http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/swimming-with-sea-turtles-while-scuba-diving.html
What shows their relationship: 1.Marine turtles oceanic food source
and spend most of their lives there 2.Some males never leave the
ocean once out of nest 3.Flippers for limbs 4.Bony carapace and
plastron 5.Nest on land 6.Soft-shelled eggs
Slide 5
Cosmopolitan found in ALL oceans Widest distribution of all sea
turtles (Alaska/Norway to southernmost tip of New Zealand) Can
tolerate ocean temperatures down to 0.4 o F (32.7 o C) Map shows
KNOWN nesting sites (major and minor) Nest sites are sandy beaches
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Lieux_pontes_tortues_luth.png/800px-
Lieux_pontes_tortues_luth.png
Slide 6
Nektonic species (open ocean): Found mostly in the open ocean,
fastest moving reptile (22mph) Can navigate along the abyssal plain
(up to 1,280m (4,199ft)) Three major, genetically distinct
populations Atlantic, Pacific, Pacific sub (Malaysia) Most
extensive migration of any living reptile, up to 6,000 miles
Purpose feeding habitats (open ocean) to nesting/mating habitats
(near shorelines)
http://www.sprep.org/factsheets/leatherbacks/index.htm
http://www.constantinealexander.net/2011/01/05/index.html
Slide 7
Diet - mainly jellyfish (heterotroph carnivore) Favorite food:
lions mane jelly Also other soft-bodied organisms (tunicates &
cephalopods) Tiger sharks occasionally bite off a limb or eat them
Dive in a cycle that follows dense layer of plankton &
jellyfish Shallow at night Deeper as sun rises
http://nongtao-pampzy.blogspot.com/2009/11/report-for-after-midterm.html
http://www.backhandofjustice.com/friday-links-wakeboarding-edition/
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=1809&pst=546197
Slide 8
Eggs & hatchlings fall prey to sea birds, crabs, large
fish, raccoons, mongoose, feral pigs Eggs are eaten as food in some
countries
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/marine_turtles/asian_marin
e_turtles/background/threats/
http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/4179-3705
http://coastalcare.org/2010/12/legalized-poaching-turtles-eggs-and-playa-ostional-costa-rica/
Slide 9
Solitary creatures Congregate only to mate No known form of
communication Some nesting beaches are visited by only one female
Fish all day long Rest 0.1% of their life Bask in sun at surface
during mid-day while food is deeper than normal dive range
http://www.greenpacks.org/2008/08/25/sea-turtles-endangered-marine-life/
http://silverfishattack.blogspot.com/2008/12/gallery-of-turtles-international-pt-2.html
Slide 10
Largest turtle and living reptile Up to 6 feet long, 16 feet
flipper to flipper, up to 2,000 pounds Tear-drop (most fusiform of
all sea turtles) body shape Purpose is for hydrodynamics ease of
movement in water Flipper appendages for movement and steering
http://www.oneocean.org/ambassadors/track_a_turtle/biology/index.html
Slide 11
Only sea turtle with a leather carapace & 5-7 dorsal ridges
(instead of hard shell) Dorsal ridges for hydrodynamics Front
flippers for swimming used synchronously Rear flippers for steering
and stopping Head and limbs non-retractable to aid in fusiform body
shape http://www.oneocean.org/ambassadors/track_a_turtle/biol
ogy/index.html
http://bcmw.coastal.edu/outreach-education/sea-turtle-anatomy Eye
has nictitating membrane to protect from sand and drying out Cusps
on mouth for grabbing prey Claws on front flippers (males use for
mating) Males have a longer tail
Slide 12
Skeleton for support of muscles and internal organs No teeth
keratin beak Bone structure of carapace: MOSAIC of small bones
among soft tendons, instead of large, flat ribs (like other
turtles). Allows leatherback to withstand large amounts of pressure
as they descend to into deep parts of the ocean. Carapace
compresses with increasing pressure
http://people.wcsu.edu/pinout/herpetology/dcoriacea/speciesdescription.html
http://www.science.fau.edu/biology/faculty_staff/Wyneken/ChelonianAnatomy.PDF
http://www.firelily.com/samples/images/mosaic.lily.html
Slide 13
Muscular system Movement, such as crawling on land and swimming
http://www.science.fau.edu/biology/faculty_staff/Wyneken/ChelonianAnatomy.PDF
Slide 14
Gastrointestinal system Digestion Removal of wastes Cloaca is
the universal outlet for wastes and also where females are
fertilized
http://www.science.fau.edu/biology/faculty_staff/Wyneken/ChelonianAnatomy.PDF
Slide 15
Respiratory system Taking in oxygen and getting rid of CO 2
DIVE REFLEX Slows heart and shunts blood away from extremities to
conserve oxygen during deeper dives
http://www.science.fau.edu/biology/faculty_staff/Wyneken/ChelonianAnatomy.PDF
Slide 16
NERVOUS SYSTEM Brain (very small) and nerves reflex responses
and communication throughout the body for homeostasis CIRCULATORY
SYSTEM Heart, arteries, veins transport oxygen, carbon dioxide,
nutrients, wastes Countercurrent heat exchange redirects heated
blood back to body core to prevent heat loss in extremities (reason
why leatherbacks can tolerate colder waters)
http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/KillerWhale/adapaqkw.html
Slide 17
COUNTERSHADED Black with spots on carapace, white on bottom
(plastron) Countershading allows for camouflage in the pelagic
water column
http://www.indonesiatraveling.com/National%20Parks%20Indonesia/reptiles_indo/pages/dermochelys-
coriacea.htm
Slide 18
Eat mainly jellyfish Has cusps (tomium) on mouth to grab food
Have spikes mouth and throat to keep food going down
http://www.turtlejournal.com/?p=304
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=1809&pst=546197
Slide 19
Mode of movement Leatherbacks flap their front flippers to fly
through the ocean and use their rear flippers to steer and stop.
They cannot swim backwards They can also use their flippers to walk
or pull themselves across land Swimming, flippers used together
Walking, flippers alternate
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3745919
http://whatgives365.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/save-the-sea-turtles-for-petes-sake/
Slide 20
Live to be ???????, age of sexual maturity also unknown Males
and females congregate in coastal, warm waters to mate Females can
mate once and lay all nests in one season without mating again
Females crawl ashore to lay eggs on sandy beaches Dig
light-bulb-shaped nest with rear flippers (2-3feet deep) ~110
leathery-shelled eggs per nest (85% viable) 2-6 nests per season
(from late spring to early fall), 8-12 day intervals Eggs hatch
after 60-65 days hatchlings on their own, only 0.1% survive due to
predation by raccoons, feral pigs, mongoose, crabs, fish, sea birds
and humans
http://rosiemolinary.com/2009/06/01/saving-the-leatherback-turtle-from-extinction/
Slide 21
Mentioned before Spikes in mouth and throat to swallow food
Dive reflex able to dive deep and navigate the contours of the
abyssal plains. Can hold breath up to 30 minutes Countercurrent
heat exchange keeps heat in core of body Able to swim quickly
(22mph) SALT GLANDS remove excess salt from blood and protect eyes
from drying out people say turtle is crying from leaving eggs
behind.
http://forthepubliceye.wordpress.com/author/forthepubliceye/
http://weareseaborn.blogspot.com/2011/01/sylvia-earle-saturday-marine-sciences.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27619014@N04/page4/
Slide 22
Parts used: Mouth, trachea, bronchus, lungs, diaphragm take in
air 50% lung exchange in one breath (humans = 19%) 3-chambered
heart pumps blood into lungs and rest of body to carry oxygen
rich/oxygen poor blood SPECIAL ADAPTATION: DIVE REFLEX Bradycardia
heart beat slows to less than 10% of normal beats per minute
Peripheral capillaries and veins shut down Blood shift cell
membranes allow blood and fluid to pass thru freely to keep
pressure constant and prevent organs from being crushed Allows them
to dive 30-70 minutes
http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/342notes8.html
Slide 23
Largest one ever found, >3m and >2,000lb. Brown adipose
tissue (common to cold water animals) aids in thermoregulation
Unlike other reptiles, can generate own body heat Males never leave
the water once they enter Warmer temperatures in nests produce more
females Evolved over 110 million years ago
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/marine_turtles/lac_marine_turtle_programme/
nesting_costarica/gandoca_manzanillo/
Slide 24
Eggs are harvested for food Asian exploitation most significant
in population decline Humans are biggest cause of Leatherback
endangerment. Bycatch on trawling boats, drift nets and long lines
Eaten for their meat Turtles eat plastics, mistaking plastic bags
for jellyfish Nesting beaches are developed, preventing nests and
killing hatchlings by drawing them inland and away from the ocean
TEDs or turtle excluder devices now used on nets Leatherbacks are
protected by Endangered Species Act, CITES Amendment, and many nest
sites are now within National Parks (Malaysia, Caribbean, Central
America)
http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/info_services/publications/sotr/latest_updates/marine_reptiles/res
ponse
Slide 25
"SPREP Factsheet: Leatherback Turtles." Home - Pacific Regional
Environment Programme. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.
http://www.sprep.org/factsheets/leatherbacks/index.htmhttp://www.sprep.org/factsheets/leatherbacks/index.htm
"January 5, 2011." Constantine Alexander's Blog. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.
http://www.constantinealexander.net/2011/01/05/index.html.
http://www.constantinealexander.net/2011/01/05/index.html
"Leatherback Sea Turtle." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19
Apr. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherback_sea_turtle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherback_sea_turtle "SEA TURTLES -
Behavior." SeaWorld/Busch Gardens ANIMALS - HOME. Web. 19 Apr.
2011.
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/sea-turtle/behavior.htm.
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/sea-turtle/behavior.htm
Wyneken. Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. Web. 04 May 2011.
http://www.science.fau.edu/.http://www.science.fau.edu/ "Killer
Whales: Adaptations for an Aquatic Environment." SeaWorld/Busch
Gardens ANIMALS - HOME. Web. 04 May 2011.
http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/KillerWhale/adapaqkw.htmlhttp://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/KillerWhale/adapaqkw.html
"Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea) - Office of Protected
Resources - NOAA Fisheries."NOAA :: National Marine Fisheries
Service. Web. 04 May 2011.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/leatherback.htm
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/leatherback.htm
"Tidewater Currents - Community Discussion on Care2.com." Care2 -
Largest Online Community for Healthy and Green Living, Human Rights
and Animal Welfare. Web. 04 May 2011.
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=1809
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=1809 "Mammalian
Diving Reflex." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 May 2011.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex