75-Pound Endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle Carcass with Whole Ecosystem Beached in Oregon

An endangered loggerhead sea turtle carcass weighing 75 pounds washed up on an Oregon beach.

Its entire ecosystem was discovered to be carried on its shell by experts.

The Seaside Aquarium stated on Facebook that the turtle was discovered early on Saturday at the southern end of Manzanita.

Staff members found the turtle and discovered it had been dead for a while before it washed up on the sandy beach of Oregon.

Endangered Loggerhead Carries Whole Ecosystem

The turtle had an entire ecosystem thriving in his remains, according to Seaside Aquarium, so life could still be found despite his tragic death.

Living gooseneck barnacles, nudibranchs, and skeleton shrimp were discovered inside its shell.

The Aquarium stated that a necropsy would be scheduled to ascertain the cause of death because loggerhead turtles are relatively uncommon in the area.

The loggerhead turtle, which got its name from having a big head, is a common species that is protected by the Endangered Species Act, according to the website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Because of their strong jaw muscles, loggerhead turtles can consume hard-shelled creatures like whelks and conch.

The species of sea turtle that nests most frequently in the US is the loggerhead.

Both juvenile and adult loggerhead turtles can be seen in US coastal waters, however, many of the adults that lay their eggs on US beaches are migrant species from nearby nations like the Bahamas, Cuba, and Mexico.

Biggest Threat to Sea Turtles

However, according to NOAA, bycatch in fishing gear like trawls, gillnets, and longlines is to blame for the decline in Loggerhead populations in the United States.

Despite the use of gillnet bans, turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawls, and other gear modifications, bycatch in fishing gear still poses the greatest threat to loggerhead sea turtles.

Approximately 40% of all fisheries' catch is discarded as trash, according to Sea Turtle Week.

Sea turtles, seabirds, marine mammals, as well as other species are caught and dumped-usually dead.

It is unknown what will happen to animals that are captured and released while still alive and injured.

Many animals and fish which are not intended to be caught become entangled in longlines, which have thousands of baited hooks on fishing lines that can be tens of miles long.

Seabirds, like albatrosses, and sea turtles, especially the green, loggerhead, leatherback, and olive ridley varieties, are drawn to the bait and end up getting on the hooks.

Some also drown after becoming tangled in the fishing lines.

Protecting and Recovering

The goal of NOAA Fisheries and its collaborators is to safeguard and restore sea turtle populations across the globe.

To research, safeguard, and restore these endangered and threatened species, the team employed a variety of cutting-edge techniques.

As they create policies and recovery plans that support the conservation and recovery or rehabilitation of loggerhead turtles, as well as their habitats, NOAA collaborates with its partners, KOMO News reported.