Olive Ridley Sea T urtles

1. Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Make a Difference!

2. Save Us! My eggs are gone! Help me live!

3. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Endangered Species By: ArminderJapra Mr. Kass University Biology

4. Profile Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Profile Taxonomy: • Scientific Classification: • Scientific name is LepidochelysOlivacea. • “Lepidochelys” means scaled turtle and “Olivacea” refers to the colour olive green. • Alternate names known, to identify this sea turtle are Pacific Ridley and Olive Ridley. • Geographic Range: • Olive Ridley is endemic to several other sea turtles species such as, Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Green Sea Turtle, Pacific Hawksbill and the Leatherback Sea Turtle. • Found in parts of Arabia, Japan, Micronesia, Caribbean, Mexico, California and several other areas around the world.

5. Habitat: • Live in marines and can survive on land as well so they are terrestrial and aquatic. • Live in the Pacific Ocean, near the beaches • Vast majorities of Olive Ridley turtles are seen in the beaches of Mexico and California. • Prefer bays and lagoons that are fairly shallow, because that’s where they spend time feeding and sunbathing. • Spend most time in the shallow ocean within 15 km away from the shore. • Swim around the shallow ocean water that is located in-between the reefs and shore. However, this species is also able to survive in areas of the open oceans including the marine.

6. Population • Considered to be the most abundant sea turtle in the world. • Past 30 years, the number of Olive Ridley sea turtles are declining by vast amounts each year. • Research done from the Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) of the IUCN, designates that number of Olive Ridley sea turtles in the world have declined by 50% since the 1960s. • Populations living in Surinam, French Guiana, and Guyana experienced an immense reduction of 80% in Olive Ridley sea turtles • Gahirmatha, Orissa, India used to be acknowledged as the world’s largest nesting sites for Olive Ridley sea turtles. However, in 1995 the amount of Olive Ridley’s in parts of these regions mainly, Malaysia and Terengganu have had a reduction in thousands of Olive Ridley turtles each year from only a few of a dozen extinct each year.

7. Major Threats • Threatening factors cause Olive Ridley turtles to die, and someday be extinct. • Some threatening factors are, targeted manipulation of their eggs, get caught in fishing nets that are actually used to catch other types of aquatic life, ingestion of plastic bags or items in the ocean, some turtles are token to scientific labs for research, offshore boats end up injuring or killing Olive Ridley turtles, several diseases, predation kill Olive Ridley turtles and terrible habitats where they can’t survive.

8. Habitat Destruction: • As countries become developed and technologies advance, humans start to take up most of the space on earth, leaving less space for other species. Olive Ridley turtles have had their habitats destroyed by, new construction built in area where Olive Ridley sea turtles live. • Along east coast of India, there have been several new aquaculture ponds, parks, fishing harbours, tourist facilities and shoreline villages built in areas where Olive Ridley sea turtles live. This disrupts their environment and kills most Olive Ridley turtles as they lose their homes their will end up on the streets or in other dangerous places where they can easily be killed. • Global warming is also threatens survival as pollution from construction factories disrupts Olive Ridley turtle’s health as they need a fresh and clean environment to breathe in and as the terrible methane gas and carbon dioxide gas fills the atmosphere causes several Olive Ridley sea turtles to die. After Before

9. Diseases • The Fibropapillomas disease was first originated in the back in the 1900s. In 1900 this disease was discovered in Florida. • Today, this disease has come back and has killed several turtles around the world. This disease is a herpes virus which is still being further researched today. • Fibropapilloma has a large shape that resembles a cauliflower texture that grows on parts of the turtle. • Disease impacts Olive Ridley sea turtles as, if many of them continue to get infected by the disease, several Olive Ridley turtles will die in vast amounts and will lose their population incredibly quick. • Can also develop on the flippers of Olive Ridley sea turtles which makes it difficult for the sea turtles to travel and move, difficulty in moving can cause them to be stuck someplace and end up dying • Fibropapilloma growth on the face of turtles can cause them to lose their vision. If an Olive Ridley sea turtle losing its vision it will not be able to move or eat because it can’t see anything and it will also end up dying.

10. Predation • Olive Ridley sea turtles have predators underwater and on land. • Fact that most of their eggs that are laid are killed and taken away by predatorslike foxes, dogs, birds, racoons and several other animals. • Water Olive Ridley turtles have to stay away from sharks and whales. • Sharks easily eat young Olive Ridley sea turtles, and older Olive Ridley turtles usually come on land to lay their eggs but then they get eaten by foxes, dogs etc. • Creates a huge impact on Olive Ridley sea turtles because it kills overall number of Olive Ridley sea turtles on earth.

11. Targeted manipulation of their eggs • Every 10 months of year, Olive Ridley sea turtles swim in ocean and come to the shore for an ancient reproductive custom (this custom is not understood by scientist completely). • Female Olive Ridleys dig holes in the sand where they drop 100 eggs into the holes. • Within 5 days there is about 10 million egg that female Olive Ridley turtle’ have kept into holes in the sand. • They leave several amounts of eggs because they need to have sustainable population of their turtles. • In order to accomplish that they leave vast amounts of eggs in the sand so that even when dogs or racoons eat them, the Olive Ridley sea turtles will have enough eggs to sustain their species. Scientist discovered this theory in 1900s. • Olive Ridley sea turtle’s eggs are considered healthy for humans to eat. Therefore, people harvest the eggs and consume them. • Occurs in mainly India, Bangladesh, Andaman Islands, Pakistan and Malaysia. • More amounts of eggs harvested, the lower the amounts of Olive Ridley sea turtles are born. • A law imposed among various countries, which strictly prohibited egg usage, but illegal usage of Olive Ridley eggs still existed.

12. Food Web

13. Classification Map Characterization of Chordata • Species found in the food web are from in the Chordata phylum • Chorata phylum consist of species that consist of a dorsal hollow nerve tube, a notochord, pharyngeal gill slits and a vertebrate. The notochord is a rod that extends mainly about its length of its body when it is completely developed. Sectioned and separated body. Endoskeleton structure. Consist of a heart with blood vessels that encircled blood cycle

14. Classification Map • Characterized by feathers, wings bones • Are in the Aves class • Distinguished by their style of living, and their beck and foot shape • Double circulatory system • Contain excretory and digestive wastes which is mixed into the cloaca • Covered with scales and dry skin • They are independent of water • Thick, leathery skin • Have large teeth • Long body • Ancient species • Born on land • Cold blooded • They are from the class Reptilia • Born in water • When they are born they breathe with gills like a fish • When they are older they develop lungs • can live on land once they are fully developed • Smooth and rubbery skin • Class Amphibia 3 other organisms found in Chordata are:

15. Consequences Seagrass beds • Eat seagrass beds that are just like normal lawn grass of a garden, which just requires being trimmed very time it is out grown to be healthy across the ocean’s surface. • When they eat the seagrass, they basically help the grass trim down and stay healthy. However of the seagrass is not trimmed down by Olive Ridley sea turtles, then the grass becomes over grown, blocks the currents flowing, makes the bottom of the ocean very dark and shady and the seagrass starts to crumble up and creates a slimy mould at the bottom of the ocean. • This results in better water purity and clarity as seagrass’s job is to trap sediments and particles in the ocean, this basically help keep the ocean clean and pure. However, if the seagrass can’t perform its job, then the water will get very filthy and contaminated causing other aquatic species to die. • First impact Olive Ridley sea turtles secondly it will impact, seagrass thirdly, it will affect species nutrient cycles fourthly, other aquatic species will be harmed, and lastly the food web will be destroyed.

16. Consequences Olive Ridley sea turtles are beneficial for beach dunes • Beach dunes don’t tend to get a lot of nutrients very year, therefore they is a very small amount of vegetation growth in dunes and beaches hardly even have any vegetation growing on them. Therefore Olive sea turtles are the ones to provide the most amounts of nutrients to the beach dunes. • When Olive Ridley sea turtles dig into the sand and drop their eggs, they actually tend to provide the beach dune with nutrients. • Fact that Olive Ridley sea turtle’s eggs actually compile nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium nutrients which are exceedingly healthy for beach dunes. When beach dunes are healthy they allow the continuation of vegetation growth and keep the beach dune stabilized. • Vegetation growth provides herbivores and omnivores with food and increase the species distribution of food. Several other species, also get nutrients by eat the Olive Ridley sea turtle’s eggs. Therefore, Olive Ridley sea turtles are great at helping to keep beach ecosystems stable and are even great at keeping their own nesting habitat stable.

17. If Olive Ridley go extinct then….. Consequences Extinct Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Keep the marine system alive and running • As there will be no sea turtles eating the seagrass beds, the seagrass beds will get over grown and soon they will just die, this will impact the entire marine system. • This will start to affect the primary consumers of the food chain like, shellfish and crustaceans will not have seagrass to depend on for their food and will end up dying. Then, comes the secondary consumers, who will have a difficult time searching for food when there is a lack of primary animals and lastly the tertiary consumers would die in hungry as there will be a lack if secondary animals. • Therefore is one component in the food web is lost or taken out, it will negatively impact the rest of the organism. Declined Population Declined Population Urchins Seahorses Dead Seagrass Declined Population Declined Population Crustaceans Shellfish

18. Olive Ridley’s affect human lives Lack of fish leads to the cost of fish increasing • As fish and other aquatic organisms are affected by seagrass becoming filthy and contaminating the sea, it all results in lack of aquatic organism living in the sea. • If there becomes a lack of fish in the sea, the price for fish around the world will increase, causing less humans to afford fish for their daily nutrients received from fish. • The main nutrient from fish is iron, and as the economy changes as fish prices increase, there will be a very small amount of humans around the world who will be capable in taking those nutrients and being healthy. • Humans will have to think twice before, choosing to have fish for dinner, humans will only be able to have fish maybe only once or twice, very 4 weeks.

19. Olive Ridley’s affect human lives Tourism and beaches • Since most Olive Ridley sea turtles live near beaches, having them becomes extinct will cause seagrass to create lots of mould in the ocean, initially making the ocean filthy for even humans to go into. • If the oceans of beaches become filthy and muddy, humans will choose not to swim in the ocean or they wouldn’t even want to go visit the beach that often. Beaches are known as vacation spots for people to go to and relax, but if Olive Ridley sea turtles go extinct, the seagrass will make the ocean filthy and dirty for humans, destroying the most favourite and beautiful vacation spot for people to visit.

20. Why is biodiversity significant • Biodiversity is very significant for the balanced growth of an ecosystem. It not only enhances the productivity of the ecosystem, but it also plays a very prominent role in creating healthy ecosystems that are capable to withstand from various disasters. Biodiversity provides services that are beneficial for the world. From microscopic to ponderous species, every organism in the ecosystem carries a responsible duty that it must fulfill. Every single organism delivers and offers significant duties that help maintain a balanced and structured biodiversity. This balance beam shows how technology’s weight is higher than natures weight. This means that there is more technology products in the world than natural resources.

21. Continued… Biodiversity helps maintain an organized ecosystem. All the species in an ecosystem are interconnected to one another. Whether it’s a sea turtle to a killer whale, or a bird to a worm, every animal is connected. Interconnect basically refers to species having to depend on each other for their survival. For instance, a food web consists of interconnecting species where insects eat plants, birds eat insects and tigers eat birds. However if one particular species was removed from this food web, all the other species will also be affected. The extinction of any species in the ecosystem affects the resulting species around it. For instance if sea turtles go extinct, the ocean will be overwhelmed with seagrass which tends to create mould and make the ocean filthy causing other aquatic life to die in the filth. This chain, describes how the extinction of any species, tends to negatively impact other species that are surrounding it. On the other hand, there are circumstances that require humans to extract species in an ecosystem to maintain a balanced biodiversity. This occurs when, there is an overpopulated and excruciating amount of a specific type of species that dismantles the food chain and vegetation available for other species. For example, in the 1990s there was an aired document in Africa, which had a vast amount of overgrown elephant population. This required humans to extract a vast amount of the population to result in a balanced and stabilized biodiversity.

22. Continued.. Biodiversity comprises with a broad range of vegetation in the ecosystem. This vegetation is used as a resource by living things on earth. Vegetation offers food, shelter, and several other benefits. Animals and humans depend on the vegetation from the ecosystem as their nutrition that helps them stay healthy and alive. A healthy biodiversity embraces the beauty of earth. Biodiversity has natural facilities that it provides for everyone on earth. These natural facilities include, supply of soil for plant growth, removing greenhouse gases from the air, water purification, food, producing oxygen and several other facilities. These facilities are necessary for humans and animals to survive with, and are essential for all living things on earth. Without a biodiversity, that removes greenhouse gases, purifies water, or produces oxygen in the atmosphere, all living things will not be able to live. Secondly, biodiversity accommodates us with additional benefits like, provides medicine resources, research, education, recreational attractions, tourism, industrial products and several other facilities. These facilities are second most important for humans as it allows us to build up our economy by using resources from the ecosystem and providing them to everyone in the world. For instance, trees used to create paper, is essential for human lives as, humans use paper very day for their daily life. Correspondingly, medical resources from ecosystems help in keeping everyone healthy and strong. Therefore, biodiversity is significant to everyone in the world as it is basically what, accommodates necessary benefits for survival and helps maintain a organized, interconnected world.

23. Biodiversity benefits everyone!

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25. What Does Biodiversity Do for Us?. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved October 18, 2011, from http://www.biodiversitybc.org/EN/main/why/109.html • Myers, P. (n.d.). ADW: Chordata: Information. Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved October 18, 2011, from http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Chordata.html • Why is Biodiveristy important?. (n.d.). index. Retrieved October 18, 2011, from http://redpath-museum.mcgill.ca/Qbp/2.About%20Biodiversity/importance.html • Save the Turtles - Leatherback, Hawksbill, Green, Loggerhead, Flatback, Olive Ridley and Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles. (n.d.). Save the Turtles- Non-Profit Organization - Supports Sea Turtle Conservation & Educational Projects for Teachers and Kids - We Sell Turtle-T-Shirts & Turtle Gifts and Accept Donations to Protect Endangered Costa Rican & International Sea Turtles. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from http://www.costaricaturtles.com/costa_new_seaturtles.html • turtles, t. a. (n.d.). Starwood Resorts Help Save Endangered Olive Ridley Turtles | Green Lodging News. Green Lodging News : Lodging's Leading Environmental News Source. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from http://www.greenlodgingnews.com/starwood-resorts-help-save-endangered-olive-ridley • (IUCN), t. I. (n.d.). Sea Turtle Foundation – Turtles for Tomorrow » Olive Ridley Turtle. Sea Turtle Foundation – Turtles for Tomorrow . Retrieved October 19, 2011, from http://www.seaturtlefoundation.org/biology/olive-ridley-turtle/ • STINAPA - Nature and Environment Education. (n.d.). STINAPA Bonaire - National Parks Foundation. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from http://www.stinapa.org/nee/seaturtle.html • Aquarium of the Pacific | Online Learning Center | Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Full Description. (n.d.). Aquarium of the Pacific. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/full_description/olive_ridley_sea_turtle/ • Olive Ridley sea turtle Fact Sheet | U S Fish & Wildlife Service's North Florida ESO Jacksonville. (n.d.). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/SeaTurtles/Turtle%20Factsheets/olive-ridley-sea-turtle.htm • Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. (n.d.). Sea Turtle, Inc. South Padre Island Texas Live Sea Turtle Cam Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Rescue. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from http://www.seaturtleinc.org/turtles/olive