Sea Turtles: Understanding Threats and Conservation Strategies

Author(s): Cori Lopazanski Author Affiliation and UNC Department of Marine Sciences Location: (e.g. Duke, Beaufort, NC) Optional Author Website Optional Author [email protected] Contact Information (e.g. email) Introduction/Abstract This activity introduces students to sea turtles, reviewing basic concepts about reptiles and to Lesson Plan (max. marine organisms. Students will learn about the life history of sea turtles, complete a 100 Words) sequencing activity of major life events, and hypothesize about common threats sea turtles may face during their lifetime. Finally, the students will participate in an activity illustrating these threats, and learn about an adaptation sea turtles have to compensate for low survival rates. The activity concludes with small group or class discussion about ways humans can help conserve these animals.

Learning Objectives - Explain life cycle of sea turtles and sequence life cycle events using Measurable - List natural predators of sea turtles Verbs (what students - Explain low survival rate in sea turtles and describe an adaptation that allows sea turtles will be able to do) to compensate for low survival rates - Learn ways human behavior affects sea turtle survival and hypothesize ways in which humans can help with conservation

Appropriate Grade Best for 2-5, can be modified to fit K-8 Levels Group Size/# of Options to work together as a class, individually, and in small groups of 3-5. No maximum students activities are number. designed for Setting (e.g. indoors, Indoor (*contact me for option for outdoor/gym activity) outdoors, lab, etc.) Approximate Time of Introduction: 5-10 minutes Lesson Sequencing Activity: 10-15 minutes Predator/Threat Activity: 20-30 minutes Closure & Discussion: 15-20 minutes Total: 50-70 minutes (able to condense and expand)

Resources Needed Pencils and paper for group activities, brainstorming for Students (e.g. scissors, paper, If desired: scissors, glue, and construction paper or poster board for sequencing activity pencils, glue, etc.) Resources Needed Blackboard for group discussions (if desired) for Educators (e.g. Can use ping pong balls to illustrate size of sea turtle eggs blackboard, Printed handouts or laminated photos for sequencing activity Powerpoint Printed photos for threats activity (can also use stuffed animals or figurines) capabilities, etc.) Apps/Websites Educators can learn more info about sea turtles: Needed http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/ http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/sea-turtle http://www.seeturtles.org/sea-turtle-facts/ Lesson Activity (step 1) Introduction to sea turtles by step description of o Give students background information about sea turtles, or alternatively have activity) them share information with you that they already know. Most have heard of sea turtles or at least seen Finding Nemo! o Suggestions for basic information (educator can tailor to fit age group): . Reptiles (can use as an opportunity to introduce/review characteristics of reptiles) that live in the oceans . 7 different species (Leatherback, Hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, Olive Ridley, Loggerhead, Green, Flatback) – all are threatened or endangered  Species that visit NC: leatherback, loggerhead, green, and sometimes Kemp’s ridley  They vary in size and diet . Special shell that protects the turtle and grows with them; they cannot leave their shell! . Learn more from links posted above 2) Basics of sea turtle life history: When a female sea turtle is ready to lay her eggs, she travels all the way back to the same beach she hatched from (usually within 150 miles). She crawls up onto the sand during the night and digs a hole that is approximately 2 feet deep, where she deposits 80-100 eggs. She then covers the eggs back up with sand and crawls back into the ocean. After about 60 days, the eggs hatch all at the same time, called a “boil” because it is like pot boiling over with sea turtles. The baby sea turtles – called hatchlings – have to climb all the way out of the nest and down into the water. They swim and follow currents to the Sargasso Sea, where they will live and eat until they are large enough to venture out on their own. Eventually, after the turtles are 25-30 years old, the females will crawl back to the same beach to lay their eggs. o Information can be introduced via reading activity or shared by the educator o Sequencing activity (attached): Students work together in small groups to sequence the life history events for sea turtles. Alternatively, they can work alone, or in class discussion. . Number of events can be modified, reduced for younger groups o Review answers as a class 3) What threats do sea turtles face? Now that they are familiar with the major events in sea turtles’ lives, have students brainstorm some of the threats sea turtles might face in their lifetime. This can be done in small groups, or as a class. o Once they start to come up with ideas, have them put the threats into categories: 1) threats to nesting mothers, 2) threats to eggs, 3) threats to hatchling turtles, and 4) threats to adult turtles . They can write these down on their own paper, in groups, or alternatively create a large list on a whiteboard . See suggested list attached . Students should be able to recognize the sheer number of threats sea turtles face throughout their lifetime. They should also notice that as the sea turtle gets older and larger, the amount of threats they face gets smaller and smaller. Additionally, one of the biggest (and only) threats adult turtles face are humans. o Activity: *Contact me for info about making this an outdoor activity similar to the sharks-and-minnows game of tag* . Break students up into large groups (~10) or complete as a class. Have students draw numbers out of a hat – their number represents their identity during the activity.  Assign roles as followed (this is for groups of 10 – contact me for assistance for larger/smaller groups!) Replace numbers for the hatchlings in the hat (in this case #2-7) o 1 – Nesting Mother o 2 - 7 – Eggs/Hatchlings o 8 – Crab o 9 – Raccoon o 10 – Shark  When any hatchling is killed, they can be assigned another threat so they are still involved in the activity: o Boat (for boat strike) o Plastic bag (turtle eats the bag, thinking it is food)  Tip for groups larger than 10: increase the number of hatchlings so that all students are hatchlings except for 2-3 threats and the nesting mother, and then keep adding threats until only one sea turtle is left at the end. Threats can also kill multiple turtles at once.  Have the students act out the events: o Nesting mother crawls up onto the beach, uses her back flippers to dig a hole and deposits her eggs (hatchling turtles now come up and pretend to be in their eggs) o After 60 days, the hatchlings begin to emerge out of their eggs and crawl down to the ocean. However, there is a crab waiting that eats one of the turtles! (Draw number out of the hat – this is the turtle that is killed) o The rest of the hatchlings keep crawling towards the water, but it is a very long way down the beach. All of a sudden, a raccoon appears and grabs one of the turtles! (Draw number out of the hat – this is the turtle that is killed) o The rest of the hatchlings make it to the water, and swim towards the Sargasso sea. They see lots of big fish along the way, but are able to hide in small patches of seaweed where they cannot be seen. However, one day they encounter a large shark with a great sense of smell, and he snatches one right up! (Draw number out of the hat) o The other hatchlings keep swimming, and are starting to get older and larger. They no longer have to worry about getting eaten by fish, and can swim around freely looking for food. One day, the turtles are swimming around when a boat goes flying by, and the propeller hits the back of one of the turtle’s shell. (Draw number out of the hat). o There are now only 2 turtles left. They both swim around eating and relaxing, but one day one of the turtles eats a plastic bag because it looks a lot like its food. (Draw a number out of the hat) . Continue explaining threat scenarios until only one turtle remains o Now only one turtle remains – it keeps eating and growing, and one day it is big enough to reproduce. He/she one day can find a mate, and the nesting mother crawls onto the beach to lay a set of eggs, starting the cycle all over again. . Ask questions to help summarize the activity. Why do you think sea turtle survival rate is so low? Students should understand the different threats sea turtles face. Prompt them to think about any adaptations the sea turtle uses to combat these threats. What things does a sea turtle do that might help them survive? You may get answers like “swim quickly,” but you can suggest they look at the life history event sheet for ideas. One main example is the number of eggs the turtle lays at one time (80-100). By laying so many eggs, they can be sure at least one might survive long enough to reproduce. 4) How can humans help? Prompt students to identify the threats that are related to humans and human activity. Circle these on the list of threats on the white board (they are bold on the suggested list) o Students should recognize that humans can have a large impact on sea turtles’ lives o Have students hypothesize about ways humans could help conserve sea turtles, and (if applicable) particularly things they could do to help . This can be done in class discussion or small groups

Final Product (If there is one, e.g. blog, presentation, etc.) Assessment/Evaluatio Evaluation based on discussion and review of activities: going over correct sequencing order, n (Evidence of discussing threats to sea turtles, and brainstorming how humans could help in conservation Learning linked directly to learning objectives) NC Essential 1.L.1.2 Give examples of how the needs of different plants and animals can be met by their Standards environments in North Carolina or different places throughout the world. 1.L.1.3 Summarize ways that humans protect their environment and/or improve conditions for the growth of the plants and animals that live there 2.L.1.1 Summarize the life cycle of animals: Birth, Developing into an adult, Reproducing, Aging and death 2.L.1.2 Compare life cycles of different animals such as, but not limited to, mealworms, ladybugs, crickets, guppies or frogs. 4.L.1 Understand the effects of environmental changes, adaptations and behaviors that enable animals (including humans) to survive in changing habitats. 4.L.1.2 Explain how animals meet their needs by using behaviors in response to information received from the environment. 5.L.2 Understand the interdependence of plants and animals with their ecosystem. 8.L.3 Understand how organisms interact with and respond to the biotic and abiotic components of their environment. 8.L.3.2 Summarize the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers including the positive and negative consequences of such interactions including: predator/prey

Bio.2.1 Analyze the interdependence of living organisms within their environments. Bio.2.1.3 Explain various ways organisms interact with each other (including predation, competition, parasitism, mutualism) and with their environments resulting in stability within ecosystems. Bio.2.2 Understand the impact of human activities on the environment (one generation affects the next). Bio.2.2.1 Infer how human activities (including population growth, pollution, global warming, burning of fossil fuels, habitat destruction and introduction of nonnative species) may impact the environment. Bio.2.2.2 Explain how the use, protection and conservation of natural resources by humans impact the environment from one generation to the next.

Next Generation 2LS41 Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different Science Standards habitats. 3LS11 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death 3LS43 Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat (some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all)

Images:

 For threat activity (make sure images are licensed for reuse) -

o Sea turtle hatchlings

o Adults sea turtle

o Crab

o Raccoon

o Shark

o Boat

o Fishing line

Notes:

Example Threat Chart: (human threats are bold)

Mothers Eggs Hatchlings Adults Nesting mothers - Animals could - Bright lights near - Can be eaten by can decide not to come dig up the the beach cause large sharks lay their eggs for nest to eat the turtles to crawl - Cold stunning many reasons: eggs (dogs, foxes, away from the - Humans: - Bright lights near raccoons, etc.) ocean, never Boat strikes the beach - Humans walking reaching the Nets - Loud noises from on the nest, ocean Fishing lines homes or streets digging it up - Animals trying to Plastic bags -Disturbances by - Washed away by eat them when humans the tide or a storm they are crawling - Encountering to the ocean objects left on the (crabs, birds, dogs, beach (toys, foxes, etc.) chairs, shelters) - Humans picking the turtles up or disturbing them - Fish and other organisms eating them once they are swimming in the water