KUALA LUMPUR: Kota Kinabalu-based Marine Research Foundation (MRF) has called for further efforts to preserve the sea turtle which will benefit the marine ecosystem.
MRF executive director Dr Nicholas J.Pilcher said turtles played a big role in ensuring a good habitat for underwater creatures.
“Green turtles act as underwater gardeners and when they crop sea grass, the plant will grow healthier, the ecosystem becomes fertile, and this benefits other creatures of the sea,” he told reporters after receiving sponsorship for its activities.
He said among the biggest threats to turtles were being accidentally caught by fishermen and the consumption of turtle eggs by humans. Plastic is also a bane for turtles which often mistake such material as food.
MRF is a non-profit research foundation established to raise understanding of marine ecosystems and their associated diverse flora and fauna in Southeast Asia and other Indo-Pacific sites. — Bernama