Download Kemps Ridley Turtle Content

Julia Kinsolving
Dec. 10, 2012
Endangered Species Content
Kemps Ridley Sea Turtle

What role does your species have in its ecosystem? Be in depth (How has it changed over
time?)
Sea turtles are the most exciting sea creature that one can see at an aquarium or in its natural
habitat. This remarkable species always seems to occupy a special spot in our minds from the
stuffed turtle toys we’ve learned to love and unforgettable experiences from physically
swimming with them. In their natural habitat they maintain and ensure healthy and resilient
oceans through providing a variety of purposes. However due to recent occurrences, the Kemps
Ridley Sea Turtle has become the most endangered species of turtle because it has the most
restricted breeding range of any sea turtle and habitat degradation. The entire breeding female
population nests on a small beach in Tamaulipas, Mexico. This broad, white-sand beach is
hundreds of miles long with low-amplitude tides that house the majority of Kemps Ridley Sea
Turtles found in the world. Due to this restricted range, the fate of Kemps Ridley Sea Turtles is
diminishing causing detrimental consequences to the ecosystem. Human activities that are
threatening the species include commercial fishing, habitat degradation and destruction, climate
change, and human-caused threats. (Wilson, Miller, Allison, Magliocca, 2012) This results in an
overall loss of biodiversity; genetics, species, ecosystem, and functional. The population is so
low that there is a low genetic variability which, to their disadvantage, limits their variety of
genes and biological evolution.
According to a 1947 documentary filmed in Mexico at a nesting site, the population of Kemps
Ridley was estimated at 42,000 Kemp Ridleys in a single day. Since then the population has
declined considerably to a few thousand due to shrimp trawling in the 1980’s which continued
and became the number one cause of Kemps Ridley Sea Turtle mortality. This sharp decline was
also caused by the humans in black market; people illegally killed sea turtles to make jewelry
and drums and to eat their prized meat and eggs. Human activities have also destroyed their
habitats by building structures over the few nesting beaches. Because sea turtles have the
survivorship curve of early loss it makes them extremely vulnerable to outside influences.
(Magnusion, 1990)
These and other issues with sea turtles didn’t even come to peoples’ attention until the 2012
Great BP (British Petroleum) Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It was then that they recognized
their lifestyles had a direct impact on sea turtles. People watched as they burned away the oil in
the water scorching live sea turtles just beneath the surface who like any other reptile needs to
surface in order to breathe. That was the real cost of oil to heat our homes and fuel our cars just
for the effort to save Kemps Ridleys in Mexico went to naught. (2012, How Does the BP Oil
Spill Impact Wildlife and Habitat?)
The Kemps Ridley Sea Turtles play vitally important roles in the ecosystem including
maintaining healthy seagrass beds, providing key habitat for other marine life, and helping
balance marine food webs and facilitating nutrient cycling from water to land. When Kemps
Ridley Sea Turtles occasionally eat sargassum they increase the productivity and nutrient of the
plant. They also manage the populations of crabs, fish, jellyfish, mollusks and other crustaceans.
Kemps Ridley eggs supply a concentrated source of high-quality nutrients in dune ecosystems
such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. These fundamental nutrients allow for the growth
of vegetation and the stabilization of the dunes from the roots. The eggs and vegetation also
provide a food source for predators, such as coyotes, thus topping off the food pyramid. Kemps
Ridleys offer habitat for other marine life such as barnacles, algae and other similar organisms on
by carrying them on their shells. (Wilson, Miller, Allison, Magliocca, 2012)
Human activities have brought the Kemps Ridley sea turtle to the brink of extinction. The
Kemps Ridley sea turtle is well on its way to becoming ecologically extinct or having such a
small population that it’s unable to perform its ecological role. And then following ecological
extinction is physical extinction. As famous influential conservationist Aldo Leopold said, “To
keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.” (Wilson, Miller,
Allison, Magliocca, 2012) Applying the quote simply ensures the survival of this key species in
order to maintain a healthy and resilient ocean.

What if any efforts are being made to preserve your species OUTSIDE of its natural
habitat?
Throughout their lives, Kemps Ridleys are susceptible to human-caused deaths from a variety
of habitat degradation and destruction in their inshore and outshore waters. So, in contrast, there
are efforts that are being made outside of its natural habitat. First off the Mexican government
has made rebounding efforts to drastically boost the number of Kemps Ridleys at sea through
stricter patrolling. They have then focused on transporting the young eggs to a protected hatchery
where it is safe from human and canine predators. (Pritchard, 1973) This technique, called head
starting, enables an experimental procedure to take place as well by studying the hatchlings in
captivity that are cared for at least several months to increase the juvenile population by reducing
hatchling mortality. (Magnusion, 1990) This study allows scientists to learn more about the
Kemps Ridley and their unique nesting requirements and behaviors.
A different approach to increase protection of the nesting adults, eggs, and hatchlings is by
positioning Turtle Excluder Devices (TED’s) in nets. TED’s are specialized devices that allow
captured sea turtles to escape when caught in a fisherman’s net. Up until TED’s were developed
by fisherman Sinkey Boone in the 1970’s, turtles were caught and most likely killed in shrimp
trawls. Shrimp trawls were originally made out of gill nets which are finely twined nets
specifically to catch very small shrimp. Unfortunately these nets easily snag turtles after getting
their flippers caught and tangled in. And unless the turtle was near the surface or lucky enough to
become entangled just before the net is hoisted, it would’ve already died. Around the 1980’s
these gill nets were set in the open Pacific for hundreds of miles long and deep. This caused a
major decrease in Kemps Ridley population in which the head start technique began to be
adopted to bring the most endangered turtle species back. (Spotila, 2011)

What else could/should have been done in your opinion?
A major reason as to why adequate protection of the endangered species, Kemps Ridley Sea
Turtle, is lacking is because of the deficient amount of government funding. So an increase in
government funding for the Endangered Species Act would greatly improve the protection
conditions of the Kemps Ridley and other endangered species. (Colloff-Bennett, 2012)
Other ways to increase protection over the few beaches that arribadas are found are by
preventing artificial lighting, reducing beach cleaning, and pedestrian vehicular traffic. Artificial
lighting presents a false image to baby sea turtles who are accustomed to the reflection of the
moon on the water. Beach cleanings allow the use of toxic chemicals such as pesticides on the
beach. And finally pedestrian and vehicular traffic disturb the eggs underground possibly
crushing them. Because of the lack of funding these activities occurred thus forcing Kemps
Ridley to go into captive breeding until the population rebounds back up to healthy numbers.
(Pritchard, 1973)
The Gulf of Mexico is found to be an area of high density oil extraction with occasional lowlevel spills. But when the BP Oil Spill occurred, it brought to peoples’ attention of the direct
harm on these turtles. To solve this problem, the oil industry needs to realize their harmful
effects on the Kemps Ridleys especially after the BP Oil Spill incident. (Colloff-Bennett, 2012)
Another issue with the Gulf of Mexico is the large amount of debris floating in the water.
This injurious debris has been found to be ingested in the sea turtle and or entangles the sea
turtle. To fix this, people need to become more aware of the trash they throw on the ground that
is swept out to the gulf. (2012, Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle) All in all the simplest way to save the
Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle is to save its habitat.

From an environmental perspective, why should your animal be saved? Discuss the local,
domestic, and global impact if you animal becomes extinct.
The local and domestic impact if the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle were to become extinct would
be very destructive. However globally, if they were to become extinct, it would be to a lesser
extent because of their extremely restricted range. Their important role in maintaining healthy
and resilient oceans are vital to the rest of the oceans ecosystems. If they were to become extinct
they would disturb the natural balance that has existed for millions of years. For example, we’d
be left with the issue of overgrowing plant species on the seabed. This overgrowth of the plant
species or the producers would directly affect the rest of the nutrient cycling in the ecosystem.
(Reina, 2012) These turtles provide species diversity which is necessary in order to increase the
sustainability of the ecosystem. (Miller, 2011)
The majority of Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles are found off the coast of Mexico. Because of
their highly restricted range, the Kemp’s Ridleys are treasured locally among the community of
Mexico. Their arrival or as they call it, arribada, reminds them of how unique these sea turtles
are compared to the others; they are the smallest species of sea turtle and the only sea turtle
species to lay eggs in broad daylight. Since the BP Oil Spill, Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles have
dwindled in numbers. With help from the Mexican authorities, conservationists, and local
fisherman, the Kemps Ridley Sea Turtle has started their success story, which, still in the
making, has been the direct result thanks to intensive conservation efforts of this species, from
egg to adulthood in order to save this endangered species. (Crowder, 2011)
References

Crowder, Larry. Heppell, Selina. The Decline and Rise of a Sea Turtle: How Kemp’s
Ridleys are Recovering in the Gulf of Mexico. (2011) Retrieved December 9, 2012
from The Solutions Journal. http://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/node/859

Colloff-Bennett, Tamara. Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle. (2012) Retrieved December 9,
2012 from Endangered Species Coalition Website:
http://oilspillwildlife.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51

(2012) How Does the BP Oil Spill Impact Wildlife and Habitat? Retrieved December
9, 2012 from National Wildlife Federation Website: http://www.nwf.org/What-WeDo/Protect-Habitat/Gulf-Restoration/Oil-Spill/Effects-on-Wildlife.aspx

(2012) Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle; Lepidochelys kempii. Retrieved December 9, 2012
from MarinBio Website: http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=317#.UMUCp4M728A

Magnusion, J. (1990) Decline of the Sea Turtles. Committee of Sea Turtle
Conservation, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C

Miller, Tyler G. (2011) Living in the Environment.

Pritchard, P.C.H and Márquez, M.R. (1973) Kemp’s Ridley Turtle or Atlantic Ridley.
Morges, Switzerland: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources.

Reina, Richard. Ocean Life. (2012) Retrieved December 9, 2012 from Scholastic Inc.
Website:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorer/oceanlife/main.asp?article=interview
_reina&template=meet_explorer

Spotila, R. James. (2011) Saving Sea Turtles. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Baltimore

Wilson, E.G., Miller, K.L., Allison, D., Magliocca, M. Retrieved November 25, 2012
from Oceana Website:
http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/Why_Healthy_Oceans_Need_Sea_Turtles.
pdf
Genetic diversity is the variability in the genetic makeup among individuals within a single
species. So the smaller the gene pool of the turtle, the less likely the species will be able to adapt
to changes in the environment. Species diversity is the number of different species combined with
the relative abundance of individuals within each of those species in a given area. If the turtle
were to disappear from its ecosystem, it would cause other species in the food chain to either go
extinct as well because the turtle was its source of food, or grow rapidly because the population
is no longer being controlled. Ecosystem diversity ????. Functional diversity is the biological
and chemical processes or function such as energy flow and mater cycling needed for the
survival of species and biological communities. The one way of energy flow is vitally important
for any ecosystem so each individual can serve a functional purpose in order for the ecosystem
to function properly. (Miller, 2011)