BY TISHIN DONKERSLEY, M.A.
If you are unable to get away to the ocean this month, consider enjoying a little glimpse of the ocean right here in Arizona. Sea Life Arizona in Tempe houses a 26,000-square-foot interactive aquarium showcasing some of the most delightful sea creatures for all to observe. With more than 30 display tanks, and 5,000 sea creatures from 12 different habitat zones, Sea Life Arizona gives desert dwellers an impressive sampling of marine life right in their own backyard.
One particular animal to look for is Ziva, the green sea turtle. Ziva was rescued off the coast of Florida in May 2010, after severe injuries from a boat strike. She was brought to Georgia Sea Turtle Center, an internationally acclaimed rehabilitation, educational and research facility dedicated to the conservation of coastal wildlife, where she was cared for and saved. Due to extensive injuries to her shell (carapace) and skull, Ziva requires specialized weights to swim and dive correctly. Ziva will never be able to return to the wild but will live comfortably among the familiar sharks, rays, and tropical fish of her first home, at Sea Life Arizona—a place where she is safer, perhaps, than her wild counterparts.
According to an article from Eco Watch, “Sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico are still reeling from the impacts of last year’s oil spill, and they simply can’t withstand the chronic threat of drowning in shrimp nets,” said Jaclyn Lopez, an attorney for Center of Biological Diversity. “Data shows that record number of sea turtles have perished in the Gulf of Mexico, yet the fisheries service has not taken protective measures to prevent sea turtles from dying,” she continues.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has not done enough to protect against the increasing strandings and mortality rates of sea turtles as a result of the fishing industry. In early 2011, the NMFS temporarily improved enforcement along the Gulf coastline but has yet to make significant strides in measures to reduce damage to the population.
“Reducing sea turtle deaths from fisheries is key to preventing extinction,” said Marydele Donnelly, director of international policy at the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
The Endangered Species Act requires the NMFS to ensure that fishing acts do not jeopardize endangered species like the sea turtle; however, there is a long way to go to effectively implement and enforce these policies. In the meantime, there are things we can all do to help the sea turtle population.
•Recycle your plastics and aluminum cans so they don’t make their way to the ocean.
•Do not throw any trash into the ocean.
•Do not release balloons near the ocean, as they fall back into the ocean and turtles may attempt to eat them.
•Do not dump hazardous chemicals down the drain, as the water may return to the ocean via local waterways.
•If you see a sea turtle nest, do not use artificial lighting to see it or make contact – let it be.
•Support organizations that help protect our sea life and oceans.
Take some time to visit Ziva and her ocean friends at Sea Life Arizona, and learn more about protecting sea turtles from extinction, and sustaining our oceans for generations to come.
