Dear Citizens of the World,
Sea turtles are magnificently unique creatures that have been living on planet Earth since the time of the dinosaurs. They have existed for over 100 million years, travelling throughout the world's oceans. However, due to the current status of the world, they are struggling to survive because of the damage created on our planet’s ocean and beaches. But what does this mean for the human species? The lives of us humans, can be threatened by the extinction of theirs. We must learn from our mistakes and begin changing our behavior, there is still time to save sea turtles from extinction. Through creating change, we will be saving one of the Earth's most mysterious and honored creatures, and we might just be able to save ourselves too.
Sea turtles are one of the most important species in the world and have vital extensive impacts on maintaining the health and increasing the diversity of the the marine ecosystem.
Sea turtles feed on seagrass and seaweeds that grow on the ocean floor, which are home to other marine life such as seahorses, and also serve as breeding ground for fish. In order to remain healthy, seagrasses and seaweeds must not grow to an excessive length, which is where the turtles do their job. Turtles' eating habits help to keep the whole ecosystem steady and in place. If turtles were to ever go extinct, seagrasses would overgrow and eventually die off. This would in turn affect all marine life in the ecosystem, and ultimately affect human life as well.
If sea turtles ever go extinct, there will be no aquatic ecosystem. Can you imagine an ocean without marine life, with no fish, with no plants? Can you imagine a lifeless sea? Can you imagine countless tides washing upon the beach, with no trace of life?
The ocean is one of the most beautiful natural habitats which is admired by both mankind, as well as all animal species. It is not only home to marine life, but provides our most vital needs and inspiration to flourish.
Imagine a life without any aquatic species. Imagine a life in which fish and seafood are out of our diet. Imagine a changed globe, the world’s ecosystem degraded through the extinction of one species.
I’ve been on boats countless times. And I take great pleasure in watching the turtles and fish as well as plants around me thrive. I can’t imagine why I would ever travel by boat, if there was no life underwater. I wouldn’t want to experience living in a lifeless sea.
That would be my worst nightmare. That should be one of OUR worst nightmares.
People may think that sea turtles are ordinary regular creatures which have no relation whatsoever with us humans. Why should we waste our valuable time saving sea turtles? Why does it matter if sea turtles go instinct? These questions may be popping into your head right now, but they are not rhetorical, and they are not true. Not only will the extinction of sea turtles affect the marine ecosystem, but will create such a big domino effect, affecting the ecosystem of life on land, that they’re extinction might just kill us off too. It will change our beautiful historical and cultural beliefs and will completely demolish our world economy as well.
The sea is a main source of income for many countries. Over one third of the annual U.S. Gross National Product originates in coastal area; the US gains about 700 billion dollars from their Gross National Products which are ocean related. If sea turtles go extinct, our main source of income will be lost.
The extinction of sea turtles will also distress a lot of communities due to the historical and cultural significance it holds. Turtles have been a major cultural, traditional, social and economic significance to many coastal communities in the Asia Pacific region for centuries. For example, according to Hindu mythology, the Indian deity Vishnu was reincarnated as "Kachhapa" - a turtle, holding the burden of the world on its back. If sea turtles go extinct all the beautiful historical and cultural beliefs will be lost.
A healthy ocean depends on sea turtles. And sea turtles need our help. Death and injury in commercial fisheries, loss of important habitat, pollution and climate change are among the many human-caused threats pushing sea turtles towards extinction. More proactive conservation measures are needed to protect sea turtles and rebuild their populations to healthy levels so they can fulfill the full extent of their historic and cultural roles and restores the health of ocean’s ecosystems.
It is time for us to protect sea turtles and rebuild their populations to healthy levels. This is a vital step in ensuring healthy and resilient oceans for the future. We need to start changing our behavior now, we need to stop littering on the beaches and keep the beaches free of trash. We need to reduce, reuse and recycle. We need to reduce the amount of chemical we use since the chemicals we use can wash into the coastal water. We need to do everything that we can do to save the sea turtles and we need volunteers! There are countless ways in which volunteering can make a positive difference in the lives of sea turtles. Organize a clean-up day with your friends and clear the beach of litter, give a presentation to your neighborhood or local school on things they could do to save sea turtles, and most importantly, talk to others about what they could do to make sure they are not putting these important creatures in danger.
These are small changes that we do in our daily life and will make a big difference to the world. We must start taking actions now before it’s too late.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Citizen of the World