Role Of Hawksbill Turtle in Ecosystem

Ecosystems have many organisms that play an important role in the maintenance of ecosystem in one way or another. We don’t know the roles that were played by Hawksbay sea turtles millions of years ago but they still play an important role and if we get to know about the roles that are being played by them today then it would be easier for us to determine the ones that were done by them in older times. All of them are connected to each other and may have relationships which can be categorized as commensalism, mutualism and parasitism.

They have relationship with biotic as well as abiotic factors.

Relationship With Biotic And Abiotic Factors

• Coral reefs

Hawksbill sea turtles have beak like mouths and they forage on the sponges. They remove sponges from reefs and they allow corals to grow. If we have no Hawksbill sea turtles then sponges will dominate coral reefs because they compete with each other for space and this will limit their growth.

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There is also a chance of modification of the original structure of coral reef ecosystem. Most marine animals and fish cannot eat sponges because they may shed sponge spicules or release toxins but Hawksbill tears them apart making them available for other marine species. This relationship has an impact on the coral reef communities. They are also sometimes called reef keepers.

• Sand dunes

Hawksbill sea turtles lay their eggs in sand on the beaches. These beaches are their nesting beaches. The sand becomes nutrient rich strengthening the roots of dune plants and coastal ecosystem.

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Those nutrients may be Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Natural predators may also consume these eggs which ultimately transfer the nutrients in other system by feces.

• Provision of Habitat

Sea turtles may be habitat for smaller organisms which attach themselves with the back of turtles to travel from one place to another. They disperse these small plants or animals in the marine ecosystems.

• Provision of food

All sea turtles provide food to fish and shrimps. They carry smaller organism like algae on their backs which are food for fish. They can be called as cleaning stations for the sea turtles as they clean their shells by consuming the animals. Sea Turtles acquire a certain posture offering meal to angelfish and barber pole shrimp or even they can be seend cleaning off turtles when they are slept.