Save the Sea Turtles

485 Words2 Pages
I am a volunteer of Sea Turtle Inc. in South Padre, Texas. Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured turtles. Our hospital cares for turtles that have been found injured and stranded. Many turtles are hurt due to human causes. We hope by doing this that the next generation will be able to enjoy these beautiful creatures.Why are sea turtles important? They maintain marine habitats, help cycle nutrients, and are a part of a balanced food web. As they decline, it affects the health of the world's oceans. You can help by picking up litter, using safe boating practices, and volunteering. Plastic and trash in our oceans is a growing problem. While there is no exact number of how much trash is in our ocean, satellite images show floating patches of trash that are the size of the state Texas and are continually growing. Many times these items are not thrown directly into the water, but are discarded on the land and get blown into the ocean by the wind or brought in by high tides. To often a sea turtle mistakes trash for food and ingests something that can block their intestines and that can make them very ill or possibly die. Not only does this trash get eaten by marine life, but plastics leech a harmful chemical into our ocean and poison the water for everyone. You can help by taking care of your trash when you go to the beach. Reducing the amount of waste you produce is another way. Use biodegradable products, reuse your plastic beach toys every year, and bring reusable bags and water bottles to your beach days. Sea turtles are reptiles and breathe air. Although they can hold their breath for long periods of time, they do have to come up to the surface to breathe. When people drive their water vehicles carelessly, they can accidentally hit a turtle. Shell damage is life threatening, and often deadly. These accidents can be prevented by following

More about Save the Sea Turtles

Open Document