Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World

Feature:
Irreplaceable Wildlife in A Warming World
Graphic of irreplacable species, emperor penguin.
We are connected to each other, to our environment. From faraway places to our own backyard. But climate change is now changing the Earth as we know it, and animals and plants from the Arctic to the Everglades are feeling the consequences.
Key Resources:

Green Sea Turtle

Green sea turtles spend much of their 80-year lifespan enjoying tropical beaches and sunbathing on shore. While underwater, these massive turtles swim gracefully through the shallow, warm waters off the northwestern Hawaiian islands and the Atlantic coast.
Photo Credit:
Michele Westmorland / ILCP (Part of Irreplaceable Wildlife Photo Exhibit)
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Green Sea Turtle

Scientific Name: 
Chelonia mydas
IUCN Red List: 
Endangered
Endangered Species Act List: 
Endangered

Named after the green color of the fat found beneath its shell, the green sea turtle spends much of its 80-year lifespan plying the tropical and subtropical waters of the world’s oceans. Unlike other sea turtles, green sea turtles are mostly herbivores, feeding off seagrass that grows in shallow lagoons. The waters and beaches of Hawai`i are the turtle’s most important habitat in the US, but minor nesting sites can also be found along the coast of Florida.

Climate Change Impacts

Although they spend most of their lives in the water, all sea turtles must return to the beaches to lay their eggs. Rising sea levels from global warming may submerge many of the beaches the green sea turtle relies on. Temperature also helps determine the gender of incubating eggs. Warmer temperatures swing the balance toward female turtles, which upsets the gender balance of not only green sea turtles, but other endangered turtle species as well.

Irreplaceable in Your Neighborhood

The Earthjustice traveling photo exhibit, Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World, is available to bring education, scholarship and research to your community. For more information on booking the exhibit, including fees, exhibit specifications, requirements and descriptions, please contact Nadine de Coteau at 1-800-584-6460.