Green Sea Turtles
impacted from climate change
What is climate change?
the result of human caused climate change
Some effects in the US
Northeast. Heat waves, heavy downpours and sea level rise pose growing challenges to many aspects of life in the Northeast. Infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and ecosystems will be increasingly compromised. Many states and cities are beginning to incorporate climate change into their planning.
Northwest. Changes in the timing of streamflow reduce water supplies for competing demands. Sea level rise, erosion, inundation, risks to infrastructure and increasing ocean acidity pose major threats. Increasing wildfire, insect outbreaks and tree diseases are causing widespread tree die-off.
Southeast. Sea level rise poses widespread and continuing threats to the region’s economy and environment. Extreme heat will affect health, energy, agriculture and more. Decreased water availability will have economic and environmental impacts.
Midwest. Extreme heat, heavy downpours and flooding will affect infrastructure, health, agriculture, forestry, transportation, air and water quality, and more. Climate change will also exacerbate a range of risks to the Great Lakes.
Southwest. Increased heat, drought and insect outbreaks, all linked to climate change, have increased wildfires. Declining water supplies, reduced agricultural yields, health impacts in cities due to heat, and flooding and erosion in coastal areas are additional concerns. (http://climate.nasa.gov/effects/)
Highlight: Green sea turtles
The green sea turtle is a large, heavy sea turtle with a wide, smooth shell.
Weighing up to 700 pounds (317.5 kilograms) green turtles are among the largest sea turtles in the world. Their proportionally small head, which is nonretractable like most turtles, extends from a heart-shaped carapace that measures up to 5 feet (1.5 meters).
Males are slightly bigger than females and have a extended tail. Both have flippers that resemble paddles, which make them powerful and graceful swimmers.
Most green sea turtles are herbivorous, feeding oh most sea grasses and algae. Babies will also sometimes eat crabs, jellys, and sponge.
(http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/green-turtle/)
(http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2007/martinel_meli/Classification.htm)
Impact of green sea turtles
Green sea turtles are harshly affected first, levels of the sea will rise and affect significant nesting beach areas on sand beaches. Second, rising temperatures increase the chance that sand temperature will exceed the upper limit for egg incubation, which is 34 degrees C. Third, rising temperatures bias the sex ratio toward females because temperature choices the sex of the egg. Turtle nests in Florida are already producing 90 percent females owing to high temperatures. (http://www.neaq.org/conservation_and_research/climate_change/effects_on_ocean_animals.php)