Sea Turtle Conservation Efforts for Marine Ecosystems

Sea turtles are among the oldest living creatures on Earth and have not undergone any changes over the past 110 million years.

Turtles can be found in all oceans except the polar regions. They inhabit a variety of marine environments, including coral reefs, coastal waters, and the open ocean.

In terms of their physical characteristics, sea turtles have aerodynamic bodies, so they are able to adapt to aquatic life. They have a hard shell, or carapace, which protects their internal organs.

Sea turtle diets vary widely, depending on the species and stage of their life. Some species are herbivores, eating mainly seaweed and algae. Others are omnivores or carnivores, eating a variety of prey such as jellyfish, molluscs, and crustaceans.

Sea turtles can make long migrations towards the coast for hatching, where females dig nests in the sand and lay their eggs. After a few weeks, the baby turtles hatch from the nest and head for the sea. Typically, only a small percentage of baby turtles survive to adulthood due to predators and other threats, such as the loss of communities and illegal hunting and trade.

As a Keystone Species

Sea turtles are considered a keystone species because they play the following important roles in helping to maintain the balance and diversity of marine ecosystems.

See Also: Understanding Marine Conservation Areas in Indonesia

1. Sea turtles eat a variety of marine organisms such as jellyfish, sponges, and seaweed. In doing so, they help regulate the populations of these prey species, preventing any one species from becoming dominant in the ecosystem.
2. Maintaining communities. Turtles play an important role in maintaining the health of communities such as seagrass beds and coral reefs. For example, by grazing on seagrass beds, turtles help prevent the overgrowth of seagrass beds, which can act as a barrier to other marine life. Likewise, they play a role in regulating sponge populations, which prevent these organisms from leading other species in coral reef environments.
3. Turtles play an important role in helping to transition nutrients between different parts of the marine ecosystem. For example, their feces can provide nutrients for phytoplankton and other marine organisms, which in turn support the productivity of the entire ecosystem.
4. Breeding sites. Sea turtles contribute to coastal ecology through their breeding activities. Their breeding sites provide important communities for a variety of other species, including plants, insects, and birds.
5. Signs of ecosystem health. As sensitive creatures, sea turtles are often viewed as signs of the health of marine ecosystems. Changes in their populations or behavior can signal broader ecological imbalances, such as community decline, pollution, or climate change.

Sea Turtle Conservation – Plastic Waste Terror

Currently, plastic waste is one of the biggest threats to sea turtles. These animals often think of plastic waste – such as food packages, balloons, and other pieces of plastic – as their food. When swallowed, this plastic waste can cause blockages in the sea turtle’s digestive system and cause digestive tract injuries that can lead to death.

On the other hand, plastic waste can absorb and concentrate hazardous chemicals, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals. When plastic waste is swallowed by sea turtles, some of these chemicals can disrupt the animal’s hormonal balance, destroy their immune system, and increase their susceptibility to several diseases.

In some cases, turtles can also get entangled in plastic waste, such as nets or plastic ropes. This can limit their movement, cause injuries, and cause drowning if they are ultimately unable to free themselves from the entanglement of plastic waste.

Meanwhile, plastic waste that pollutes the ocean can act as a “vehicle” for the transportation of aggressive species, including barnacles, algae, and bacteria. Well, when sea turtles swallow or get entangled in plastic waste, they may inadvertently bring these aggressive species to new communities, which have the potential to disrupt the original ecosystem.

Plastic waste itself can also destroy turtle communities, such as coral reefs and seagrass beds, which are covered in plastic waste until they experience a shift in their composition. This can reduce the availability of food and turtle hatching sites, which in turn affects their survival and reproductive success.

Of course, one of the important efforts to maintain the survival of sea turtles is to reduce plastic waste pollution. Several steps such as avoiding the use of single-use plastic, recycling plastic, and proper plastic waste control are really significant to protect turtles that clearly have an important contribution to the health of our marine ecosystem.

Results Achieved in Turtle Conservation Efforts

Quoted in 2023, turtle conservation efforts that have been carried out by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and several supporting needs have shown positive results. There are crucial achievements in several locations, including:

• The decline in turtle hunting in Paloh West Kalimantan and Buru Island, Maluku. This was successfully resolved through cooperation with community groups in conducting surveillance and monitoring of nesting beaches.
• Reduction in direct utilization of leatherback turtles in the Kei Islands, Southeast Maluku. Increasing public awareness of the importance of preserving turtles is one of the most important aspects in this achievement.
• Support from WWF for the development of the Marine Conservation Territory in North Buru, Maluku. The determination of this conservation territory is expected to provide wider protection for turtle communities and other marine biota.

Turtle conservation efforts in Indonesian seas are a loyalty that needs to be continuously implemented. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is committed to always expanding marine conservation territories and increasing the effectiveness of turtle conservation programs. Bali Exotic Marine Park (BEMP) as a dolphin conservation company that is also committed to sustainability, also provides support for sea turtle conservations effort in Indonesia. We invite all communities to work together to preserve marine biota and their ecosystems.