During the day, Green Sea Turtles feed in the seagrass beds that grow in shallow waters. At night, they sleep on the shallow bottom and sometimes out of the water on rocky ledges. Although sea turtles are subject to predation thoughout their life cycle, predation is particularly high during the first two years of life. The eggs are eaten by raccoons, skunks, oppossums, mongooses, coatis, and dogs. Hatchlings are preyed upon by mammals, sea birds, crabs, and carnivorous fishes.
Predation continues to be high until the turtles are big enough to avoid being swallowed.
Sharks are a formidable predator throughout the life cycle of the Green Sea Turtle. The meat and eggs of the Green Sea Turtle have long been a source of food for people. Although international trade of wild Green Sea Turtles is against the law, capturing turtles for local consumption still persists in many central Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia and Indonesia, Indian Ocean islands, east coasts of Africa and Arabian peninsula, in Central and South America, and in Mexico. Exploitation of the nesting grounds either by human interference or pollution poses the greatest threat to these turtles. In the past, Green Sea Turtles were often killed in large shrimp trawl nets.