Loggerhead Sea Turtle

A WebQuest for 7th Grade (Science)

Designed by
Melissa Bright
 



Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits












Introduction

You are a biologist who has been hired to help the Loggerhead sea turtle population rise along a certain Atlantic nesting site.  Your job is to do research on the web and find out the top five threats to Loggerheads and to develop a proposal to stop or reduce these threats.  You shoulkd also look at age of reproduction, number of eggs laid ina clutch, and how often females lay eggs.  This information will be useful in your proposal if you develop a chart or graph illustrating how your previous measures will increase the Loggerhead population along this particular nesting site.  Good Luck!
 
 


The Task
Now you need to visit some websites and answer some question along the way.  Remember totake good notes as they will be needed when you write your proposal and calculate the increase in population of your Loggerheads.  Remember that along with your proposal, a graph or chart illustrating the increase in population will be needed.  Information such as clutch size, numbers of breedings, hatchling mortality statistics, reproduction age, and any other important information will be helpful in your calculations.


The Process

First you need to go to the following websites to discover some interesting facts on sea turtles:

  1. Sea Turtle Protection and Conservation What device is used by NMFS to help protect sea turtles?
  2. Species List When did the Loggerhead first become threatened?
  3.  Loggerhead Sea Turtle What type of habitat do Loggerheads use?  What are the most significant threats to Loggerhead populations?  At what age are Loggerheads mature?  List some impacts on the nesting environments? 

    4.  Loggerhead Sea Turtle  When and where does highest predation occur among hatchlings?  How many eggs do females generally lay?  How often do females lay eggs each breeding season?  What is the incubation period of the eggs?
Evaluation

Your grade will come from the folowing:

  1. Is there valid information about Loggerheads and their threats in your proposal?
  2. Are there logical measures in preventing or stopping the threats?
  3. If these steps are taken, will there be a rise in Loggerhead population at your breeding site?
  4. Is there a graph or a chart illustrating possible population increase after these measures are taken?

Conclusion
Congratulations!  Your proposal has been accepted and put into effect.  You have acomplished your goal and increased the population of Loggerheads along the Atlantic coast.  There are several other endangered sea turtles including the Green Sea Turtle, Ridley's, and Hawksbill.  Here are some sites you can visit to learn more about these beautiful reptiles of the sea:
 
  1. www.ridley'sseaturtle.org
  2. www.hksbillrescue.org
  3. www.grnseaturtle.org



Credits & References

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot-res/species.html


 
 


Based on a template from The WebQuest Page