The Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, a Class 1 designated wilderness area of the coast of South Carolina is getting washed away due to errosion exacerbated by rising sea level.
One of the largest nesting sites for the loggerhead sea turtle it is thought that this currently threatened species might well be uprated to endangered. The IUCN already rates the turtle such. IUCN rating Caretta caretta
Very short 2 minute high quality clip from F+W.
Cute photos to stir emotions and more preaching below the fold.
This island is going to be covered, and these nesting sites will be lost.
The turtle might make it. Maybe it will learn to nest elsewhere where more beaches are formed free from predation by rats, cats, fox, etc. Maybe it won't.
The loggerhead is only one of many animals soon to be in danger of extinction or soon to go extinct. Habitats are set to change, they will move, if animals can change and move with them they will continue to exist, if not, .......
Photo US Fish and Wildlife
I'm not a scientist. Very few of my fellow Americans are. Very soon we will need to put our faith in scientists to make the best decisions possible very quickly as to which species to expend very limited budgets to save. I'd call it environmental triage.
I've no idea how to judge how important this species is versus say the Devils Hole Pupfish. Very soon multi million dollar court fights stretching out over decades will seem like the golden days of environmental litigation. A time before whole genus (genuses? genius? I dream of Jeanni? update I'm told it's genera, hat tip mm) started to disappear.
What do you think?
U S Fish and Wildlife Service who is covering a species a day for 50 days in honor of earth day. A species that is in danger of habitat loss due to climate change.