Leatherback Sea Turtles and the Growing Sargassum Threat

We would like to thank Susan Lackhan-Baptiste and Nature Seekers for their tremendous efforts and relentless work in their protection of this species and for their assistance in the creation of this video.

Visit them at www.natureseekers.org

Leatherback – named for its unique shell which is composed of a layer of thin, tough, rubbery skin, strengthened by thousands of tiny bone plates that makes it look “leathery.”

Scientific Name: Dermochelys coriacea

Leatherbacks have delicate scissor-like jaws that would be damaged by anything other than their normal diet of jellyfish, tunicates, and other soft-bodied animals. The mouth cavity and throat are lined with papillae (spine-like projections) pointed backward to help them swallow soft foods. Eating articles of pollution like garbage are extremely detrimental to these animals.

The greatest threats to leatherback sea turtles is from incidental take in commercial fisheries and marine pollution (such as balloons and plastic bags floating in the water, which are mistaken for jellyfish).

Leatherbacks are protected under various Conventions, national and international laws, treaties, agreements, and memoranda of understanding.

Sargassum seaweed is thought to have drifted from its traditional home in the Sargasso Sea, but new research has shown it to be broken off from the currents in brazil in collaboration with the currents and circulation of the north Atlantic Ocean; allowing the Sargassum to be navigated to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico waters.

These waters are warmer and provide an increasingly vaster amount of nutrients; these nutrients come from the east coast of South America and North America into the gulf, causing the most ideal nutrient and temperature mixture, ideal for massive propagation.

According to George Buckley, a large majority of Caribbean isles have faced the disaster of dead Sargassum washing up on the shore, as shown in this video.

Some issues caused by Sargassum are: economic and environmental problems such as when the sargassum comes in, it blankets the surface of the water, often suppressing wave action and causing a stifling blanket over the surface of the sea resulting in fishes and other marine wildlife being caught in the thick seaweeds and being dragged onto the shore. Another problem is that fishermen or small boats have their engines, nets and lines tangled up by the Sargassum, preventing recreation and livelihood.

Economically, the sargassum blankets the shorelines which result in a drastic reduction of recreational beach going activities. This affects the tourism of a country as the now unappealing beaches are no longer an attraction. The livelihood of vendors and residents that depend on the visitors of these beaches and are threatened by the decline of visitors and traffic in the area, which can force those vendors to seek alternative means of employment. This would disturb the local economy even when the sargassum isn't there as the local shops, restaurants and attractions would have closed as their owners sought other employment.

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6494/43526147

We apologize for the audio as the video was recorded impromptu with a cellphone.