Where do Green Sea Turtles live?

Green Sea Turtle Habitat

Green turtles use three different kinds of habitats. They tend to migrate hundreds of kilometers between their feeding sites and nesting grounds. These turtles use sandy beaches for nesting while the nest is dug by means of digging pit with their flippers. They usually feed on bottom-dwelling creatures of coastal areas. After the eggs are hatched, the hatchlings go toward the offshore waters and tend to eat pelagic species on the water surface. As these turtles grow to become juveniles, they usually go to inshore benthic habitats and the adults continue to feed exclusively on algae and beds of sea grasses on shallow coastal bays and coral reefs. The temperature range of these habitats is usually less than 7 to 10 degrees Celsius.

Green Sea Turtle Distribution

The green sea turtles are distributed across the tropical and subtropical oceans around the world. The population of these turtles extends throughout the Atlantic as well as the eastern Pacific. The Caribbean islands and the Great Barrier Reef are probably the only two world’s locations where these turtles are congregated in largest numbers.

These turtles occur in more than 140 countries worldwide while the nesting grounds are found in 80 countries. They are found all the way from Texas to Massachusetts, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Florida, the primary feeding grounds of the green sea turtles are Crystal River, Indian River Lagoon, Florida Bay, St. Joseph Bay, Homosassa, Florida Keys and the Cedar Key.

Sources:

Henry, Leigh. “Green Turtle”. World Wildlife Fund

“Green Turtle”. NOAA Fisheries