Two Simple Ways You Can Help Sea Turtles
Friday, June 15, 2018 written and photographed by Mika Miller
This Saturday, June 16, is World Sea Turtle Day! Did you know that out of the seven species of Sea turtles, six are found in US waters? Those six species are the Leatherback, Green hawksbill, Kemps’ ridley, Olive ridley, and Loggerhead. Unfortunately, they are all listed as either threatened, endangered, or even critically endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List.
We have two rescued sea turtles at the Aquarium. One is a Loggerhead sea turtle and the other is a Green sea turtle. Our sea turtles both sustained injuries when they were in the wild that affects their buoyancy. To help them swim, they have specialized weight packs on their backs.
It is important that we keep our beaches and oceans clean to help conserve these amazing species. There are many simple actions you can do, even from landlocked Utah, to help conserve our oceans.
Here are two easy things you can start doing today:
- Reduce your use of single-use plastics. One of the biggest threats to turtles is plastics in the oceans. You can help reduce plastic waste by using a refillable water bottle, using a reusable grocery bag, and skipping the straw.
- Eat sustainable seafood. Eating fish that comes from a sustainable source means there’s more fish in the ocean for our turtle friends! Our partners at Monterey Bay Aquarium have developed an amazing app called Seafood Watch. Through this app you can see if your favorite restaurants serve sustainable seafood. You can also see what grocers sell best choice seafood items, like local grocer Harmons.
By doing these two simple things, reducing plastic waste and eating sustainable seafood, you can help our marine life thrive.
