Species
Green Turtle
Regional Nesting Sites: The species has a circumglobal distribution, occurring throughout tropical and subtropical waters. Green turtles are highly migratory and can be found in the temperate waters of the South West Atlantic although nesting sites do not occur in nearby areas. Genetic analyses show that green turtles in the Patagonian Sea come mainly from Ascension Island (Atlantic Ocean, midway between South America and Africa) and probably from the coast of Surinam and Aves Island (remote island in the Caribbean Sea). More than 590 nesting sites have being recorded for the Caribbean, Brazil and Bermudas.
Diet: Pelagic green turtles are omnivorous, but in neritic waters of the continental shelf they shift to benthic foraging and feed on seagrasses and algae. The importance of jellyfish in the diet of turtles that visit the Patagonian Sea is now being evaluated.
World breeding population: Estimated at 2.2 – 2.6 millions.
Conservation Status: Endangered (IUCN, 2010).
Main threats: Green turtles are exposed to anthropogenic impacts during all life-stages: intentional harvest of eggs, nesting habitat degradation (construction of buildings, artificial lights on nesting beaches, sand extraction), pollution and diseases. Bycatch and entanglement in marine fisheries are primary threats for juveniles and adults.
