This is especially true of the younger turtles. ![]() Can they swim away to find better feeding grounds? The concern here is that if they are already suffering the effects of an insufficient food supply, they might not have the strength to make what would be a long journey. Over the past six years, the Bermuda Turtle Project has seen a significant increase in the number of strandings of green turtles per yearĬan our green turtles adapt and survive on alternative food sources? There are indications that some are feeding on algae but how that might impact their digestive systems and long-term health is not known at this time. Given that seagrass is the primary food source in Bermuda, this is not surprising. Not only are they counting fewer turtles, those they are catching are actually smaller in size. Gaelle Roth, volunteer veterinarian for The Bermuda Turtle Project notes that while 2015 saw a bumper crop of green turtle juveniles arrive on island, the number of turtles recorded in their annual surveys have been receding in the years since. Begun in 1968, data collected in Bermuda water helps scientists build on their understanding the turtles’ life cycle, habits and the essential role they play in the greater marine ecosystem. ![]() The Bermuda Turtle Project is the longest running green sea turtle conservation programme in the world. As the seagrass beds decline so does the head count and health of our green turtle population. If this experience has seemed less frequent in recent years there’s a reason for it. ![]() A Green Sea Turtle in the waters around Bailey's Bay 2020 The sight of a turtle’s head popping to the surface is a highlight in any boating excursion around Bermuda waters.
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