Loggerheads Synthesis

Loggerheads also modify habitats as a result of their foraging activities. The fragments of hard-shelled organisms that loggerheads consume are either discarded or ingested and later deposited with feces at a different location. By reducing the particle size of the shells, loggerhead turtles contribute to nutrient recycling in benthic ecosystems by increasing the rate of shell disintegration. Additionally, a foraging behavior called infaunal mining has a significant effect on substrate characteristics (Bjorndal 2003). One method loggerheads use to find prey is clearing away sand to expose organisms. When loggerheads glide along the ocean floor they create trails of sediment, which affects the compaction aeration, and nutrient distribution of