Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 108 , December 2013, pp. 1-25. | Page 8

8 One record of this turtle was made in Ireland washed ashore on Ballyhealy Beach in Co. Wexford (Wikipedia). The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is freed from the fishing net on the coast of Gaza, State of Palestine. 28.08.2013. Photo by Ihab Fasfous (Dunya Al Watan, 2013). Habitat Loggerhead sea turtles spend most of their lives in the open ocean and in shallow coastal waters. They rarely come ashore, with the exception of the females' brief visits to construct nests and deposit eggs. Hatchling loggerhead turtles live in floating mats of Sargassum algae. Adults and juveniles live along the continental shelf, as well as in shallow coastal estuaries. In the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, age plays a factor in habitat preference. Juveniles are more frequently found in shallow estuarine habitats with limited ocean access compared to non-nesting adults. Loggerheads occupy waters with surface temperatures ranging from 13.328.0°C (56-82°F) during non-nesting season. Temperatures from 27-28°C are most suitable for nesting females (Wikipedia). Juvenile loggerheads share the Sargassum habitat with a variety of other organisms. The mats of Sargassum contain as many as 100 different species of animals on which the juveniles feed. Some of the prey, such as ants, flies, aphids, leafhoppers, and beetles, are carried by the wind to these areas. Endemic prey of the mats include barnacles, small crab larvae, fish eggs, and hydrozoan colonies. Marine mammals and commercial fish, such as tuna, dolphin fish, and amberjacks, also inhabit the mats (Wikipedia). Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 108 – December 2013