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All about What's declining the Hawksbill Population and the Conservation
Current Distribution and Population Demographics
Over the past century, there has been about an 80% global decline in the Hawksbill Sea Turtles population. It is hard for scientists to determine and get an exact population number and declining number. Current research suggests that there are five populations of these turtles left that are made up of about 8,000 turtles with about 1,000 females that nest yearly (Amazing Facts about the Hawksbill Sea Turtle| OneKindPlanet Education, 2023). It is estimated that around 20,000 to 23,000 individual hawksbills worldwide, counting all five pollutions (Hawksbill Sea Turtle - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio, 2023). The turtle is found in the West Atlantic (Caribbean), Indian, and the Indo - Pacific Oceans mainly; areas such as Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and more. There is little genetic diversity between the five populations of Hawksbill Sea Turtle.
Map Showing Where the Hawksbill is Located and Migrate through or too.
The amount of Ocean that is protected for all species including the Hawksbill!
IUCN Status and Protections
According to the IUCN, the Hawksbill Sea Turtle is on the Critically Endangered list around the world. Critically endangered species are consisted of to be very close to going into extinction. The population of this turtle continues to decline, hopefully not for long. The IUCN "works to protect ecosystems, promote the sustainable use of landscapes and advance justice and equality in conservation" (IUNC, 2023). They help and work to protect the Marine ecosystem for the sea turtle, and their nesting grounds, working for justice for the turtles that have been impacted and ensuring the turtles are receiving equal treatment (Protected Planet, 2021). There is ecosystem diversity in the ocean, which means that there are many diverse ecosystems, an example of one is a coral reef ecosystem. In each of the ocean's ecosystems, there is high biodiversity and it makes each one diverse from the other.
Click here if you would like to see maps and more on protected areas... Explore the World's Protected Areas (protectedplanet.net)
Why the Species is Declining
The Hawksbill Sea Turtle faces many threats, that negatively impact the turtle's population. One rising influence on the Hawksbill population is the loss of nesting habitat on beaches. Coastal developments are increasing, and some of these buildings are put right where the sea turtles make their nests this then prevents the turtles from nesting or forces them to find new nesting ground which is difficult. In the process of construction, there is pollution runoff, other pollution also affects coral reef negatively; this then negatively affect the Hawksbill due to that their habitat and diet relies on coral reefs. Coral reefs are a biodiversity hotspot where there are many diverse species that inhabit this ecosystem. Pollution in the oceans can confuse turtles and they end up eating it mistaking plastic for food resulting in death usually due to that the turtle cannot digest plastic. Most often turtle mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and other fish that they eat. The climate is shifting with that comes sea levels changing/rising which negatively affects the sea turtles' habitat and diet. The hawksbill is known for its beautiful colored shell, which is a golden yellow-brown color; this turtle has been hunted for centuries for diverse decor or jewelry (Hawksbill Sea Turtle - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio, 2023). Not only hunted for jewelry but also for their meat and or egg consumption by humans (Hawksbill Sea Turtle - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio, 2023). Often sea turtles are caught in fisherman's nests, turtle cannot find their way out of the nest and usually end up dying. Collisions between boats and sea turtles happen more than one would think and are harmful to the turtle and can result in death.
!!!! Warning !!!! Graphic Photos Showing Reality!!
Discussion Of What Can Be Done
There are many negative influences on the Hawksbill Sea Turtle population. So, what can be done to mediate the impacts on the Hawksbill? The key factor in helping these turtles is educating others about diverse human negative impacts on the turtle.
Creating designated protective nesting grounds for the turtle in coastal areas where developments are not prohibited. Companies should be aware of where developments are being placed and the species that rely on the area before construction is even considered. Environmental impacts statement by companies should be detailed so that whoever is making the decision is fully aware of the development impact on the environment and the species in it.
Protecting all of the turtle's habitat, including nesting grounds, and coastal waters is highly important for saving this species.
4Oceans is a nonprofit organization started by two men that had the goal of cleaning up our oceans for marine life. With every donation or purchase from 4Ocean, it helps them to pull a pound or more from the ocean. The products they sell are sustainable and some come from the plastic the organization pulls from the ocean (4Ocean, 2023). This is helping to clean our oceans day by day. I highly recommend checking out their website! The public should not be littering on beaches, what comes in with you should go out with you; this will help to reduce pollution little by little. If you are interested, you can pick up the trash that you come across on your beach journey. Make sure the skincare/sunscreen products that you are using are environmentally friendly and will not harm marine life.
Eliminating the poaching of turtle shells for jewelry and other products such as their meat and preventing the public from collecting their eggs is key to generating the population. The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) prohibits the killing, capturing, harassing, importing, and exporting of Hawksbill turtles/eggs or products is highly illegal in many areas where the turtle is located. These turtles are also protected under the endangered species act.
"The Inter-American Convention (IAC) for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the legal framework for countries in the Americas and the Caribbean to take actions for the benefit of sea turtles"(Fisheries, 2021).
Warning fishermen about turtles getting caught in nets, ensuring fishermen are following existing laws and regulations, and setting up areas where net fishing is not prohibited. Finding ways to reduce the bycatch of these turtles is important to protect this species.
Warning boaters to go slow, keep an eye out, and put buoys in coastal water showing where the turtles are to prevent collisions with boats.
The Sea Turtle Conservancy, Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative, World Wildlife, 4Ocean, and NOAA Fisheries all work to protect all stages of the turtle's life ((4Ocean,2023) (EPHI,2023) (WWL,2023) (NOAA Fisheries,2023)). These organizations constantly are working towards various solutions to help the Hawksbill Sea Turtle regain its population in hopes one day that it will no longer be critically endangered.
Why the Hawksbill Needs to be a Priority for Conservation
An ecosystem that is full of biodiversity needs every species that is in it to stay balanced to sustain itself. It is like a game of Janga if you take one piece out the tower will most likely fall; when talking about ecosystems it is like that, but it is almost agreed that the system will fall/fail. If the Hawksbill continues to decline to extinction this will be detrimental to the ecosystem and change it dramatically through the years with the absences of the turtle. The Hawksbill Sea Turtle provides many benefits to the ecosystem (a coral reef ecosystem) that it is in. The main benefit of the Hawksbill is how it helps to maintain coral reef health by eating sea sponges off coral that can overpopulate preventing other sponges to produce and preventing reef fish from feeding. Without the Hawksbill coral will be more threatened than it already is, some species like reef fish and sponges will decrease; the coral reef ecosystem as a whole would begin to collapse and fall apart without keystone species like the Hawksbill. If the Hawksbill goes extinct most likely many species of coral will begin to decrease and may go extinct as well.
References -
Hawksbill Sea Turtle - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio. (2023). Animalia.bio. https://animalia.bio/hawksbill-sea-turtle#:~:text=Population%20number
Protected areas and land use | IUCN. (2023). Www.iucn.org. https://www.iucn.org/our-work/protected-areas-and-land use#:~:text=IUCN%20works%20to%20protect%20ecosystems
Protected Planet. (2021). Marine Protected Areas. Protected Planet. https://www.protectedplanet.net/en/thematic-areas/marine-protected-areas
Fisheries, N. (2021, October 26). Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles | NOAA Fisheries. NOAA. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/inter-american-convention-protection-and-conservation-sea
Save The Turtles — SEE Turtles. (2023). SEE Turtles. https://www.seeturtles.org/save-the-turtles?msclkid=b7229bd49c361e6332fcff6e59588ebc
4ocean | The Global Movement to Reduce Plastic + Trash in Our Oceans. (2023). 4ocean. Retrieved August 18, 2023, from https://www.4ocean.com/?Wickedsource=Microsoft&Wickedid=79577264444397%7C4ocean%20com%7Ce&msclkid=e9dfee5777c6159d67968ab77404e652&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=US%20-%20%5BB%5D%20-%204ocean&utm_term=4ocean%20com&utm_content=4ocean.com
Sea Turtle Conservancy – Helping Sea Turtles Survive Since 1959. (2019). Conserveturtles.org. https://conserveturtles.org/
Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (ICAPO). (2023). The Ocean Foundation. https://oceanfdn.org/projects/eastern-pacific-hawksbill-initiative-icapo/
World Wildlife Fund. (2019). Hawksbill Turtle | Sea Turtles | Species | WWF. World Wildlife Fund. https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/hawksbill-turtle
Amazing Facts about the Hawksbill Sea Turtle| OneKindPlanet Education. (2023). OneKindPlanet. https://www.onekindplanet.org/animal/sea-turtle-hawksbill/
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