Full story
HAWKSBILL TURTLE
The hawksbill turtle is a critically endangered turtle that resides in the tropical oceans in places like the Mesoamerican Reef, Coral Triangle, and Coastal East Africa. They are called the hawksbill turtle because they have a distinctive hawk-like bill.
THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH CORAL REEFs
The hawksbill turtle is most commonly found in the coral reefs. Their diet consists mainly of sponges, along with jellyfish, and anemones. They are a vital part of our ecosystem, ESPECIALLY the reefs.
WHY ARE THEY ENDANGERED?
Although they are technically protected by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) they are still heavily hunted because of their bill and unique shell pattern. These are commonly used to make jewelry and ornaments in Eastern Asia and other parts of the globe. Another reason that they are going extinct is because of the damage that is being done to coral reefs around the world. With an increase of coral bleaching across the globe the ecosystems that lie in the reefs and that animals that rely on the reefs for shelter or food will also die.
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
My mission: I am selling shirts to collect money to aid turtle conservation. 100% of the profits that I make from these shirts will go to an organization called SEEturtles.org. They are raising money to save baby turtles across the globe.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
The ocean is our planets life support system. Everything that happens in the ocean affects me and YOU! With marine ecosystems falling apart more and more because of human decisions, it is our job to put it back together the best we can. Saving the oceans = saving the planet.
WHAT CAN YOU DO IN THE FUTURE?
If you are interested in helping save our planet you can start being more eco-friendly. Eliminating the waste you use, cutting down on plastic use as much as you can, brining reusable bags to the store, and biking/walking as much as possible to avoid pollution. Those are just a few small things you can do, if you are interested there are hundreds of foundations that support marine wildlife and need your help! Remember: WE NEED THE OCEANS and it is our job to fix what we have broken.
