Protected areas and marine life

The lesson in plain words

1. Sea turtles
   • The loggerhead turtle is the most common sea turtle in the Mediterranean and nests on its beaches in summer.
   • Turtles breathe air and often rest at the surface, where propellers and hulls hit them.
   • Keep a lookout, slow down if you see one and keep at least 50 yards (about 45 m) away, as NOAA advises.
   • Put the engine in neutral and let it pass.
2. Plastic and ghost gear
   • Turtles mistake floating plastic bags for jellyfish, their food, and die with blocked guts.
   • Lost nets and lines, called ghost gear, keep catching turtles, dolphins and seabirds for years.
   • Never let plastic or fishing line go overboard.
   • If you find floating plastic and can pick it up safely, take it aboard and land it.
3. A hooked turtle
   • Never lift a turtle by the line, pull on the line or try to remove the hook: this can worsen injuries.
   • Keep the line slack and let the turtle surface to breathe.
   • Call the coastguard or a turtle-rescue service before cutting.
   • Follow their instructions on handling, cutting and release.
   • If release is advised or unavoidable, cut the line as close to the hook as you safely can without pulling.
4. An entangled turtle
   • Keep clear of the gear and propeller.
   • Call the coastguard or a turtle-rescue service with your position and what you can see.
   • Do not enter the water, tow the turtle or lift or pull it by the line or net.
   • Follow the rescuers’ instructions and keep it in sight from a safe distance if possible.
5. Seagrass as a nursery
   • Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass that forms underwater meadows in the Mediterranean.
   • Fish, octopus, seahorses and the giant fan mussel (Pinna nobilis) live and breed in them.
   • The leaves shelter young fish and other marine animals.
   • The seagrass releases oxygen, helps keep the water clear, stores carbon and reduces wave energy.
   • Dead leaves piled on beaches in winter protect the sand from storms.
   • Anchoring rules live in the Pollution lesson.

Key data

Key points

• Turtles rest at the surface; keep a lookout and slow down near them.
• Plastic bags look like jellyfish to turtles; nothing plastic goes overboard.
• Hooked turtle: keep the line slack; call rescuers before cutting. Entangled turtle: stand clear and call for help.
• Posidonia meadows are a nursery for fish, octopus and seahorses.

Check what you have read

True or false?

Practice case & exam keys

Exam keys

1. 1Turtles: lookout, slow down, keep at least 50 yards, neutral to let them pass.
2. 2Plastic and ghost gear kill turtles and dolphins; nothing plastic overboard.
3. 3Hooked turtle: slack line, call rescuers before cutting or release. Entangled turtle: stand clear, do not enter the water or pull the gear; call for help.
4. 4Posidonia meadows: nursery, oxygen, clear water, carbon store; beach piles protect the sand.