The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle and Marine Debris

The green turtle is overharvested in many areas for both its meat and eggs. The meat is highly prized and the cartilage underneath the plastron (known as 'calipee') is used in the production of turtle soup. In addition, the green turtle is affected by a number of incidental threats, including fisheries bycatch, habitat degradation, and disease. Building construction, beach armouring and sand extraction are responsible for degradation of nesting habitat, while light pollution at nesting beaches fatally attracts emerging green turtle hatchlings away from the sea. In the marine environment, increased effluent, over harvesting of algae, and contamination from coastal development all negatively affect the quality of foraging habitat. In particular, the degradation of marine habitats is implicated in the increase of fibropapillomas; fibrous tumours that can grow on almost any part of a turtles body, impeding movement or sight, and often leading to death.