Irma has struck Florida and devastated the region, destroyed homes and left people without power and many of the necessities of life. The tidal surges of Hurricane Irma have also swept away thousands of turtle eggs that were incubating deep in the sands of the beaches. These belonged to leatherback and loggerhead turtles which are in the list of threatened and endangered species. It may be possible to recoup the losses suffered by a man like buildings, vehicles, and roads, but not the loss of turtle eggs. This falls into the category of an ecological disaster.
The loss is irreparable
Daily Mail UK reports that wild sea turtles usually nest in Vero Beach, Florida. This is a town on the Atlantic Coast located north of West Palm Beach, and the force of the tidal waves have left the turtle eggs scattered on the beaches. These are being devoured by sea birds or destroyed by crabs or rotting in the heat. Locals have informed the turtle program coordinator for the county about the fate of the nests and eggs.
The responsibility of the coordinator is to maintain strict checks over the 30-mile stretch of the coastline and keep track of turtle nests and population of turtles. If it drops, the matter is relayed to the local and state officials. Incidentally, this year there were nearly 7000 nests on the beach which is believed to be a sort of record.
Hurricane Irma has struck after the hatching season for loggerheads and leatherbacks but the green turtles, it is still hatching season, and the number of their nests is about 2000.
Protection of the turtles
To protect the turtles, the authorities have already introduced some measures that have given positive results. Turtles are slowly moving out of endangered and threatened categories which are considered to be an ecological victory in Florida.
One of the measures introduced is to make the possession of turtle eggs a criminal offense because it is a delicacy for those who stay on the beach. Another measure is to turn off patio lights during the nesting season. This is done to ensure that turtles are guided by the Moon to reach the nesting grounds.
However, Hurricane Irma has shown that it can destroy human settlements as well as the ecology and sea turtles are an example.
Natural disasters like hurricanes lead to floods and take a heavy toll of living beings that include animals. The cause of such unnatural behavior of nature is global warming. It melts glaciers at the poles which lead to sea level rise, and this puts the coastal areas in danger of flooding. Hurricanes bring misery and people must realize that it is necessary to control global warming and prevent such disasters.
