151-574: The South China Sea Islands consist of over 250 islands , atolls , cays , shoals , reefs , and seamounts in the South China Sea . The islands are mostly low and small and have few inhabitants. The islands and surrounding seas are subject to overlapping territorial claims by the countries bordering the South China Sea. The South China Sea Islands constitute a distinct tropical moist broadleaf forest terrestrial ecoregion and
302-451: A "commuting" distance to an island that has enough resources to be sustainable. The presence of an island is marked by seabirds , differences in cloud and weather patterns, as well as changes in the direction of waves. It is also possible for human populations to have gone extinct on islands, evidenced by explorers finding islands that show evidence of habitation but no life. Not all islands were or are inhabited by maritime cultures. In
453-514: A "rafting event". This phenomenon is known as oceanic dispersal . Tropical storms have the capacity to transport species over great distances. Animals like tortoises can live for weeks without food or water, and are able to survive floating on debris in the sea. One case study showed that in 1995, fifteen iguanas survived a 300 km journey to Anguilla in the Caribbean , an island which no iguana had lived on previously. They survived floating on
604-540: A beaked head at the end of a short neck, and paddle-like arms well-adapted for swimming. Adult green turtles grow to 1.5 metres (5 ft) long. The average weight of mature individuals is 68–190 kg (150–419 lb) and the average carapace length is 78–112 cm (31–44 in). They are considered the second largest sea turtle in the United States, after the leatherback sea turtle. Exceptional specimens can weigh 315 kg (694 lb) or even more, with
755-457: A city which includes islands from the Xisha (Paracel), Nansha (Spratly and James Shoal ) and Zhongsha ( 中沙 , Zhōngshā ; Macclesfield Bank , Scarborough Shoal , and others) groups. There are minerals , natural gas and oil deposits on the islands and under their nearby seafloor, also an abundance of sea life , such as fish, animals and vegetation, traditionally exploited as food by all
906-426: A detailed review of 1,288 islands found that they were home to 1,189 highly-threatened vertebrate species, which was 41 percent of the global figure. Coral bleaching is expected to occur with more frequency, threatening marine ecosystems, some of which island economies are dependent on. Some islands that are low-lying may cease to exist given high enough amounts of sea level rise. Tuvalu received media attention for
1057-594: A few islands south of Tasmania . Significant nesting grounds are scattered throughout the entire Pacific region, including Mexico , the Hawaiian Islands , the South Pacific , the northern coast of Australia , and Southeast Asia . Major Indian Ocean nesting colonies include India , Pakistan , Sri Lanka and other coastal countries. The turtles can also be found throughout the Indian Ocean ;
1208-614: A few meters high, and are usually temporary. Changes in the flow speed, water level, and sediment content of the river may effect the rate of fluvial island formation and depletion. Permanent river islands also exist, the largest of which (that is completely inland) is Bananal Island in the Tocantins of Brazil, which has a maximum width of 55 kilometers. Lakes form for a variety of reasons, including glaciers , plate tectonics, and volcanism. Lake islands can form as part of these processes. The field of insular biogeography studies
1359-402: A higher carrying capacity also have more genetic diversity , which promotes speciation . Oceanic islands, ones that have never been connected to shore, are only populated by life that can cross the sea. This means that any animals present on the island had to have flown there, in the case of birds or bats , were carried by such animals, or were carried in a sea current in what is known as
1510-477: A loss of almost all the infrastructure in Dominica. Sea level rise and other climate changes can reduce freshwater reserves, resulting in droughts . These risks are expected to decrease the habitability of islands, especially small ones. Beyond risks to human life, plant and animal life are threatened. It has been estimated that almost 50 percent of land species threatened by extinction live on islands. In 2017,
1661-403: A mass of uprooted trees from a storm. Plant species are thought to be able to travel great distances of ocean. New Zealand and Australia share 200 native plant species, despite being separated by 1500 km. Continental islands, islands that were at one point connected to a continent, are expected to share a common history of plant and animal life up until the point that the island broke away from
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#17327730289851812-453: A migrating species, their global distribution spans into the open ocean. The differences in mitochondrial DNA more than likely stems from the populations being isolated from each other by the southern tips of both South America and Africa with no warm waters for the green sea turtles to migrate through. The green sea turtle is estimated to inhabit coastal areas of more than 140 countries, with nesting sites in over 80 countries worldwide throughout
1963-837: A minimum. Some islands became host to humans due to a land bridge or a continental island splitting from the mainland. Today, up to 10% of the world's population lives on islands. Islands are popular targets for tourism due to their perceived natural beauty, isolation, and unique cultures. Islands became the target of colonization by Europeans, resulting in the majority of islands in the Pacific being put under European control. Decolonization has resulted in some but not all island nations becoming self-governing , with lasting effects related to industrialisation , invasive species , nuclear weapons testing , and tourism . Islands and island countries are threatened by climate change . Sea level rise threatens to submerge nations such as Maldives ,
2114-743: A minority. Cultural attitudes related to communal ownership of land as well as a lack of individualistic decision-making may make some island cultures less compatible with the global capitalist economy, causing these nations to experience less economic growth. Islands have long been a popular target for tourism , thanks to their unique climates, cultures, and natural beauty. However, islands may suffer from poor transportation connectivity from airplanes and boats and strains on infrastructure from tourist activity. Islands in colder climates often rely on seasonal tourists seeking to enjoy nature or local cultures, and may only be one aspect of an island's economy. In contrast, tourism on tropical islands can often make up
2265-613: A permanent caisson , a steel or concrete structure built in a closed loop and then filled with sand. Some modern islands have been constructed by pouring millions of tons of sand into the sea, such as with Pearl Island in Qatar or the Palm Islands in Dubai. These islands are usually created for real estate development , and are sold for private ownership or construction of housing. Offshore oil platforms have also been described as
2416-524: A phenomenon where new oceanic crust is formed, pushing away older crust. Islands sitting on the continental shelf may be called continental islands. Other islands, like those that make up New Zealand , are what remains of continents that shrank and sunk beneath the sea. It was estimated that Zealandia , the continent-like area of crust that New Zealand sits on, has had 93% of its original surface area submerged. Some islands are formed when coral reefs grow on volcanic islands that have submerged beneath
2567-882: A population or subspecies of the green turtle (instead of a separate species). However, this is possibly a case of political taxonomy. As such the three major international checklists that cover turtles of the world Reptile Database the checklist of Fritz and Havas (2007) and the IUCN Checklist (TTWG 2017) all consider this a junior synonym. Green sea turtles move across three habitat types, depending on their life stage . They lay eggs on beaches. Mature turtles spend most of their time in shallow, coastal waters with lush seagrass beds. Adults frequent inshore bays, lagoons, and shoals with lush seagrass meadows . Entire generations often migrate between one pair of feeding and nesting areas. Green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas , are classified as an aquatic species and are distributed around
2718-423: A press conference publicizing the ongoing submerging of the island country. Tuvalu signed a cooperation agreement with Australia agreeing to annually allow 280 of its citizens to become permanent residents of Australia. The Marshall Islands, a country of 1,156 islands, have also been identified as a country that may be existentially threatened by rising seas. Increasing intensity of tropical storms also increases
2869-483: A priority target of conservation efforts, to prevent the extinction of these species. Despite high levels of endemism, the total species richness , the total number of unique species in a region, is lower on islands than on mainlands. The level of species richness on islands is proportional to the area of that island, a phenomenon known as the species-area relationship . This is because larger areas have more resources and thus can support more organisms. Populations with
3020-415: A problem with this hypothesis is that some turtles travel thousands of miles to return to their native beaches, and the scents from that area are not likely to travel and be distinguishable from that distance. The second hypothesis is the geomagnetic. This hypothesis states that as it hatches, a young turtle will imprint on the magnetic field of the beach they are born on. This hypothesis strongly correlates to
3171-734: A record number. In addition to sporadic distribution of nesting sites, feeding grounds are much more widely distributed throughout Florida . Important feeding grounds in Florida include Indian River Lagoon , the Florida Keys , Florida Bay , Homosassa , Crystal River , and Cedar Key . Notable locations in South America include secluded beaches in Suriname and French Guiana . In the Southern Atlantic Ocean,
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#17327730289853322-778: A relatively slow growth rate because of the low nutritional value of their diet. Body fat turns green because of the consumed vegetation . This diet shift has an effect on the green turtle's skull morphology. Their serrated jaw helps them chew green and red algae (such as filamentous red alga ( Bostrychia ), red moss ( Caloglossa ), freshwater red algae ( Compsopogon ), lobster horns ( Polysiphonia ), sea lettuce ( Ulva lactuca ), green seaweed ( Gayralia ), and crinkle grass ( Rhizoclonium )) and sea grasses. They also consume large quantities of wetland plants such as Avicennia schaueriana and Sporobolus alterniflorus , which are commonly found in salt marshes. Most adult sea turtles are strictly herbivorous. Only some human beings and
3473-411: A restricted set of natural resources. However, these nations control some of the largest fisheries in the world, deposits of copper , gold , and nickel , as well as oil deposits . The natural beauty of island nations also makes them a magnet for tourism . Islands also have geopolitical value for naval bases , weapons testing , and general territorial control. One such example is French Polynesia ,
3624-476: A selection pressure for smaller animals that require less food. Having fewer predators would mean these animals did not need not be large to survive. Charles Darwin formulated the theory of natural selection through the study of island ecology. The species he observed on the Galápagos Islands , including tanager birds, contributed to his understanding of how evolution works. He first traveled to
3775-653: A separate species. These two "species" were then united as Chelonia mydas and populations were given subspecies status: C. mydas mydas referred to the originally described population, while C. mydas agassizi referred only to the Pacific population known as the Galápagos green turtle. This subdivision was later determined to be invalid and all species members were then designated Chelonia mydas . The oft-mentioned name C. agassizi remains an invalid junior synonym of C. mydas . The species' common name does not derive from any particular green external coloration of
3926-479: A single claw (as opposed to the hawksbill two), although a second claw is sometimes prominent in young specimens. The carapace of the turtle has various color patterns that change over time. Hatchlings of Chelonia mydas , like those of other marine turtles, have mostly black carapaces and light-colored plastrons. Carapaces of juveniles turn dark brown to olive, while those of mature adults are either entirely brown, spotted or marbled with variegated rays. Underneath,
4077-509: A specific property known as adaptive radiation . In this process, a species that arrives on a group of islands rapidly becomes more diverse over time, splitting off into new species or subspecies. A species that reaches an island ecosystem may face little competition for resources, or may find that the resources that they found in their previous habitat are not available. These factors together result in individual evolutionary branches with different means of survival. The classical example of this
4228-414: A territory that receives substantial military expenditure and aid from France. Since the first discoveries of Polynesian, Micronesian , and other islands by Westerners, these nations have been the subject of colonization. Islands were the target of Christian missionaries . These missionaries faced resistance, but found success when some local chiefs used European support to centralize power. Beginning in
4379-475: A time, but submergence time is much shorter while diving for food or to escape predators. Breath-holding ability is affected by activity and stress, which is why turtles quickly drown in shrimp trawlers and other fishing gear. During the night while sleeping and to protect themselves from potential predators, the adults wedge themselves under rocks below the surface and under ledges in reefs and coastal rocks. Many green sea turtles have been observed in returning to
4530-519: A tree that is present in Australia, New Zealand, parts of South American, and New Guinea, places that today are geographically distant. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is that these landmasses were once all part of the continent Gondwana and separated by tectonic drift. However, there are competing theories that suggest this species may have reached faraway places by way of oceanic dispersal. Species that colonize island archipelagos exhibit
4681-480: A tropical climate. The average annual temperature is 27 °C (81 °F) and ranges from 30 °C (86 °F) between May and August to 25 °C (77 °F) during the winter months. Rainfall averages 1,800 to 2,200 mm (71 to 87 in) annually. The southwest monsoon from May to November brings a five-month rainy season, and the seven-month dry season includes the March to April southeast monsoon. Many of
South China Sea Islands - Misplaced Pages Continue
4832-552: A type of island. Some atolls have been covered in concrete to create artificial islands for military purposes, such as those created by China in the South China Sea . These atolls were previously low-tide elevations, landmasses that are only above water during low tide . The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea indicates that these islands may not have the same legal status as a naturally occurring island, and as such may not confer
4983-413: A variety of parasites including barnacles , leeches , protozoans , cestodes , and nematodes . Barnacles attach to the carapace, and leeches to the flippers and skin of the turtles, causing damage to the soft tissues and leading to blood loss. Protozoans, cestodes and nematodes lead to many turtle deaths because of the infections in the liver and intestinal tract they cause. The greatest disease threat to
5134-515: Is Darwin's finches , a group of up to fifteen tanager species that are endemic to the Galápagos Islands. These birds evolved different beaks in order to eat different kinds of food available on the islands. The large ground finch has a large bill used to crack seeds and eat fruit. The Genovesa cactus finch prefers cacti as a food source, and has a beak adapted for removing pulp and flowers from cacti. The green warbler-finch (in
5285-465: Is Java's primary religion). In Bali , turtle meat was a prominent feature at ceremonial and religious feasts. Turtles were harvested in the remotest parts of the Indonesian archipelago . Bali has been importing sea turtles since the 1950s, as its own turtle supplies became depleted. The mostly Hindu Balinese do not eat the eggs, but sell them instead to local Muslims . Commercial farms, such as
5436-456: Is a member of the tribe Cheloniini . A 1993 study clarified the status of genus Chelonia with respect to the other marine turtles. The carnivorous Eretmochelys (hawksbill), Caretta (loggerhead) and Lepidochelys (ridley) were assigned to the tribe Carettini . Herbivorous Chelonia warranted their status as a genus , while Natator (flatback) was further removed from the other genera than previously believed. The species
5587-726: Is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics , and oceanic islands, which have never been part of a continent. Oceanic islands can be formed from volcanic activity, grow into atolls from coral reefs , and form from sediment along shorelines, creating barrier islands . River islands can also form from sediment and debris in rivers. Artificial islands are those made by humans, including small rocky outcroppings built out of lagoons and large-scale land reclamation projects used for development. Islands are host to diverse plant and animal life. Oceanic islands have
5738-598: Is actually a cognate of Swedish ö and German Aue , and more distantly related to Latin aqua (water). The spelling of the word was modified in the 15th century because of a false etymology caused by an association with the Old French loanword isle , which itself comes from the Latin word insula . Islands often are found in archipelagos or island chains, which are collections of islands. These chains are thought to form from volcanic hotspots , areas of
5889-510: Is an interesting phenomenon. Many researchers believe that sea turtles use a process called imprinting, which is a special type of learning that occurs when turtles first hatch that allows them to recognize their native beach. There are two types of imprinting that are thought to be the reason turtles can find these beaches. The first is the chemical imprinting hypothesis. This hypothesis states that much like salmon, sea turtles are able to use olfactory cues and senses to smell their way home. However,
6040-522: Is complex. The sea floor contains Paleozoic and Mesozoic granite and metamorphic rocks . The islands are usually coral reefs of varying ages and formations. Some have been artificially extended. In the Spratly Islands Reed Tablemount is a very large guyot over 100 km (62 mi) across, which includes Reed Bank and Nares Bank in its geological structure. The second deepest blue hole (underwater sinkhole) in
6191-488: Is considered a junior synonym of Chelonia mydas as such it is considered as a local variant of the populations of the East Pacific waters and those of other nesting areas. The morphological distinctiveness of the Galápagos green turtle has given rise to the debate, but evidence of taxonomic distinctiveness is best served using the combination of multiple datasets. The two most notable morphological distinctions are
South China Sea Islands - Misplaced Pages Continue
6342-439: Is known as natal homing . The males also return to their birthplaces in order to mate. These males that return to their homes know they will be able to find mates because the females born there also return to breed. By doing this, the green sea turtles are able to improve their reproductive success and is why they are willing to expend the energy to travel thousands of miles across the ocean in order to reproduce. Mating behaviour
6493-598: Is known until past the southern tip of Africa in the east and Argentina in the western Atlantic. The major nesting sites can be found on various islands in the Caribbean , along the Atlantic coast of Florida in the United States, the eastern coast of the South American continent and most notably, on isolated North Atlantic islands. In the Caribbean, major nesting sites have been identified on Aves Island ,
6644-417: Is over the binomial classification of the species. At one point the name Chelonia agassizii was applied to this population as a separate species. Analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA of 15 nesting beaches, however, has demonstrated that there is not only no significant distinction of this population but that it would be paraphyletic to recognise it. As such the species name Chelonia agassizzii
6795-440: Is similar to other marine turtles. Female turtles control the process. A few populations practice polyandry , although this does not seem to benefit hatchlings. After mating in the water, the female moves above the beach's high tide line, where she digs a hole 28–56 centimetres (11–22 in) in depth with her hind flippers and deposits her eggs. The hole is then covered up again. Clutch size ranges between 85 and 200, depending on
6946-466: Is simply a color mutation. These facts have led to the debate over binomial separation however due to the significance of the DNA testing results there have been no distinctions made at this time. At a meeting for sea turtle scientists and their collaborators in 2000, the evidence for the taxonomic position of the Galápagos green turtle was reviewed and a majority among the participants supported treating it as
7097-503: Is the apple snail , initially introduced to the U.S. by aquarium owners. It has since been transported by hurricanes across the Gulf Coast and neighboring islands. These species compete for resources with native animals, and some may grow so densely that they displace other forms of existing life. For hundreds of years, islands have been created through land reclamation . One of the first recorded instances of this when people of
7248-634: Is the giant tortoise of the Seychelles , though it is unknown if it grew in size before or after reaching the island. Larger animals such as the hippopotamus tend to become smaller, such as in the case of the pygmy hippopotamus . This is known as insular dwarfism . In the case of smaller animals, it has been hypothesized that animals on islands may have fewer predators and competitors, resulting in selection pressure towards larger animals. Larger animals may exhaust food resources quickly due to their size, causing malnutrition in their young, resulting in
7399-688: Is usually lightly colored, although in the eastern Pacific populations, parts of the carapace can be almost black. Unlike other members of its family, such as the hawksbill sea turtle , C. mydas is mostly herbivorous . The adults usually inhabit shallow lagoons , feeding mostly on various species of seagrasses . The turtles bite off the tips of the blades of seagrass, which keeps the grass healthy. Like other sea turtles, green sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. Many islands worldwide are known as Turtle Island due to green sea turtles nesting on their beaches. Females crawl out on beaches, dig nests, and lay eggs during
7550-621: The Arabian Sea , both in Ash Sharqiyah , Oman , and along the coast of Karachi , Pakistan . Some specific beaches there, such as Hawke's Bay and Sandspit , are common to both C. mydas and L. olivacea subpopulation. Sandy beaches along Sindh and Balochistan are nesting sites. Some 25 kilometers (16 mi) off the Pakistani coast , Astola island is another nesting beach. The population that has often been known as
7701-472: The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans , but it is also found in the Indian Ocean . The common name refers to the usually green fat found beneath its carapace , due to its diet strictly being seagrass, not to the color of its carapace, which is olive to black. The dorsoventrally flattened body of C. mydas is covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace; it has a pair of large, paddle -like flippers . It
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#17327730289857852-542: The Atlantic Ocean in search of an alternate route to the East Indies . These historians theorize that successful explorers were rewarded with recognition and wealth, leading others to attempt possibly dangerous expeditions to discover more islands, usually with poor results. About 10% of the world's population lives on islands. The study of the culture of islands is known as island studies . The interest in
8003-658: The Cayman Turtle Farm in the West Indies , once bred them for commercial sale of turtle meat, turtle oil (rendered from the fat), turtle shell, and turtle leather made from the skin. The farm's initial stock was in large part from "doomed" eggs removed from nests threatened by erosion, flooding, or in chemically hostile soil. The farms held as many as 100,000 turtles at any one time. When the international markets were closed by regulations that did not allow even farm-bred turtle products to be exported internationally,
8154-655: The Eastern Han dynasty (23–220), the South China Sea was renamed "Rising Sea" ( 漲海 , Zhǎng Hǎi ), so the islands were called the "Rising Sea Islands" ( 漲海崎头 , Zhǎnghǎi Qítóu ). During the Jin dynasty (266–420) , they were known as the "Coral Islands" ( 珊瑚洲 , Shānhú Zhōu ). From the Tang dynasty (618–907) to the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), various names were used for the islands, but in general Changsha and permutations referred to
8305-601: The Great Barrier Reef has two genetically distinct populations ; one north and one south. Within the reef, 20 separate locations consisting of small islands and cays were identified as nesting sites for either population of C. mydas . Of these, the most important is on Raine Island . In the Torres Strait there is a large rookery on Bramble Cay . The Coral Sea has nesting areas of world significance. Major nesting sites are common on either side of
8456-543: The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and the Caribbean Sea . The green sea turtle can generally be found throughout the Atlantic Ocean . Although the species is most abundant in tropical climates, green sea turtles can also be found in temperate climates , and individuals have been spotted as far north as Canada in the western Atlantic, and the Cimbrian peninsular in the east. The subpopulation's southern range
8607-547: The Hawaiian Islands first became populated. The turtle symbolizes a navigator that can find his way home time after time. This symbol mirrors the real life of the green Hawaiian turtle as it will swim hundreds of miles to lay its eggs at its own place of birth. Though there are other myths as well, some Hawaiian legends say the honu were the first to guide the Polynesians to the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiians revere
8758-561: The Kyodo News , in March 2010 PRC officials told US officials that they consider the South China Sea a "core interest" on par with Taiwan, Tibet , and Xinjiang . In July 2010, the Communist Party-controlled Global Times stated that "China will never waive its right to protect its core interest with military means" and a Ministry of Defense spokesman said that "China has indisputable sovereignty of
8909-577: The Marshall Islands , and Tuvalu completely. Increases in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones can cause widespread destruction of infrastructure and animal habitats. Species that live exclusively on islands are some of those most threatened by extinction . An island is an area of land surrounded by water on all sides that is distinct from a continent. There is no standard of size that distinguishes islands and continents . Continents have an accepted geological definition – they are
9060-833: The Paracel Islands , while Shitang referred to the Spratly Islands . These variations included, for the Paracels: Jiǔrǔ Luózhōu ( 九乳螺洲 ), Qīzhōu Yáng ( 七洲洋 ), Chángshā ( 长沙 ), Qiānlǐ Chángshā ( 千里长沙 ), and Qiānlǐ Shítáng ( 千里石塘 ); for the Spratlys: Shítáng ( 石塘 ), Shíchuáng ( 石床 ), Wànlǐ Shítáng ( 万里石塘 ), and Wànlǐ Chángshā ( 万里长沙 ). During the Qing, the names Qianli Changsha and Wanli Shitang were in vogue, and Chinese fishermen from Hainan named specific islands from within
9211-595: The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines. It clarified that it would not "...rule on any question of sovereignty over land territory and would not delimit any maritime boundary between the Parties". The tribunal also ruled that China has "no historical rights" based on the "nine-dash line" map. China has rejected the ruling, as has Taiwan . Island An island or isle
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#17327730289859362-448: The Polynesians . Many of the previous island settlements required traveling distances of less than 100 km (62 mi), whereas Polynesians may have traveled 2,000–3,200 km (1,200–2,000 mi) to settle islands such as Tahiti . They would send navigators to sail the ocean without the aid of navigational instruments to discover new islands for settlement. Between 1100 and 800 BC, Polynesians sailed East from New Guinea and
9513-891: The Solomon Islands and reached the islands that make up the modern-day Fiji and Samoa . The furthest extent of this migration would be Easter Island in the East, and New Zealand in the South, with New Zealand's first settlements between 1250 and 1300. Historians have sought to understand why some remote islands have always been uninhabited, while others, especially in the Pacific Ocean , have long been populated by humans. Generally, larger islands are more likely to be able to sustain humans and thus are more likely to have been settled. Small islands that cannot sustain populations on their own can still be habitable if they are within
9664-499: The Solomon Islands created eighty such islands by piling coral and rock in the Lau Lagoon . One traditional way of constructing islands is with the use of a revetment . Sandbags or stones are dropped with a barge into the sea to bring the land level slightly out of the water. The island area is then filled with sand or gravel, followed by a construction of this revetment to hold it together. Islands have also been constructed with
9815-521: The South Atlantic , C. mydas females create 6,000 to 25,000 nests. They are among the largest green turtles in the world; many are more than 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) in length and weigh up to 300 kilograms (660 lb). Sea turtles spend almost all their lives submerged, but must breathe air for the oxygen needed to meet the demands of vigorous activity. With a single explosive exhalation and rapid inhalation, sea turtles can quickly replace
9966-791: The U.S. Virgin Islands , Puerto Rico , the Dominican Republic , and Costa Rica . In recent years, there are signs of increased nesting in the Cayman Islands. One of the region's most important nesting grounds is in Tortuguero in Costa Rica. In fact, the majority of the Caribbean region's C. mydas population hails from a few beaches in Tortuguero. Within United States waters, minor nesting sites have been noted in
10117-414: The lithosphere where the mantle is hotter than the surrounding area. These hotspots would give rise to volcanoes whose lava would form the rock the islands are made of. For some islands, the movement of tectonic plates above stationary hotspots would form islands in a linear chain, with the islands further away from the hotspot being progressively older and more eroded , before disappearing under
10268-569: The nine-dash line which encompassed the Spratly Islands . North Vietnam's prime minister, Phạm Văn Đồng , sent a diplomatic note to Zhou Enlai , stating that "The Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam respects this decision." The diplomatic note was written on 14 September and was publicised in Nhan Dan newspaper (Vietnam) on 22 September 1958. Regarding this letter, there have been many arguments on its true meaning and
10419-450: The sea as a natural barrier to the introduction of new species, causing the species that do reach the island to evolve in isolation. Continental islands share animal and plant life with the continent they split from. Depending on how long ago the continental island formed, the life on that island may have diverged greatly from the mainland due to natural selection . Humans have lived on and traveled between islands for thousands of years at
10570-474: The 16th century, European states placed most of Oceania in under colonial administration . Pohnpei was colonized by Spain as early as 1526. It changed hands from Germany to Japan to the United States before joining the Federated States of Micronesia in 1982, maintaining a "free association" status with the U.S. Guam was a Spanish territory until 1898, and now is a unincorporated territory of
10721-626: The 19th century, as a part of the occupation of Indochina , France claimed control of the Spratlys until the 1930s, exchanging a few with the British . During World War II , the South China Sea islands were all occupied by Japan . The People's Republic of China , founded in 1949, claimed the islands as part of the province of Canton (Guangdong), and later of the Hainan special administrative region. The South China Sea Islands were discussed from
10872-604: The 4th century BC in the Chinese texts Yizhoushu , Classic of Poetry , Zuo Zhuan , and Guoyu , but only implicitly as part of the "Southern Territories" (Chinese: 南州 ; pinyin: Nán Zhōu ) or "South Sea" ( 南海 , Nán Hǎi ). During the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), government administrators called the South China Sea Islands the "Three Mysterious Groups of Islands" ( 三神山 , Sān Shén Shān ). But during
11023-730: The Bolong beach. An annual presence is recorded in the Gulf of Panama, on the Isla Parida island. Local activists also moving some turtle nests to the coast, in the vicinity of the small town of Malena, to save and increase the turtle population in the safe place. Indonesia has a few nesting beaches, one in the Meru Betiri National Reserve in East Java . Off the north-eastern and northern coasts of Australia,
11174-539: The DRV standpoint, more in a diplomatic than a legal sense, was incomparably closer to that of China than to that of South Vietnam. It was also argued that, Phạm Văn Đồng who represented North Vietnam at that time had no legal right to comment on a territorial part which belonged to the South Vietnam represented by Ngo Dinh Diem . Therefore, the letter has no legal value and is considered as a diplomatic document to show
11325-476: The Galápagos green turtle have been recorded and observed in the Galápagos as far back as the 17th century by William Dampier . Not much attention has been paid to them due to the overwhelming research done on the Galápagos giant tortoises . Only over the last 30 years have extensive studies been performed covering the behaviors of the Galápagos green turtles. Much of the debate that has surrounded them recently
11476-541: The Hawaiian Islands. In the Philippines , green turtles nest in the Turtle Islands along with closely related hawksbill turtles . In December 2007, fishermen using a hulbot-hulbot (a type of fish net ) accidentally caught an 80 kg (180 lb), 93 cm (37 in) long and 82 cm (32 in) wide turtle off Barangay Bolong, Zamboanga City , Philippines . December is breeding season near
11627-511: The Hawaiian islands being home to irrigated fields of taro, whereas in some islands, like Tahiti, breadfruit was more widely cultivated and fermented in order to preserve it. There is archeological evidence that Canary Islanders would chew the roots of ferns for sustenance, a practice that wore heavily on their molars . These islanders would also grow barley and raised livestock such as goats . Many island nations have little land and
11778-624: The Origin of Species . The first evidence of humans colonizing islands probably occurred in the Paleolithic era, 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. Reaching the Indonesian islands of Flores and Timor would have required crossing distances of water of at least 29 km (18 mi). Some islands, such as Honshu , were probably connected to the mainland with a land bridge that allowed humans to colonize it before it became an island. The first people to colonize distant oceanic islands were
11929-503: The PRC government, though not being a member of the U.N., also wanted to have a say in how these issues were dealt with. Hence the Chinese declaration of September 1958. In these years, as I said before, North Vietnam could hardly afford to alienate China. The Soviet Union did not give any substantial support to Vietnamese reunification, and neither South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem nor the U.S. government showed readiness to give consent to
12080-919: The Paracel Islands is similar to that of Hainan Island to the north. Humans have introduced other plants to the islands. The Chinese and Vietnamese introduced 47 more species, including peanut , sweet potato and various vegetables . There are no known native terrestrial animals on the islands. The islands are feeding and nesting sites for large numbers of seabirds, including the streaked shearwater ( Calonectris leucomelas ), brown booby ( Sula leucogaster ), red-footed booby ( S. sula ), great crested tern ( Sterna bergii ) and white tern ( Gygis alba ). Seabird faeces can accumulate 10 mm (0.39 in) to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) annually. Over time, they create thick deposits of guano . Green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) and hawksbill sea turtles ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) inhabit waters around
12231-517: The Republican-era names for the island groups, supplementing them with a list of 287 names for islands, reefs, banks, and shoals in 1983. From 2011 to 2012, China's State Oceanic Administration named 1,660 nameless islands and islets under its claimed jurisdiction; in 2012, China announced plans to name a further 1,664 nameless features by August 2013. The naming campaign is intended to consolidate China's sovereignty claim over Sansha ( 三沙 ),
12382-752: The South China Sea Oceanic Islands marine ecoregion . The islands, shoals and reefs are grouped into three archipelagos, plus the Zhongsha Islands ( Macclesfield Bank and Scarborough Shoal ). The South China Sea Islands as defined here consist of the sea's oceanic islands but do not include the sea's continental shelf islands (like Hainan and Natuna). Collectively, they have a total land surface area of less than 15 km (5.8 sq mi) at low tide. The island groups include: The geology has been extensively studied because of exploitable resources such as oil and gas and
12533-620: The South Sea and China has sufficient historical and legal backing" to underpin its claims. China added a tenth-dash line to the east of Taiwan island in 2013 as a part of its official sovereignty claim to the disputed territories in the South China Sea . In addition to the People's Republic of China and Vietnam, the Republic of China (i.e. Taiwan), Malaysia , Brunei , and the Philippines also claim and occupy some islands. Taiwan claims all
12684-699: The Spratly Islands, but occupies only one island and one shelf, including Taiping Island . Malaysia occupies three islands on its continental shelf. The Philippines claim most of the Spratlys and calls them the Kalayaan Group of islands, and they form a distinct municipality in the province of Palawan . The Philippines, however, occupy only eight islands. Brunei claims a relatively small area, including islands on Louisa Reef. Indonesia 's claims are not on any island, but on maritime rights. (See South China Sea ) In July 2016, in Philippines v. China ,
12835-481: The U.S. The decolonization era saw many island states achieve independence or some form of self-governance . Nuclear weapons testing on the Marshall Islands left many atolls destroyed or uninhabitable, causing the forced displacement of people from their home islands as well as increases in cancer rates due to radiation . Colonization has resulted in a decline of observance of traditional cultural practices in places such as Hawaii, where Native Hawaiians are now
12986-464: The abundance of sea turtles in the waters around the islands. Many of the earliest visitors came to the Cayman Islands to capture the turtles as a source of fresh meat during long voyages. The green turtle is a national symbol displayed as part of the coat of arms of the Cayman Islands , which also forms part of the national flag of the Cayman Islands . The country's currency uses a turtle as
13137-405: The age of the female. This process takes about an hour to an hour and a half. After the nest is completely covered, she returns to the sea. The female will do this 3 to 5 times in one season. The eggs are round and white, and about 45 mm (1.8 in) in diameter. The hatchlings remain buried for days until they all emerge together at night. The temperature of the nest determines the sex of
13288-436: The air in their lungs. The lungs permit a rapid exchange of oxygen and prevent gases from being trapped during deep dives. Sea turtle blood can deliver oxygen efficiently to body tissues even at the pressures encountered during diving. During routine activity, green and loggerhead turtles dive for about four to five minutes, and surface to breathe for one to three seconds. Turtles can rest or sleep underwater for several hours at
13439-479: The bare open ocean that surround them. These young turtles are rarely seen as they swim in deep, pelagic waters. Green sea turtles typically swim at 2.5–3 km/h (1.6–1.9 mph). As one of the first sea turtle species studied, much of what is known of sea turtle ecology comes from studies of green turtles. The ecology of C. mydas changes drastically with each stage of its life history. Newly emerged hatchlings are carnivorous , pelagic organisms, part of
13590-481: The claimant nations for thousands of years—mostly without disputes that could risk war. In the 20th century, since the WW2 settlements failed to resolve ownership of such lesser areas of land, seas and islands—and because of the economic , military , and transportational importance—their control, especially that of the Spratlys, has been in dispute between China and several Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam, from
13741-425: The considerably smaller adult size and the much darker pigmentation of the carapace, plastron, and extremities. Other distinctions are the curving of the carapace above each hind flipper, the more dome-shaped carapace, and the very long tail of adult males. Three possibilities have arisen from their unique characteristics: agassizii is a separate species from C. mydas , it is a subspecies of green sea turtle, or it
13892-406: The continent. For example, the presence of freshwater fish on an island surrounded by ocean would indicate that it once was attached to a continent, since these fish cannot traverse the ocean on their own. Over the course of time, evolution and extinction changes the nature of animal life on a continental island, but only once it splits from the mainland. An example is that of the southern beech ,
14043-451: The deposition of sediment by waves . These islands erode and grow as the wind and waves shift. Barrier islands have the effect of protecting coastal areas from severe weather because they absorb some of the energy of large waves before they can reach the shore. A fluvial island is an island that forms from the erosion and sedimentation of debris in rivers; almost all rivers have some form of fluvial islands. These islands may only be
14194-426: The distances and frequency with which invasive species may be transported to islands. Floodwaters from these storms may also wash plants further inland than they would travel on their own, introducing them to new habitats. Agriculture and trade also have introduced non-native life to islands. These processes result in an introduction of invasive species to ecosystems that are especially small and fragile. One example
14345-561: The east coast of the African continent hosts a few nesting grounds, including islands in the waters around Madagascar . Nesting grounds are found all along the Mexican coast. These turtles feed in seagrass pastures in the Gulf of California . Green turtles belonging to the distinct Hawaiian subpopulation nest at the protected French Frigate Shoals some 800 kilometers (500 mi) west of
14496-400: The ecological processes that take place on islands, with a focus on what factors effect the evolution , extinction , and richness of species. Scientists often study islands as an isolated model of how the process of natural selection takes place. Island ecology studies organisms on islands and their environment. It has yielded important insights for its parent field of ecology since
14647-399: The egg in the nest also affects sex-determination. Eggs in the center tend to hatch as females due to the warmer conditions within the nest. Green sea turtles play an essential role in the ecosystem in which they live. In the seagrass beds, the turtles feed on the seagrass by trimming only the top and leaving the roots of the plant. Through their feeding technique, the turtles help to improve
14798-448: The eyes are spherical and adjusted to refraction underwater. Sea turtles have no external ear and only one ear bone, called the columella. With one ear bone, the turtles can hear only low frequency sounds, from 200 to 700 Hz. Sounds can also be detected through vibrations of the head, backbone, and shell. The nose of the turtle has two external openings and connects to the roof of the mouth through internal openings. The lower surface of
14949-461: The females by having a longer tail (visibly extending past the shell) and longer claws on the front flippers. The hatching time and sex of the turtles are determined by the incubation temperature of the nest. Hatchings occur more quickly in nests that are warmer than nests that are in cooler conditions. Warm nesting sites above 30 degrees Celsius favor the development of females, whereas nesting sites below 30 degrees Celsius produce males. The position of
15100-444: The flesh of sea turtles a culinary delicacy, including and especially C. mydas . Particularly for this species, the turtle's fat , cartilage , and flesh, known as calipee , are sought as ingredients for making turtle soup , a popular 19th-century English and American dish. In Java , Indonesia , sea turtle eggs were a popular delicacy. However, the turtle's flesh is regarded as ḥarām or "unclean" under Islamic law ( Islam
15251-411: The globe in warm tropical to subtropical waters. The environmental parameter that limits the distribution of the turtles is ocean temperatures below 7 to 10 degrees Celsius. Within their geographical range, the green sea turtles generally stay near continental and island coastlines. Near the coastlines, the green sea turtles live within shallow bays and protected shores. In these protected shores and bays,
15402-423: The green sea turtle habitats include coral reefs, salt marshes, and nearshore seagrass beds. The coral reefs provide red, brown, and green algae for their diet and give protection from predators and rough storms within the ocean. The salt marshes and seagrass beds contain seaweed and grass vegetation, allowing ample habitat for the sea turtles. Turtles spend most of their first five years in convergence zones within
15553-527: The groups, although the Qing officially named 15 large islands in 1909. During China's Republican era (1912–1949), the government named the Spratlys Tuánshā Qúndǎo ( 团沙群岛 ) and then Nánshā Qúndǎo ( 南沙群岛 ); the Paracels were Xīshā Qúndǎo ( 西沙群岛 ); Republican authorities mapped over 291 islands, reefs, and banks in surveys in 1932, 1935, and 1947. The People's Republic of China has retained
15704-502: The habit of true warbler species) consumes spiders and insects that live on plants. Other examples of this phenomenon exist worldwide, including in Hawaii and Madagascar, and are not limited to island ecosystems. Species endemic to islands show a common evolutionary trajectory. Foster's rule (also known as the island rule), states that small mammals such as rodents evolve to become larger, known as island gigantism . One such example
15855-452: The health and growth of the seagrass beds. The healthy seagrass beds that the turtles provide give habitat and feeding grounds for many species of fish and crustaceans. On the nesting beaches, the green sea turtles provide key nutrients for the ecosystem through their hatched egg shells. In their coral reef habitat, the green sea turtles have a symbiotic interaction with reef fish, including the yellow tang. The yellow tang fish swims along with
16006-599: The holding of all-Vietnamese elections as stipulated by the Geneva Agreements. On the contrary, Diem did his best to suppress the Communist movement in the South. This is why Phạm Văn Đồng felt it necessary to take sides with China, whose tough attitude toward the Asian policies of the U.S. offered some hope. And yet he seems to have been cautious enough to make a statement that supported only the principle that China
16157-572: The islands and nest on the islands' beaches. From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He commanded expeditionary voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and East Africa in Ming dynasty in China. In 1421, Zheng prepared the 6 edition Mao Kun map , usually referred to by Chinese people as Zheng He's Navigation Map (simplified Chinese: 郑和航海图 ; traditional Chinese: 鄭和航海圖 ; pinyin: Zhèng Hé hánghǎi tú ), which included South China Sea Islands. In
16308-457: The islands as a naturalist on HMS Beagle in 1835, as part of a five-year circumnavigation of Earth. He wrote that "the different islands to a considerable extent are inhabited by a different set of beings". Through the study of the finches and other animals he realized that organisms survive by changing to adapt to their habitat. It would be over twenty years before he published his theories in On
16459-675: The islands. Later, in November 1947, the Secretaritat of Guangdong Government of China was authorised to publish the Map of the South China Sea Islands . The Japanese and the French renounced their claims as soon as their respective occupations or colonization had ended. In 1958, the People's Republic of China (PRC) issued a declaration defining its territorial waters within what is known as
16610-674: The larger sharks feed on C. mydas adults. Specifically, tiger sharks ( Galeocerdo cuvier ) hunt adults in Hawaiian waters. The tiger shark is the main predator of the green turtle as it will prey on green turtles of all sizes. The tiger shark has often been seen feeding on green turtles near their nesting beaches because they are restricted in the area of their nesting beaches and vulnerable to predation. Juveniles and new hatchlings have significantly more predators, including crabs , small marine mammals and shorebirds . Additionally, their eggs are vulnerable to predation by scavengers like red foxes and golden jackals . Green sea turtles have
16761-643: The largest landmass of a particular tectonic plate . Islands can occur in any body of water, including lakes , rivers , seas . Low-tide elevations , areas of land that are not above the surface during a high tide , are generally not considered islands. Islands that have been bridged or otherwise joined to a mainland with land reclamation are sometimes considered "de-islanded", but not in every case. The word island derives from Middle English iland , from Old English igland (from ig or ieg , similarly meaning 'island' when used independently, and -land carrying its contemporary meaning. Old English ieg
16912-407: The largest known C. mydas having weighed 395 kg (871 lb) and measured 153 cm (60 in) in carapace length. Anatomically, a few characteristics distinguish the green turtle from the other members of its family. Unlike its close relative the hawksbill turtle , the green turtle's snout is very short and its beak is unhooked. The neck cannot be pulled into the shell. The sheath of
17063-446: The magnetic crystals in their brains. Through these crystals, they can sense the intensity of Earth's magnetic field and are able to make their way back to their nesting grounds or preferred feeding grounds. Natal homing is an animal's ability to return to its birthplace in order to reproduce. Natal homing is found in all species of sea turtles and in other animals such as salmon. How these turtles are able to return to their birthplace
17214-404: The mainland, they had no need for boats. The motivation for island exploration has been the subject of research and debate. Some early historians previously argued that early island colonization was unintentional, perhaps by a raft being swept out to sea. Others compare the motivations of Polynesian and similar explorers with those of Christopher Columbus , the explorer who sailed westward over
17365-589: The majority of the local economy and built environment . These islands sometimes also require consistent foreign aid on top of tourism in order to ensure economic growth. This reliance can result in social inequality and environmental degradation . During tourism downturns, these economies struggle to make up the lost inflow of cash with other industries. Climate change threatens human development on islands due to sea level rise , more dangerous tropical cyclones , coral bleaching , and an increase in invasive species . For example, in 2017 Hurricane Maria caused
17516-460: The method which sea turtles use to navigate the earth. In order to tolerate the constant heat loss in the water, sea turtles have the ability to shunt blood away from tissues that are tolerant of low oxygen levels toward the heart, brain, and central nervous system. Other mechanisms include basking on warm beaches and producing heat through their activity and movements of their muscles. Basking turtles sometimes look like they are crying because behind
17667-508: The mid-20th century onwards. True occupation and control are shared between the claimants (see claims and control below). The Republic of China (ROC) named 132 of the South China Sea Islands in 1932 and 1935. In 1933, the Chinese government lodged an official protest to the French government after its occupation of Taiping Island . In 1947, the Ministry of Interior of China renamed 149 of
17818-490: The most notable nesting grounds for Chelonia mydas are found on the island of Ascension , hosts 6,000–13,000 turtle nests. In the Pacific , its range reaches as far north as the southern coast of Alaska and as far south as Chile in the east. The turtle's distribution in the western Pacific reaches north to Japan and southern parts of Russia 's Pacific coast, and as far south as the northern tip of New Zealand and
17969-567: The nasal passage has two sets of sensory cells called the Jacobson's organ. The turtle can use this organ to smell by pumping water in and out of its nose. Since green sea turtles migrate long distances during breeding seasons, they have special adaptive systems in order to navigate. In the open ocean, the turtles navigate using wave directions, sun light, and temperatures. The sea turtles also contain an internal magnetic compass. They can detect magnetic information by using magnetic forces acting on
18120-418: The necessary components for their nesting to be successful. These include a sandy beach, easy access for the hatchlings to get to the ocean, the right incubation temperatures, and low probability of predators that may feed on their eggs. Over time these turtles have evolved these tendencies to return to an area that has provided reproductive success for many generations. Their ability to return to their birthplace
18271-810: The night. Later, hatchlings emerge, and scramble into the water. Those that reach maturity may live to 90 years in the wild. C. mydas is listed as endangered by the IUCN and CITES and is protected from exploitation in most countries. It is illegal to collect, harm, or kill them. In addition, many countries have laws and ordinances to protect nesting areas. However, turtles are still in danger due to human activity. In some countries, turtles and their eggs are still hunted for food. Pollution indirectly harms turtles at both population and individual scales. Many turtles die after being caught in fishing nets. In addition, real estate development often causes habitat loss by eliminating nesting beaches. The green sea turtle
18422-469: The ocean. Little is known of the initial life history of newly hatched sea turtles. Juveniles spend three to five years in the open ocean before they settle as still-immature juveniles into their permanent shallow-water lifestyle. It is speculated that they take twenty to fifty years to reach sexual maturity . Individuals live up to eighty years in the wild. It is estimated that only 1% of hatchlings reach sexual maturity. Each year on Ascension Island in
18573-563: The open ocean mini nekton . In contrast, immature juveniles and adults are commonly found in seagrass meadows closer inshore as herbivorous grazers. The diet of green turtles changes with age. Juveniles are carnivorous, but as they mature they become omnivorous. Young sea turtles eat fish and their eggs , sea hare eggs, hydrozoans , bryozoans , molluscs , jellyfish , small invertebrates , echinoderms , tunicates , insects , worms , sponges , algae , sea grasses , leaves , tree bark , and crustaceans . Green sea turtles have
18724-529: The past, some societies were found to have lost their seafaring ability over time, such as the case of the Canary Islands , which were occupied by an indigenous people since the island's first discovery in the first century until being conquered by the Spanish Empire in 1496. It has been hypothesized that since the inhabitants had little incentive for trade and had little to any contact with
18875-570: The population's known range. One of the genetic differences between the two subpopulations is the type of mitochondrial DNA found in individual's cells. Individuals from rookeries in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea have a similar type of mitochondrial DNA, and individuals from the Pacific and Indian Oceans have another type of mitochondrial DNA. Their native range includes tropical to subtropical waters along continental coasts and islands between 30°N and 30°S. Since green sea turtles are
19026-617: The reason why Phạm Văn Đồng decided to send it to Zhou Enlai . In an interview with BBC Vietnam, Dr. Balázs Szalontai provided the following analysis of this issue: The general context of the Chinese declaration was the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, held in 1956, and the resulting treaties signed in 1958, such as the Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone. Understandably,
19177-416: The same legal rights. Green sea turtle The green sea turtle ( Chelonia mydas ), also known as the green turtle , black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle , is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae . It is the only species in the genus Chelonia . Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in
19328-403: The same sleeping location night after night. Green sea turtles tend to have good vision, well adapted to a life at sea. The turtles can see many colors, but are most sensitive to light from violet to yellow or wavelengths of 400 to 600 nanometers. They do not see many colors in the orange to red portion of the light spectrum. On land, however, the sea turtles are nearsighted because the lenses in
19479-723: The sea entirely. An example is the Hawaiian Islands , with the oldest island being 25 million years old, and the youngest, Hawaii , still being an active volcano . However, not all island chains are formed this way. Some may be formed all at once by fractures in the tectonic plates themselves, simultaneously creating multiple islands. One supporting piece of evidence is that of the Line Islands , which are all estimated to be 8 million years old, rather than being different ages. Other island chains form due to being separated from existing continents. The Japanese archipelago may have been separated from Eurasia due to seafloor spreading ,
19630-527: The smaller islands are devoid of vegetation. Larger islands support terrestrial plant communities which include coral island evergreen forest, scrub forest and coastal scrub and grasses. There are 340 species of land plants and fungi recorded in the Paracel Islands, composed of 224 genera in 89 plant families. These include 312 species of flowering plants (angiosperms) and five species of pteridophytes (ferns and fern allies), along with 22 species of macrofungi (larger fungi) and one lichen species. The flora of
19781-497: The states of Georgia , North Carolina , and South Carolina . Florida 's east coast is the largest nesting site in the United States. Hutchinson Island in particular is a major nesting area in Florida waters. Florida has several annual nesting periods when local beaches are closed or cordoned off to protect nesting sites. According to Green Sea Turtle Watch, in 2015 more than 37,000 green sea turtle nests were documented in Florida,
19932-549: The study of islands is due to their unique cultures and natural environments that differ from mainland cultures. This is for a few reasons: First, the obvious political and geographic isolation from mainland cultures. Second, unique restraints on resources and ecology creating marine-focused cultures with a focus on fishing and sailing. Third, a lasting historical and political significance of islands. The Polynesian diet got most of its protein from fishing. Polynesians were known to fish close to shore, as well as in deep water. It
20083-418: The support of the government of North Vietnam to the PRC at that time. In China, in 1959, the islands were put under an administrative office (办事处/ banshichu ). In 1988, the office was switched to the administration of the newly founded Hainan Province . The PRC strongly asserted its claims to the islands, but in the late 1990s, under the new security concept , the PRC put its claims less strongly. According to
20234-450: The surface. When these coral islands encircle a central lagoon , the island is known as an atoll . The formation of reefs and islands related to those reefs is aided by the buildup of sediment in shallow patches of water. In some cases, tectonic movements lifting a reef out of the water by as little as 1 meter can cause sediment to accumulate and an island to form. Barrier islands are long, sandy bars that form along shorelines due to
20385-481: The surviving farm became primarily a tourist attraction, supporting 11,000 turtles. Initially started as Mariculture Ltd., then Cayman Turtle Farm Ltd and subsequently branded Boatswain's Beach, in 2010 the farm's brandname was changed to Cayman Turtle Farm: Island Wildlife Encounter. Sea turtles are integral to the history and culture of the Cayman Islands . When the islands were first discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503, he named them "Las Tortugas" because of
20536-438: The time of Charles Darwin . In biology, endemism is defined as the phenomenon where species or genus is only found in a certain geographical area. Islands isolate land organisms from others with water, and isolate aquatic organisms living on them with land. Island ecosystems have the highest rates of endemism globally. This means that islands contribute heavily to global biodiversity . Areas with high lives of biodiversity are
20687-405: The tropics, green turtles nest throughout the year, although some subpopulations prefer particular times of the year. In Pakistan , Indian Ocean turtles nest year-round, but prefer the months of July to December. Sea turtles return to the beaches on which they were born to lay their own eggs. The reason for returning to native beaches may be that it guarantees the turtles an environment that has
20838-494: The turtle and feeds on the algae, barnacles, and parasites on its shell and flippers. This species interaction provides food for the yellow tang and provides a necessary cleaning and smoothing of the turtle's shell. This cleaning helps the turtles swim by reducing the amount of drag and improves their health. Historically, the turtles' skin was tanned and used to make handbags , especially in Hawaii . Ancient Chinese considered
20989-577: The turtle population is fibropapilloma , which produces lethal tumor growth on scales, lungs, stomach, and kidneys. Fibropapilloma is caused by a herpesvirus that is transmitted by leeches such as Ozobranchus branchiatus , a species of leech which feeds almost entirely on green sea turtles. Green sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding sites and nesting sites; some swim more than 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) to reach their spawning grounds. Beaches in Southeast Asia, India, islands in
21140-469: The turtle's plastron is hued yellow. C. mydas limbs are dark-colored and lined with yellow, and are usually marked with a large dark brown spot in the center of each appendage. The range of the green sea turtle extends throughout tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. The two major subpopulations are the Atlantic and the eastern Pacific subpopulations. Each population is genetically distinct, with its own set of nesting and feeding grounds within
21291-474: The turtle's upper jaw possesses a denticulated edge, while its lower jaw has stronger, serrated, more defined denticulation. The dorsal surface of the turtle's head has a single pair of prefrontal scales. Its carapace is composed of five central scutes flanked by four pairs of lateral scutes. Underneath, the green turtle has four pairs of inframarginal scutes covering the area between the turtle's plastron and its shell. Mature C. mydas front appendages have only
21442-486: The turtle. Its name comes from the greenish color of the turtles' fat, which is only found in a layer between their inner organs and their shell. As a species found worldwide, the green turtle has many local names. In the Hawaiian language it is called honu , and it is locally known as a symbol of good luck and longevity. Its appearance is that of a typical sea turtle . C. mydas has a dorsoventrally flattened body,
21593-456: The turtles at around the 20–40 day mark. Green Sea Turtles are type 1a, meaning males develop at cooler temperatures while females are produced under hot temperatures. At around 50 to 70 days, the eggs hatch during the night, and the hatchlings instinctively head directly into the water. This is the most dangerous time in a turtle's life. As they walk, predators, such as gulls and crabs , feed on them. A significant percentage never make it to
21744-474: The turtles eye is the lachrymal gland which stores excess salt from the sea water, which then expels through the turtles eye. In the winter months, turtles living at higher latitudes can hibernate for a short period in the mud. Green sea turtles can reach up to 40 miles per hour when swimming, making them the fastest sea turtle. The green sea turtles exhibit sex differences by their development and appearance. As adult turtles, males are easily distinguishable from
21895-550: The watermark in its banknotes. A stylised sea turtle nicknamed "Sir Turtle" is the mascot of the national airline Cayman Airways and is part of the livery of its aircraft. A ki'i pōhaku ( petroglyph ) of a green sea turtle (or honu) can be found on the Big Island of Hawaii in the Pu'u Loa lava fields. The green sea turtle has always held a special meaning for Hawaiians and this petroglyph shows its importance; it may date to when
22046-473: The western Pacific, and Central America are where green sea turtles breed. Mature turtles often return to the exact beach from which they hatched. Females usually mate every two to four years. Males, on the other hand, visit the breeding areas every year, attempting to mate. Mating seasons vary between populations. For most C. mydas in the Caribbean , mating season is from June to September. The French Guiana nesting subpopulation nests from March to June. In
22197-532: The world is in the Paracel Islands at Dragon Hole . The Paracel islands have a tropical marine climate. Annual rainfall averages 1,130 mm (44 in) and is strongly seasonal. Between May and August, the southwest trade winds bring rainfall to the islands, with the maximum rainfall in June (226 mm (8.9 in)). The northeast trade winds bring a winter dry season, and December is the lowest-rainfall month (3.3 mm (0.13 in)). The Spratly Islands have
22348-566: The year. In the United States Atlantic coast, green sea turtles can be found from Texas and north to Massachusetts. In the United States Pacific coast, they have been found from southern California north to the southernmost tip of Alaska. The largest populations of green sea turtles within the United States coastline are in the Hawaiian Islands and Florida . Globally, the largest populations of sea turtles are in
22499-529: Was entitled for 12-mile territorial seas along its territory but evaded the issue of defining this territory. While the preceding Chinese statement was very specific, enumerating all the islands (including the Paracels and the Spratlys) for which the PRC laid claim, the DRV statement did not say a word about the concrete territories to which this rule was applicable. Still, it is true that in this bilateral territorial dispute between Chinese and Vietnamese interests,
22650-517: Was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae as Testudo mydas . In 1868, Marie Firmin Bocourt named a particular species of sea turtle Chelonia agassizii , in honor of Swiss-American zoologist Louis Agassiz . This "species" was referred to as the "black sea turtle". Later research determined Bocourt's "black sea turtle" was not genetically distinct from C. mydas , and thus taxonomically not
22801-470: Was reported that Rapa Nui people were known to fish as far as 500 km (310 mi) from shore at coral reefs. Spear , line , and net fishing were all used, to catch tuna as well as sharks and stingrays . Island cultures also cultivate native and non-native crops. Polynesians grew the native yam , taro , breadfruit , banana , coconut and other fruits and vegetables. Different island climates made different resources more important, such as
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