Straw. Why straw?

Hye there folks.

Its has been quite some time since the implementation of no straw usage in Malaysia. Metal straw have reached "like minded" environmentalist who really in an effort to use less plastic straw. Others buy the straw for trendy purposes only and some even stored the straw until there is no more plastic straw used in the market, then only want to use the metal straw. Such mentality.. Urghh.

As everyone knows, plastic straw ban is linked to protection of aquatic wildlife and especially turtle.
Why focus on turtle? Isn't there any other animal to be focusing on other than turtle? what is so significant about turtle?

Lets find out then.
based on a website Greentumble,

"Our marine ecosystem is facing significant

threats from overfishing pollution and climate change. Marine life plays an important role in maintaining the health of the world’s oceans. For example, mussels are the “engineers” of the marine ecosystem [1]. They “clean” water by sucking it in and processing it. They do this to build up their body and shell, and at the same time excrete nutrients necessary for marine plants.

Similarly, coral reefs, another vital marine species, are one of the major sources of nitrogen and other essential nutrients for innumerable organisms. And their demise could have dire effects on the entire marine food chain!

Sea turtles have their place in this delicate network of life-providing services as well. They are an irreplaceable organism to achieve the balanced ecosystem functioning, and yet, the population of these gentle creatures is threatened by commercial fishing, loss of the nesting habitat, as well as, climate change.

#1 Maintaining Sea Grass Habitats

Sea grass beds are important feeding grounds for green sea turtles, manatees, dugongs, and other species. Besides, they are also nurseries for a variety of species of fish, shellfish and crustaceans. Sea turtles, manatees and dugongs, also known as herbivorous grazers, graze on the sea grass. This way they maintain the health of sea grass beds, and encourage its healthy growth and thickness.
 

#2 Enriching Nesting Beaches

Essential nutrients are introduced to the beach ecosystems, when female turtles lay their eggs on the beach. Sea turtles lay around 100 eggs in a nest and on average lay around 8 nests during the nesting season. The unhatched nests, eggs and trapped hatchlings are excellent sources of nutrients for the vegetation in the sandy ecosystem.

When hatchlings emerge, they carry egg matter and nest organisms to the surface. This helps disperse nutrients to the small organisms in the beach sand which encourages vegetation growth.
 

#3 Providing Habitat

Epibionts call sea turtles home. Epibionts are creatures which attach themselves to solid surfaces in the ocean such as crabs, whales, sea turtles and even floating debris. Researchers have found that more than 100 different species of epibionts live on the shells of loggerhead turtles! By taking such an efficient ride, epibionts get distributed to further locations across the ocean, which increases their survival rates. Although, some of them actually harm their generous host, others come with benefits for sea turtles as well."

These are just some function of turtles in the ocean. Its is important for turtles to complete each process and cycle in it's lifetime. So if turtles are decreasing in numbers now, how do we see them in future? we can't have a great ocean anymore.

So guys, please do not use plastic straws anymore. It may benefit you now, but kill us all later.