Birds and Sea Turtles Lecture 16

Threats to Marine birds

Predation, Loss of breeding and nesting habitats, Food scarcity, less food means longer fledging periods, Oil spills damage feathers, Bycatch, Overfishing, Collisions, Climate change: changing the food web, and Plastic pollution

Threats to Sea Turtles

Bycatch, Recreational fishing: may eat fishhooks, Marine debris, Poaching, Climate change, Sea level rise erode habitats, OA affects their source of calcium, Loss of nesting habitat, Disease in warmer environments, Beach activities can disrupt nests, and Plastic pollution

Important biology of seabirds

salt glands, webbed feet, waterproof feathers, elaborate courtships (gift-giving, head bobbing, etc), pelican’s elastic throat, most lost ability to walk, monogamous, foraging and diving, breed in colonies, transfer nutrients, etc.

important biology of shorebirds

long legs and specialized feet to walk on land, endothermic, dependent on terrestrial sites for nesting, parents distract predators by acting, foraging techniques like chiseling and hammering, biofilm production, nutrient exchange, etc.

Important biology of sea turtles

air breathers, sex determined by temperature, females, migrate beach to lay eggs and seasonal feeding grounds, salt glands, ectothermic, navigate with magnetic fields, shell fused with bone and ribs, grazers, feed on sponges, jellies, etc.