Page 260 - The Virgin Islands

arine sea turtles are caught worldwide, as a permanent substitute to sea turtle hunting. ea turtles use beaches and the lower dunes
to nest and lay their eggs. Dune vegetation
M Salthough it is illegal to hunt most species Sea turtle nesting grounds became sustainable.
in many countries. A great deal of intentional is able to grow and become stronger with the
marine sea turtle harvests are for food. Many Sea turtles play key roles in two ecosystem presence of nutrients from sea turtle eggs, un-
parts of the world have long considered sea tur- types that are critical to them as well as to hatched nests, eggs and trapped hatchlings.

tles to be fine dining. Many coastal communi- humans——oceans and beaches and dunes. As the dune vegetation grows stronger and

ties depend on sea turtles as a source of protein, In the oceans, sea turtles, especially green sea healthier, the health of the entire beach/dune

often harvesting several sea turtles at once and turtles, are one of very few creatures (manatees ecosystem becomes better.

keeping them alive on their backs until needed. are another) that eat the sea grass that grows on Of the seven species of sea turtles, five
Coastal peoples gather sea turtle eggs for con- the sea floor. Sea grass needs to be constantly are listed on the IUCN Red List of Endan-
sumption. cut short to help it grow across the sea floor.

Leatherback sea turtles enjoy immunity from Sea turtles act as grazing animals that cut the gered Species as either “endangered” or “criti-
the sting of the deadly box jellyfish and reg- grass short and help maintain the health of the cally endangered”. Globally, the Kemp’s ridley,
sea grass beds. Sea grass beds provide breeding hawksbill, and leatherback sea turtles are list-

ularly eat them, helping keep tropical beaches and developmental grounds for numerous spe- ed as “Critically Endangered”, the loggerhead

safe for humans. Tortuguero, Costa Rica, have cies of fish, shellfish and crustaceans. Without and green as “Endangered”. Although sea tur-

transitioned from a tourism industry that made sea grass beds, many marine species humans tles usually lay around one hundred eggs at a

profits from selling sea turtle meat and shells to harvest would be lost, as would the lower levels time, on average only one of the eggs from the

an ecotourism-based economy. Tortuguero is of the food chain. The reactions could result in nest will survive to adulthood. While many of

considered to be the founding location of sea many more marine species eventually becom- the things that endanger these hatchlings are

turtle conservation. In the 1960s the cultural ing endangered or extinct. natural, such as predators including sharks, rac-

demand for sea turtle meat, shells, and eggs coons, foxes, and seagulls, many new threats to

was quickly killing the once abundant sea tur- the sea turtle species have recently arrived and

tle populations that nested on the beach. The increased with the ever-growing presence of

Caribbean Conservation Corporation began humans.

working with villagers to promote ecotourism