News excerpts:

Submerged banks and mesophotic depths are important foraging grounds for critically endangered marine animals such as Hawksbill Sea Turtles and may support a rich array of marine life.

More about Hawksbill Sea Turtles:

• Hawksbill sea turtles are found in the tropical and subtropical waters of all of the world’s major oceans. 
• They are the only species of sea turtle that can survive on a diet consisting mainly of sponges.  They also feed on a variety of algae, corallimorphs (coral-like anemones), tunicates and more.
• Hawksbill turtles play a key role in the function of marine ecosystems.
• Hawksbills play a crucial role in maintaining the health of coral reefs by feeding on sponges, which can prevent overgrowth and damage to the coral. 
• Without hawksbills, sponges can overgrow and suffocate slow-growing corals causing them to die. 
• As reefs become more and more threatened by climate change and other impacts, the role of the hawksbill on the reef is even more vital.
• Adult hawksbills have long been considered to have a close association with shallow (less than 15 metres depth) seas where coral reefs thrive.
• But new research reveals for the first time that hawksbill turtles feed at reef sites much deeper than previously thought.
• In many parts of the world, hawksbills face the unique threat of being hunted for their beautiful shell, also known as “tortoise shell”, which is used by craftspeople to create many types of jewellery and trinkets.
• Hawksbill turtles are critically endangered.