Exploring Green Turtle Hotspots: A Global Adventure

The green sea turtle, also known as the Chelonia mydas, is a species of large sea turtle found in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide. They are easily recognised by their top shell, which covers most of their body, and their paddle-like flippers.

Green sea turtles are highly migratory and nest in over 80 countries. They undertake complex movements and migrations, travelling long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches.

The largest populations of green sea turtles are found in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Caribbean Sea.

Green turtles in the US

Green turtles are found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, and are the largest species of hard-shelled sea turtle. They are unique among sea turtles as they are the only herbivores, eating mostly seaweed, seagrasses, and algae. Their name comes from the greenish colour of their fat, not their shells.

In the United States, green turtles are most often found in the Hawaiian Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the east coast of Florida. Less frequent nesting also occurs in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. They are also found in the US Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters, from Texas to Maine, and in the US Pacific coast, from southern California to Alaska. The largest populations of green turtles within the United States coastline are in Hawaii and Florida.

Green turtles are an endangered species, and their biggest threat is from the commercial harvest of their eggs and meat. They are also vulnerable to bycatch in commercial fishing gear, vessel strikes, loss of nesting habitat from coastal development, and climate change.

The US is among the many countries that prohibit the killing of sea turtles and the collection of their eggs. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is dedicated to protecting and recovering green turtle populations worldwide, and works with various partners to implement recovery plans.

Green turtles in the Atlantic Ocean

The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a species of large sea turtle that can be found throughout the Atlantic Ocean, although it is most abundant in tropical climates. They are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles in the world and are unique among sea turtles as they are the only herbivorous species, eating mostly seaweed, seagrasses, and algae. Green turtles are found in inshore and nearshore waters from Texas to Maine, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. They are known to nest in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas, but the largest nesting site in the United States is in Florida. Important feeding areas in Florida include the Indian River Lagoon, the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, Homosassa, Crystal River, and Cedar Key.

The green sea turtle is easily distinguished from other sea turtles by its single pair of prefrontal scales (scales in front of its eyes), rather than two. Its head is small and blunt with a serrated jaw. Its shell, or carapace, is bony and has large, non-overlapping scutes (scales) with only four lateral scutes. The carapace colour varies from pale to very dark green and plain to yellow, brown, and green tones with radiating stripes. The underside, or plastron, varies from white, dirty white, or yellowish in Atlantic populations to dark grey-bluish-green in Pacific populations. Hatchlings are dark brown or black with a white underside and white flipper margins.

Green turtles are long-lived and could live for at least 70 years. They reach sexual maturity between 25 and 35 years and reproduce every two to five years. Females lay about 110 eggs per nest and will nest every two weeks over several months. After about two months, the eggs hatch and the hatchlings make their way to the water.

The green sea turtle is listed as endangered by the IUCN and CITES and is protected from exploitation in most countries. However, they are still threatened by human activity, including commercial harvest for eggs and food, bycatch in commercial fishing gear, vessel strikes, and loss and degradation of nesting and foraging habitats.

Green turtles in the Pacific Ocean

The green sea turtle, also known as the green turtle, black turtle, or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle found in tropical and subtropical seas around the world. They are the only species in the genus Chelonia and are easily distinguished from other sea turtles by their single pair of prefrontal scales. The green sea turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle and the second-largest sea turtle in the United States. They are unique among sea turtles as they are the only herbivores, eating mostly seaweed, seagrasses, and algae.

The range of the green sea turtle extends throughout the Pacific Ocean, from the southern coast of Alaska in the north to Chile in the east, and as far south as the northern tip of New Zealand and islands south of Tasmania. They can be found in the coastal areas of more than 140 countries, with nesting sites in over 80 countries worldwide. In the United States Pacific coast, they have been found from southern California to northwestern Mexico, with the largest populations in the Hawaiian Islands.

The green sea turtle is a highly migratory species, travelling long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. They are excellent navigators, using wave directions, sunlight, temperatures, and an internal magnetic compass to find their way. They are also highly adaptable, able to tolerate constant heat loss in the water by shunting blood away from tissues that are tolerant of low oxygen levels.

The green sea turtle is an endangered species, facing threats such as overharvesting of their eggs, hunting of adults, being caught in fishing gear, and loss of nesting beach sites. Conservation efforts are underway to protect this species, including establishing marine protected areas and working with local communities to reduce turtle harvesting and egg collection.

Green turtles in the Indian Ocean

The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a species of large sea turtle that can be found in the Indian Ocean. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia and is distinguished by its single pair of prefrontal scales and short snout. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas, and it has been spotted in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, in the waters of Madagascar, and in the Maldives. The green sea turtle is an herbivore, with a diet consisting mostly of seagrass. Adults inhabit shallow lagoons and bays, feeding on various species of seagrass.

The green sea turtle is a migratory species, travelling long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. They are known to nest in the Seychelles, Maldives, and Oman. One individual turtle was recorded migrating just under 4,000 km annually within the Indian Ocean, travelling from the Chagos Islands to the coast of Somalia.

The green sea turtle is listed as endangered by the IUCN and CITES, and it is protected from exploitation in most countries. However, they are still threatened by human activity, including hunting, egg harvesting, pollution, and habitat destruction. Conservation efforts are ongoing, and the green sea turtle is the subject of international agreements for protection.

Green turtles in the Mediterranean Sea

Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are one of the world's largest species of hard-shelled sea turtles, weighing between 110 and 190 kg (240-420 lbs) and measuring 83-114 cm (3-4 ft) in carapace length. They are easily distinguished from other sea turtles by their single pair of prefrontal scales, rather than two. They are named after the greenish colour of the fat under their shell, which comes from their herbivorous diet of seagrass and algae.

The green sea turtle is a highly migratory species, found in tropical and subtropical seas around the world. They are one of three species of sea turtles that frequent the Mediterranean Sea, along with the loggerhead turtle and the leatherback turtle. In the Mediterranean, green turtles are mainly found in the warmer eastern region, particularly in the Levantine basin (Turkey, Syria, Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt), but they also have juvenile developmental grounds in Greece and Albania.

The Mediterranean sub-population of green turtles has been assessed as 'Near Threatened' by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, while the species as a whole is listed as 'Endangered'. The main threats to green turtles in the Mediterranean are human activities such as coastal development, incidental capture during fishing operations, marine pollution (especially plastic), and climate change.

In the Mediterranean, green turtles nest in Cyprus and Turkey, with more than 2,200 clutches laid each year. They also forage off the coasts of Turkey, the Levant, and North Africa, including Libya. Conservation efforts for green turtles in the Mediterranean have been led by local communities, non-profit groups, and volunteers.

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