Green Turtle

About Green Turtle

• The Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is one of the largest sea turtles and the only herbivore among the different species.
• They are in fact named for the greenish color of their cartilage and fat, not their shells.
• In the Eastern Pacific, a group of green turtles that have darker shells are called black turtles by the local community.
• They graze on seagrasses and algae, which maintains the seagrass beds and makes them more productive.
• These species migrate long distances between feeding grounds and the beaches from where they hatched.
• They are potentially particularly susceptible, as the sex of their offspring is dependent on incubation temperature.
• Distribution: Green turtles are found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix 1
• Threats: Habitat loss, fisheries by catch and illegal trade etc.

Key facts about the Mediterranean Sea

• It is an intercontinental sea that is bordered by the continent of Europe in the north, by Asia in the east, and by Africa in the south.
• In the west, the Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the narrow Strait of Gibraltar.
• In the extreme northeast, it is connected to the Black Sea via the Dardanelles Strait, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus Strait. 
• The Mediterranean Sea is also connected to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal in the southeast.
• Climate: The region is characterized by the prevailing subtropical climate known as the Mediterranean climate, with usually mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
• Mediterranean Sea waters are more saline compared to the waters of the Atlantic. There is a continuous movement of water from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean and vice versa through the Strait of Gibraltar.

Q1) What is the Strait of Gibraltar?

It is a channel connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, lying between southernmost Spain and northwesternmost Africa. The strait is an important gap, averaging 1,200 feet (365 metres) in depth in the arc formed by the Atlas Mountains of North Africa and the high plateau of Spain.

Source: Green turtles nesting range expands under warming climate