Most species fall into the category of endangered. Sea turtles, and many species that are affected by their presence or absence, are an important attraction for marine tourism, a major source of income for many countries. Female loggerheads reach maturity at about 35 years of age. It is beneficial to other marine animals that are higher in demand (e.g. They have existed for over 100 million years, and they travel throughout the world’s oceans. For example, gillnets, longlines, and fishing nets (which are also called fishing trawls) are some of the main types of fishing gear the Loggerhead turtles get accidentally caught in. Nesting site locations and classification are based on several sources: Sea Turtles – A Complete Guide to Thier Biology, Behavior, and Conservation by James Spotila, 2004; The Worldwide Distribution of Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches, Center for Marine Conservation, 1981; and from SWOT. These turtles are generalists predators and use their muscular heads and powerful jaws to crush the shells of queen conch, Caribbean spiny lobsters and other hard-shelled invertebrates. The Gordon and Patricia Gray Veterinary Hospital at LMC treated 88 green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, loggerhead and olive ridley sea turtles in 2013 as well as 519 hatchlings. U.S. Sea Turtles Importance of Sea Turtles to Healthy Oceans Maintaining Habitat Importance of Green Sea Turtles on Seagrass Beds Impact of Hawksbill Sea Turtles on Coral Reefs Benefit of Sea Turtles to Beach Dunes Maintaining a Balanced Food Web Sea Turtles and Jellyfish Sea Turtles Provide Food for Fish Nutrient Cycling 1. Much can be learned about the condition of the planet’s environment by looking at sea turtles. Sea turtles help to maintain the balance of the marine ecosystem, mainly the health of the grass beds and coral reefs. They occur throughout temperate and tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. First of all, the sea turtles often get caught or stuck in fishing gear. Sea turtles are important to the ecosystem because they have been around for such a long period of time, around 200 million years! Why Are Sea Turtles Important? Every 2 to 3 years they mate in coastal waters and then return to nest on their natal beach (where they hatched). shrimps and tuna) because their environment is now more suited for development and breeding. Loggerhead sea turtles or Caretta Caretta are marine turtles. Sea turtles are a "keystone species", which means they are an important part of their environment and influence other species around them. Sea turtles are a "keystone species", which means they are an important part of their environment and influence other species around them.