GREECE

　　独特的希腊海龟

　　Every year thousands of tourists flock to the sandy beaches of Greece. Visitors are drawn to the warm weather and pretty views. Consequently, many restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers have been built. These businesses have helped the economy, but have hurt the environment.

　　One species especially, the giant sea turtle, has been affected by the presence of new buildings. The loggerhead turtle (caretta caretta) spends almost its entire life in the water. However, the female loggerhead comes ashore on Greek beaches once or twice a year to lay her eggs.

　　For centuries, a loggerhead's instincts have told it to lay its eggs on the same beach where it was hatched. The female ventures onto land cautiously. Knowing she will not be around to see her eggs hatch, the mother turtle looks for a safe spot. She uses her flippers to brush away the sand and digs a pit into which she fits her body. Slowly she lays about 120 round white eggs, each about the size of a golf ball. When she is done, she covers the nest with sand and swims back into the ocean. In about 50 days, baby turtles will begin to emerge.

　　The hatchlings are guided to the ocean by stars and moonlight. However, bright lights from nearby businesses can confuse the turtles. Instead of leading them to the ocean, the lights lead them farther inland, where they die of dehydration (lack of water). The lights also scare the adult females. In fact, they were no longer coming ashore to lay their eggs. The entire population of Greece's marine turtles was seriously threatened. They were on the brink of extinction.

　　In 1983, a small but dedicated group of Greeks decided to act before it was too late. They founded the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece (STPS). They began monitoring and protecting the turtles. They also educated the public about the problem. Their research revealed that Sekania Beach on the island of Zakynthos had more than 2,000 turtle nests. The members of STPS knew they had to save the site, so they contacted the World Wildlife Fund for more help. The World Wildlife Fund bought the beach and turned it into the National Marine Park of Zakyn- thos. Eggs could be laid and hatched safely at the site.

　　Today, the STPS has more than 500 members and is the most successful private conservation organization in Greece. Its public education programs reach more than 100,000 people per year. The society monitors and protects turtles on the Greek islands of Zakynthos, Lakonikos, Kothihi, Kiparisia, and Crete. This small group of people proved that with a little time and consideration, anyone can make a difference.

　　flock:群集，蜂拥

　　loggerhead turtle: 龟

　　instinct:本能

　　hatch:孵出

　　flipper:前肢

　　hatchling:新孵出的雏龟

　　dehydration:脱水

　　brink:边缘

　　conservation:（对自然资源的）保护