EXTINCTION AVERTED

GREEN SEA TURTLES NO LONGER ENDANGERED

By Nicholas Tran | Staff Writer

On Oct. 10 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)  announced that the green sea turtle is no longer endangered. This announcement came after decades of conservation efforts made by the “Save the Turtles” movement and governments around the world. The news is a big win for conservationists and gives optimism for other species that are considered endangered. Science teacher Leah Mages said, upon hearing the news,“I was surprised, excited, and filled with hope.”

The green sea turtle was classified endangered in 1982 by the IUCN, but the species has been threatened hundreds of years prior. Around the 15th and 16th century European Colonizers around the Americas hunted the green sea turtles en masse for their meat and decorative shells, which caused their population to decline rapidly, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Colonial Hunters had killed 95 percent of the green sea turtle population in the Caribbean. The turtles were endangered for 43 years, and after decades of conservation, the green sea turtle population has risen by 28 percent since the 1970s and reclassified as a species of least concern, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation.

In 2015 then PhD student Christine Figgener recorded a video of a green sea turtle on a boat off of the coast of Costa Rica. The turtle had a plastic straw stuck in its nostril and the graphic video showed the crew of Marine Biologists removing the plastic straw, with blood seeping out of the turtle’s nose during the operation. The video went viral across the internet garnering more than 110 million views on YouTube, raising awareness about the dangers of plastics in the ocean, as well as sparking the massive “Save the Turtles” conservation movement. 

The movement gathered global attention with big corporations and world governments getting involved by reducing the use of single-use plastic straws and plastic waste. McDonalds, Starbucks, Disney, Ikea and Alaskan Airlines announced plans to phase out single-use plastic straws following the viral video.

“In my family, my dad and my mom are, like, very adamant about not using, like, paper towels or water bottles.” said senior Cabrini Billinger. “Like, we have metal straws, We actually do, and then we have reusable napkins instead of paper towels.”

Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and other countries across the world implemented nation-wide bans on the use of plastics in order to reduce plastic pollution. In a 2023 report conducted by International Coastal Cleanups, the organization reported that plastics straws were found less at beach cleanups than previous years. “Save the Turtles” has made a significant impact in conservation and has played a role in the safety of the species.

When asked about how others could help with conservation Sophomore Sophia Boyzuck said, “Try to get involved in programs or at least sign up for certain activities, like ocean or beach cleanup, if possible, obviously it’s hard, because we’re in Kansas and not near the ocean, but do any like trash pick up because even a little bit of waste from a river can go down into the ocean and can make a really bad impact.”

Although conservationists played a significant role in rebounding the green sea turtle population, members of a youth subculture and fashion trend from the late 2010s called VSCO girls played a part in the “Save the Turtles” movement,  named after a photo-editing app named VSCO. Those a part of the trend were known for their recognizable aesthetic. Scrunchies, Hydroflasks and metal straws were just a few items that made the group distinct. VSCO girls were able to spearhead the Save the Turtles movement into main-stream culture and played a significant part in popularizing conservation to the public.

“I reposted and, like, posted a lot of things on social media trying to spread awareness and, like, not use paper or not use plastic anymore and like try to use reusable things.” Said Boyzuck

Although green sea turtles are no longer endangered, more than 48,600 species are threatened by extinction, according to the IUCN red list. There is a long way to go for all animals to become safe again, but the green sea turtle gives conservationists hope to continue working to ensure the safety of all endangered species.