Key Vocabulary Terms

Hatchling - a young animal that has recently emerged from its egg (like a sea turtle hatchling!)

Navigation - (of an animal) to find its way, especially over a long distance

Marine Debris - any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes.

Carapace - a bony plate covering the back or part of the back of an animal (such as a turtle or crab)

Plastron - the ventral part (underside) of the shell of a tortoise or turtle

Marine - of, found in, or produced by the sea

Clutch - group of eggs produced by birds, amphibians, or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest

Camouflaging - conceal the existence of something

Endangered - seriously at risk of extinction

Sargassum - a brown seaweed with berrylike air bladders, typically forming large floating masses