Bronte Wells
Loggerhead sea turtles are a threatened species that have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1978. They are native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. One of the greatest threats to loggerhead sea turtles is pollution. Waterways and oceans are being polluted by toxic metals, PCBs, petroleum products, and agricultural and industrial runoff, which can cause immediate harm to sea turtles or build up in their tissues over time. This can lead to immunosuppression, disease, and death. Marine trash, such as plastics, poses an entanglement and ingestion hazard to turtles, threatening their ability to forage, grow, and survive. Additionally, artificial lighting from coastal development can disorient hatchlings, leading them in the wrong direction and reducing their chances of survival.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Disease | FP causes cauliflower-shaped tumors on external soft parts and internal organs of loggerhead turtles |
| FP tumors can impair vision, breathing, and feeding, making turtles more vulnerable to predation and collisions with boats | |
| Chronic exposure to pollutants makes turtles susceptible to disease and depressed immune systems | |
| Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in sea turtle eggs cause illness, impaired reproduction, and death | |
| Toxins build up in tissues over time and lead to immunosuppression | |
| Degradation of Habitat | Pollution overlaps with loggerhead habitats, especially from offshore oil exploration and production |
| Petroleum pollution occurs from intentional discharge from vessels, vessel groundings, oil spills, and runoff of oil from land-based sources | |
| Beach nourishment and light pollution degrade nesting habitats | |
| Other | Loggerheads are accidentally captured in fishing gear and vessels |
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What You'll Learn
Ingesting plastic pollution
Loggerhead turtles are vulnerable to ocean pollution at all stages of their life. Plastic pollution, in particular, poses a grave threat to loggerhead turtles, who often ingest plastic debris.
Loggerhead turtles are carnivorous, favouring crabs, whelks, and conchs. However, they often mistake plastic for their prey, such as jellyfish, and ingest it. This mistake can prove fatal, as plastic causes blockages in their digestive system. Sharp plastics can also rupture their internal organs.
A 2015 study estimated that there are more than 15 trillion pieces of plastic trash in the ocean, and this number is growing every year. As a result, sea turtles are frequently exposed to plastic during their long migrations. Loggerhead turtles are no exception, and they often swim through plastic-ridden waters and crawl through plastic debris on beaches.
A study of stranded loggerhead turtles along the Greek coastline found that 72% had ingested plastic, with an average of 7.94 plastic items per turtle. This figure varied depending on the life stage of the turtle, with early-stage juveniles encountering more plastic due to their open-ocean habitat.
The ingestion of plastic can have severe consequences for loggerhead turtles. It can cause internal blockages, leading to starvation. Even if they survive, consuming plastic can affect their buoyancy, stunting their growth and slowing their reproduction rates.
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Disease from pollutants
Loggerhead sea turtles are vulnerable to pollution at all stages of their life, from eggs to adulthood. Pollutants such as toxic metals, PCBs, petroleum products, and agricultural and industrial runoff contain contaminants like fertilizers, chemicals, nutrients, and untreated waste. These pollutants can cause immediate harm to loggerhead turtles through direct contact or accumulate in their tissues over time, leading to immunosuppression and increased disease susceptibility.
One disease that has been linked to ocean pollution in loggerhead turtles is fibropapillomatosis (FP). FP causes cauliflower-shaped tumors on the external soft parts and internal organs of affected turtles. While the exact cause of FP is still unknown, researchers believe that there is a connection to ocean pollution. External FP tumors can create drag, slowing turtles down and making them more vulnerable to predators and boat collisions. Tumors around the eyes can lead to blindness, while those around the mouth can impair breathing and feeding. FP was first observed in the 1930s in green turtles in Florida and has since spread worldwide, affecting loggerhead turtles, among other species.
Chronic exposure to pollutants weakens the immune system of loggerhead turtles, making them more susceptible to illnesses and diseases. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), despite being banned in the US in 1979, persist in the environment and have been found in sea turtle eggs. Ingesting these chemicals can lead to depressed immune systems, illness, disease, and impaired reproduction.
Agricultural pollutants have also been linked to the spread of fibropapillomatosis in sea turtles. This disease causes tumors to grow on various organs, including the eyes, intestinal tracts, lungs, mouth, and heart. Marine trash, such as plastics, poses an additional threat, as turtles may ingest large amounts, blocking their stomachs and impairing their ability to feed and grow.
In addition to the direct impact on loggerhead turtles' health, pollution also degrades their habitats. This degradation occurs over large areas and overlaps with regions likely to be affected by offshore oil exploration and production. Petroleum pollution, in particular, can come from intentional discharges, vessel groundings, oil transport, spills, and runoff from land-based sources.
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Predation and boat collisions
Loggerhead turtles are vulnerable to ocean pollution at all stages of their lives. One of the ways in which pollution hurts them is by increasing the risk of predation and boat collisions.
Predation
Light pollution from coastal development is one of the main anthropogenic factors that affect loggerhead turtles. Artificial lighting on nesting beaches reduces the nesting success of loggerhead turtles by 20%. It disrupts the duration of nesting and the orientation toward the sea. It also stimulates the activity of ghost crabs, the main egg predators. Under yellow and orange lights, turtles were often unable to orient themselves seaward and were observed crawling in circuitous paths in front of the light source. Artificial lighting can also increase the number of ghost crabs present on the beach, leading to greater predation of loggerhead turtle nests.
In addition to light pollution, marine trash poses an entanglement and ingestion hazard to turtles. A study found that 15% of young loggerhead turtles had ingested large amounts of plastics that blocked their stomachs from functioning.
Boat Collisions
Boat collisions are the most common identifiable source of trauma for turtles found stranded and dead on Florida beaches. Injuries from boat propellers include amputated flippers, fractured shells, brain injuries, and broken bones. These injuries may not always result in immediate death but can cause elevated stress levels and impair a sea turtle's ability to forage, migrate, escape from predators, and reproduce.
Chronic exposure to pollutants also makes sea turtles more susceptible to collisions with boats. External FP tumors caused by ocean pollution can create drag and slow sea turtles down, making them more vulnerable to boat collisions. Tumors around the eyes can also impair their vision, further increasing the risk of collisions.
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Loss of nesting habitats
Loggerhead turtles are very particular about their nesting grounds, preferring narrow, high-energy beaches with a steep slope and coarse sand. They nest on the same natal beach where they were hatched, typically along the shorelines of estuaries with suitable sand. The greatest nesting concentrations in the US occur on beaches from North Carolina through southwest Florida, and minimal nesting extends westward into the Gulf of Mexico to Texas and northward to southern Virginia. Outside of the US, nesting occurs in Oman, Australia, and southern Japan.
The loss and degradation of nesting habitats pose a significant threat to loggerhead turtles. Human activities such as beach armoring, beach nourishment, and light pollution can destroy nesting beaches. Additionally, the high mortality rate of nesting loggerhead populations in the western North Atlantic region is caused by activities from legal and illegal fisheries in some countries. The loggerhead's migratory nature also severely compromises conservation efforts once they move outside US waters.
Conservation efforts are being made to protect loggerhead turtles and their habitats. The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR), located in Florida, is the most important loggerhead nesting area in the western hemisphere. The Virginia Stranding Response Program, part of the National Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, also works to protect loggerhead turtles in the state of Virginia.
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Accidental capture in fishing gear
Loggerhead sea turtles are in grave danger due to incidental capture by fishermen. This phenomenon, known as bycatch, is one of the greatest threats to all species of sea turtles. It involves the accidental capture of loggerhead turtles in fishing nets and lines, such as gillnets, shrimp trawl nets, and longline hooks. The migratory nature of loggerheads increases the likelihood of encountering fisheries, particularly in shrimp gillnets and longlines.
The impact of bycatch on loggerhead sea turtles is devastating. As sea turtles need to reach the surface to breathe, many turtles drown once caught in fishing gear. They can also sustain injuries from the gear itself or from rocks and other debris that may be present. In addition, the stress and injuries caused by accidental capture can affect their ability to forage, migrate, escape from predators, and reproduce.
Various organizations are working to address the issue of bycatch and reduce the accidental capture of loggerhead sea turtles. For example, NOAA Fisheries is collaborating with fishermen to modify fishing gear to make it less likely to capture sea turtles. This includes the development of low-profile nets and the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawl nets, which allow captured turtles to escape while still catching the target fish.
The WWF is also actively working to reduce turtle bycatch. They advocate for the use of more turtle-friendly fishing hooks, such as "circle" hooks, and promote the implementation of devices that exclude turtles from nets. They have also launched an international competition called Smart Gear to encourage innovative solutions to bycatch problems. Additionally, the WWF uses satellite devices to track turtle movements, helping to prevent future interactions between fisheries and turtles.
The efforts to reduce bycatch and accidental capture of loggerhead sea turtles are crucial for the conservation of this vulnerable species. By working together, organizations, fishermen, and researchers can mitigate the threats posed by fishing gear and improve the chances of survival for loggerhead sea turtles.
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Frequently asked questions
Loggerhead turtles are vulnerable to pollution at all stages of their life. Pollutants such as toxic metals, PCBs, petroleum products, and agricultural and industrial runoff can cause immediate harm through direct contact or build up in their tissues over time, leading to immunosuppression and increased susceptibility to diseases and death.
Researchers believe there is a link between ocean pollution and a disease called FP, which causes cauliflower-shaped tumors on the external soft parts and internal organs of loggerhead turtles. These tumors can impair vital functions such as vision, breathing, and feeding, making the turtles more vulnerable to predation and collisions with boats.
Plastic pollution is a significant threat to loggerhead turtles. A study analyzing plastic debris ingested by loggerheads in the Southwest Indian Ocean found that 202 out of 266 loggerheads had ingested plastics. This ingestion of plastic debris can lead to health issues and even death in loggerhead turtles.
