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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Social Media Photo of Sea Turtle Hatchling Sparks News Stories
Sea Turtle Conservation Staff Document Perils That Face Sea Turtle Hatchlings
There’s an old saying that goes: “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Well, in today’s world of Social Media, it could be said: “A photo is worth a thousand clicks.”
That’s what happened when staff in the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program came across a hapless sea turtle hatchling that got stuck in a discarded plastic cup on the beach. Every year from March – October, mother sea turtles return to the beaches of Florida to lay the eggs of the next generation. And when the baby turtles hatch and make their way out of their nest, their instincts take them toward the brightest light in the night sky, which is usually the moon over the ocean.
Unfortunately there many more threats today facing the baby turtles as they head to the open seas – from light pollution from residences and businesses on the beachfront to garbage left behind by beach goers.
To show the world what this means in practical terms, a photo was taken of a baby turtle who wandered into a plastic cup thrown carelessly on a Broward County, Florida beach. The turtle was successfully rescued and sent on its way to the Atlantic, but this shows that when you visit the beach, “all you should take away with you are memories and all you should leave behind are footprints.”
The photo was posted to the program’s Facebook page, which was quickly circulated and resulted in media outlets around the country running a story. Below are some of the “traditional” media that ran stories:
- FOX 14 – Texas
- KGBT CBS4 – Texas
- KFDM CBS6 – Texas
- CBS-12 – W. Palm Beach
- ABC-7 – California
- FOX-13 – Tampa Bay