Analysis Of The Jiquilisco Bay

The Jiquilisco Bay is a 150 mile stretch of land located on the Southeast Pacific coast of El Salvador that acts as one of the last primary nesting habitats for the endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle. The location was established as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2005 and is currently under the protection of the Ministry of Natural Resources, which works to preserve the ecosystem. The bay itself is the largest mangrove in the country, which a critical aspect in the ultimate survival of the Hawksbill turtle population.
The Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is usually found in tropical regions, specifically in the shallow coastal waters, reefs and lagoons along the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic coasts. They’re relatively small compared
Interestingly enough, for decades it was believed that these turtles could only nest in coral reefs and as the reefs began to die out it was assumed that the chance of survival for the Hawksbill would as well. However, whether it was due to their adaptability or , the turtles can indeed thrive in the estuary that makes up the Jiquilisco Bay as well. However, there are other threats these turtles have to overcome, thankfully there is no shortage of support when it comes to protecting these nesting
This festival consists of local students making Hawksbill turtle costumes out of recyclable materials and parading handmade posters around the bay. The awareness and media coverage this event gets is quite impressive, even scientific magazines such as National Geographic have attended in the past few years. There is another research organization in particular, ProCosta, who work tirelessly to fund egg hatcheries around the bay to ensure the Hawksbill will not succumb to extinction. According to Galos et. al (2017), “these conservation efforts have generated the protection of 95% of the nests and 39.1% of all Hawksbill hatchlings being produced in the bay,” which is quite impressive to say the