Why are Olive Ridley Turtles crucial for ocean health?

Olive Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) may be small, but their contribution to ocean health is huge. From controlling jellyfish populations to enriching coastal ecosystems, these marine guardians help maintain ecological balance. However, human activities threaten their survival. Understanding their role and adopting conservation measures is essential to protecting marine biodiversity.

About Olive Rayleigh Turtle

This olive Ridley turtle is named after its unique olive green, heart-shaped shell. It is one of the meanest sea turtles in the world, living mainly in the warm waters of the Pacific, India and the Atlantic Ocean.

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These turtles used to be abundant, with an estimated population of about 10 million in the Pacific Ocean alone. However, their population has dropped significantly due to human activities. The biggest threat to the olive Rayleigh turtle includes harvesting of eggs, poaching meat, and unexpected fishing gear entanglement.

Conservation work is underway to protect and restore the olive Ridley population. Organizations and researchers use advanced tracking and monitoring techniques to study these turtles, protect their nesting sites, and develop strategies for long-term survival. Work continues to ensure the conservation of olive Ridley turtles and their natural habitats through cooperation with global partners to implement conservation policies and fund research programs.

Source: NOAA Fisheries

Why are Olive Ridley turtles essential for ocean health?

Olive Ridley Turtles and its role in marine health

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Olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys Olive Tree) is a cornerstone species in marine ecosystems. Their demographic trends and behaviors provide insights into marine health as they interact with multiple nutritional levels and play an important role in maintaining ecological balance.

1. Regulating Marine Food Network

A. Diet and Ecological Roles

Olive Ridley Turtles are omnivorous and feed on a variety of marine life, including:

• Algae: Helps maintain marine plant populations.
• Lobster, crab, double-wire and molluscs: regulates populations of invertebrates.
• Jellyfish: Prevent uncontrolled growth and balance marine ecosystems.

This diverse diet prevents overfilling of any single species, thus ensuring a stable food chain.

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B. Nutritional circulation and beach stability

• When these turtles nest, they transport nutrients from the ocean to the land, enriching the coastal ecosystem.
• Their nesting activities inflate sand, boost vegetation growth, thereby stabilizing the beach and preventing erosion.

2. Maintain coastal and seaweed ecosystems

A. Promote the health of seaweed beds

• Olive Ridge feeds on seaweed, preventing overgrowth and promoting healthy young buds.
• This makes herbivorous carp and invertebrates that rely on seagrass meadows.
• Seagrass beds act as carbohydrates that play a role in mitigating climate change.

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B. Enhance the stability of beaches and dunes

• When female turtles nest on the beach, they strengthen and mix sand, improving the quality of their dune vegetation.
• The nutrients in untouched eggs and eggshells enrich the coastal habitat, supporting plant growth and dune stability.
• Strong sand dunes act as natural obstacles to resist coastal erosion and storm currents.

3. Olive Ridley Incubator as Prey

• A large percentage of hatcheries cannot survive until adulthood, but their presence maintains many predators, including:
• Birds (seagulls, eagles)
• Crab (ghost crab)
• Fish (shark, big fish species)
• Loss of olive Ridley populations may undermine these predators’ predatory dynamics, affecting higher species in the food chain.

4. Climate change and carbon separator

• Seagrass beds, maintained by turtle grazing, act as a large amount of carbohydrate sink, absorbing up to 35 times more carbon than rainforests per unit area.
• By maintaining seaweed health, Olive Ridley indirectly helps reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

5. Marine Health Biological Instructor

• Olive Ridley Turtles are highly sensitive to environmental changes, such as:
• Marine pollution (plastics, oil leakage, heavy metals)
• Climate change (sea level rise, temperature transfer affects the gender ratio of hatchling)
• Overfishing (accompanied bycatch in fishing nets)
• The decline in population marks a larger ecosystem barrier.

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What is the threat of the Olive Reilly Turtle?

Despite its ecological significance, the olive Ridley turtle faces multiple threats due to human activities:

1. Occasional capture (part-case)

• Commercial fishing gear, especially shrimp trawls and nearshore gnets, usually catch sea turtles, causing injury or death.

2. Illegal hunting and egg collection

• Turtles were hunted in certain areas.
• Their eggs are harvested for food, causing a decline in the population.

Source: Bottom Line

3. Habitat loss

• Coastal developments caused by urbanization, tourism and artificial lighting disrupt nesting behavior.
• Destruction of nesting sites makes it increasingly difficult to reproduce successfully.

4. Pollution and ocean debris

• Turtles mistake plastic for food, causing fatal digestive disorders.
• Contaminated water affects food availability and affects turtle health.

Why is protection crucial for olive railly turtles?

Protecting olive Rayleigh turtles is essential to maintaining ocean health. Their presence ensures:

1. Biodiversity and ecosystem stability

• Their feeding habits regulate prey populations and support marine biodiversity.
• Balanced marine ecosystems help counteract the effects of overcapture and climate change.

2. Sea turtles as indicator species

• Their health reflects the overall condition of the marine environment.
• Signals of decline in turtle populations suggest that wider ecological problems affecting human communities depend on marine resources.

in conclusion

The conservation of olive Rayleigh turtles is essential to maintaining a balanced marine ecosystem. Their protection ensures not only the well-being of a species, but also the overall health of our oceans and the sustainability of human livelihoods. By protecting these turtles, we are committed to maintaining the delicate balance of life on our planet.

Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Optical Illusion