The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)
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The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), related to the Hawaiian sea turtle or the Pacific Green Sea Turtle but commonly found in the Caribbean and in North and South America, is a migratory creature with a long history of abuse at the hands of human beings, and today the species is endangered in various parts of the world because of its value as a food, animal predation on its nesting grounds, interference with its migratory patterns, and public ignorance about the plight of the creatures. International efforts are being made to improve the habitat of these creatures and to increase their numbers while also reducing the influences and behaviors that have reduced the population to its present state. The most important threats to the green sea turtle are shrimp trawling, man-made alterations to or destruction of beach habitats, inadvertent harassment of the sea turtle or its habitat by beach traffic and artificial lighting, illegal harvesting, and natural diseases and predators.The green turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle, with populations in different parts of the world varying greatly in size and weight. Green turtles in Florida average 101.5 cm and 136.2 kg body weight (9:32). The Pacific green sea turtle weighs between 67.5 and 180 kg. The name "green" for these turtles does not refer to their external color but rather to the greenish color of the fat inside its body (6:68). Adults actually have a carapace varying in color from black to gray to greenish or
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s would cause the population to seek new nesting grounds (4:1009).
Efforts to tack the migration of these turtles have been undertaken but have been difficult. The green sea turtle does not start breeding until the age of 30. Researchers have placed tags on the turtle to monitor its movements, using metal disks or wires as tags, but the dramatic growth rate of the turtle over the decades, from 4-inch infancy to 4-foot adulthood, means the tags do not stay in place. Tracking by genetic information has used natural markers as a way of monitoring movements by analyzing mitochondrial DNA from eggs and hatchlings at four green turtle breeding sites in the Atlantic and Caribbean (7). This research has supported the "natal homing" theory proposed in the 1960s, showing that turtles born in different regions may share common feeding grounds away from home, but that they then separate at breeding time and each return to their home nesting grounds (2:294).
The reduction in the number of nesting sites for the green sea turtle has been noted for some time, and many reasons have been offered. The fragility of the breeding grounds themselves and the specific requirements of the turtles mean that a change in the environment can alter the v
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2466
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)
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