🎥 + 💭: @matthewunderwater
Why is this turtle eating the coral reef? 🐢🪸
Actually—it’s not.
Here we see a hawksbill turtle, using its sharp, narrow beak to pull sponges out from within and on the reef. These turtles are one of the few animals that can stomach toxic sponges—and they go for them with surprising precision. As they tear into the reef, small fish often tag along, snatching bits of food that get scattered in the process.
But this is more than feeding. Hawksbills help control sponge, algae, and bacterial overgrowth—organisms that, left unchecked, can smother corals, block sunlight, and eventually kill the reef.
Did you know that sea turtles are critical for coral reef maintenance? 🧹
#MarineMonday #seaturtle #hawksbill