting these problems may seem like an overwhelming task, there are specific actions you can take to ensure the survival of sea turtles. And only boats at least 40 feet (12.2 meters) long will need the grids called turtle excluder devices, or TEDs. If they are close to your boat, put your engine on neutral or turn it off until the turtles swim away. "Road mortality is a major problem for turtle populations," explains Craig Stanford, professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the University of Southern California. One main way is through education. "As sea levels rise, we are also seeing major impacts to nesting habitats. And for more suggestions on how to help out vulnerable animals, check out 17 Small Things You Can Do to Help Endangered Species. For some items, consider using their reusable counterparts, like shopping bags and water bottles to reduce your chances of polluting the beach. She holds a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering. 2 Minute Read. Sea Turtle Webinars. Removing trash and plastic from our beaches is good for sea turtles, shorebirds, and us." "Many organizations that directly work with sea turtles rely on volunteers to accomplish their work," says Bandimere. Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. Many local groups organize such cleanups year-round, or you can organize a beach clean-up day with some friends. Sailors from the USS Thorn use bolt cutters and knives to free the only surviving sea turtle in a group of four found tangled in some long-ago discarded netting, July 10, 2001 in the Mediterranean Sea. Reduce the amount of plastic you use every day. If staying at a beachfront property, be sure to turn off all lights at night. Alex is a writer and expert excavator of fascinating facts. Godfrey suggests that anyone looking to help save sea turtles should start with their lawn products. Here are some ways the concerned and interested citizen can help the cause: Refrain from walking on the beach at night during the summer months (April through August) as much as possible. 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