Conservation Project

Megalodon

Megalodon

• Lived about 16 to 2.5 million years ago
• It was one of the biggest marine predators of its time
• The reason for its extinction is a drop in sea level, cooler ocean temperatures, competition, and lack of food
• After its extinction there was more food available for the smaller predators

Green Sea Turtle

Habitat

• They are found all around the world
• They eat seagrass and algea
• They stay in water that is about 70 degrees
• The females will migrate in the summer months to their nesting grounds

Description

• Animalia Chordata Reptilia Testudines Cheloniidae Chelonia mydas
• The species has a shell that protects them from predators
• They have flippers that make it possible for them to swim through the water
• The females start mating at the age of 10 and mate every 2-4 years and lay between 100-200 eggs and the eggs take 100-150 days to hatch

Reason for Being Endangered

• They are threatened by a disease called fibropapillomatosis
• They can get accidently tangled in fishing gear and drown
• They accidently eat pollution in the water
• Their nesting grounds are depleating
• They were placed on the endangered species list in 1978
• They are killed for their eggs and meat
• Their population number is unknown but there is an estimated 90,000 nesting females

Efforts to Save Them

• The population is shared worldwide so different countries have different efforts
• There are several international laws and treaties in place to protect them
• The US is protecting them by having certain regulation as well as having fishing regulation like modification of fishing gear and time and area closures
• There are a lot of marine animal centers that will put protective netting around the turtles nests in order to make sure they are not messed with by humans or other animals.

-Green Sea Turtles are also kept in captivity in rescue centers if they have life threatening injuries
-Many marine rescue organizations have a hospital where they will tend to injured turtles and release them back into the wild

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef

• The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on the planet. It is 2300 kilometer long and is home to 600 types of coral, 1625 varieties of fish, and many other organisms
• It is being threatened by climate change, poor water quality, illegal fishing, coastal development, pollution, extreme weather, and dominating starfish population
• These threats have caused the size of the reef to shrink because the coral that makes up the reef is dying. Also the different organisms that live around the reefs are starting to die.

Work Cited

• "About the Reef." Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Australian Government, 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
• "Green Sea Turtles." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Sept. 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
• "Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas)." NOAA Fisheries. NOAA, 25 Aug. 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
• "How Many Green Sea Turtles Are Left?" Ask. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
• "Megalodon." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Oct. 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.