Importance of sea turtles
Sea turtles have an important role in the marine environment.
Just like grass lawns, the seagrass needs to be cut short. Sea turtles help to maintain the balance of the marine ecosystem, mainly the health of the grass beds and coral reefs.
It is beneficial to other marine animals that are higher in demand (e.g. shrimps and tuna) because their environment is now more suited for development and breeding. Without healthy seagrass beds, reproduction of these animals will not take place successfully and the entire food chain will be affected, eventually causing the supply of food sources for humans to decline.
Sea turtle eggs provide nutrients to the beach and the vegetation on the beach (dune vegetation). With stronger dune vegetation, the roots and plants can hold the soil better and prevent soil erosion, benefiting the ecosystem altogether.
All parts of the ecosystem are linked, so as long as the population of one species is disrupted, the rest of the species will be affected, including the human population. Therefore, the conservation of sea turtles should be encouraged such that we do not lose an important species in the ecosystem.