Slipping Away

Slipping Away. Manumuskin River Preserve. Almost unnoticed, the earth’s living wealth is slipping away. As the human population expands and intensifies the use of the land, species of all kinds are disappearing. Each time we lose a species to extinction, we not only lose its aesthetic values, but also its critical role in the ecosystem and its untold potential for medical and scientific research. Habitat destruction is the main course of extinction today. Migratory species require suitable habitat at their summer breeding sites, their winter residences, and at resting places along their migration routes. Because of its location, many migratory species depend on New Jersey’s coastal habitats for places to stop and rest before continuing on their journey. For some, this is their only stop. , To slow the rate of extinction, we must recognize, and acknowledge that all organisms are not only dependant on each other, but also are affected by human populations. To help insure their survival, we must protect the resources that these species depend upon for summer and winter habitat as well as the resources along migration routes., (Inscription under the marker photos) , Sea turtles migrate near New Jersey utilizing the plentiful food source here. Litter and pollution in our coastal waters affect the survival of sea turtle species.---New Jersey’s coastal habitats are crucial for more than 50,000 raptors that are concentrated at the Cape May Peninsula as they migrate southward along the Atlantic Coast.---Horseshoe crabs (limulus polyphemus) are used in many ways for modern medicine. However, development on sunny beaches reduce their spawning areas, and they are harvested for bait., Destruction of tropical rain forests decreases the winter habitat and population size of New Jersey’s eastern kingbird (Tyranmus tyrannus) and the Cape May warbler (Dendroica tigrina) (lower right).---Many different marine mammals including occasional humpback whales, utilize New Jersey’s Atlantic and bay waters. The water quality of the ocean is important to their survival.---Once other habitats, mostly seal populations have recovered. They migrate to New Jersey to escape the severe cold of the Arctic winter. Proper boating practices can minimize injuries to seals.