Sea Turtles: Caretakers of the Oceans
Join us for an engaging presentation with Cindy Johnson from Turtle Time, Inc. as we explore the remarkable world of sea turtles and their essential role in maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems.
Sea turtles are among the ocean's most enigmatic and fascinating creatures. Ancient survivors of a changing planet, they spend much of their lives traveling through vast and largely unseen stretches of ocean, eventually returning to the very beaches where they were born. Scientists believe sea turtles use a combination of Earth's magnetic field, ocean currents, and celestial cues to navigate across open oceans with remarkable precision.
Their incredible journeys connect distant ecosystems and demonstrate how closely life in our oceans is intertwined. Sea turtles play a vital role in maintaining healthy marine environments, the very oceans humans depend on. Green turtles help sustain healthy seagrass beds through their feeding, leatherbacks help regulate jellyfish populations, and nesting turtles transport valuable nutrients from the ocean onto nutrient-poor beaches. Their presence is also an important indicator of the health of our marine and coastal ecosystems.
Yet, these extraordinary animals face growing threats, including habitat loss, artificial lighting, fishing interactions, climate change, and the degradation of nesting beaches.
Volunteers from Turtle Time, Inc., who have been protecting sea turtles on Fort Myers Beach since 1989, invite you to look beyond the familiar image of a turtle on the beach and discover the extraordinary traveler beneath the shell; an animal capable of crossing entire oceans, returning home to our local beaches to nest, and playing a crucial role in the health of our planet's oceans.
Come discover why these ancient mariners are truly the caretakers of our oceans.