Hawksbill Turtle

I am named after my narrow, pointed beak,
My plight is within the Oceans, becoming increasingly bleak.
I have a distinctive pattern of overlapping scales on my shell,
My colored patterned shells are highly-valuable, as "tortoiseshell" in markets thy sell.

Found mainly throughout the world's tropical oceans, predominantly in reefs of coral,

I feed mainly on sponges, sea anemones and jellyfish, of my extinction unable to quarrel.
We've existed on earth, as reptiles travelling the seas, for all of the last 100 million years,
That we may disappear from among you, should now be one of your greatest fears.

 As a fundamental link in marine based ecosystems, 

To my threats alone, I cannot provide adequate resistance.

 The health of coral reefs and sea grass beds, I help to maintain,

I provide better access for other reef fish to feed, they rarely show me any disdain

I am susceptible to entanglement in gillnets, also accidental capture on fishing hooks,

We need to reach the surface to breathe, once caught we drown, its a closure of our books.

As the activity of fishing expands around our watery home, 

 We are threatened as bycatch, to not for long in the Oceans swim and roam.

Please help me and my kind to stay out of harm, and thus always for you around,

After a hundred million years on the planet, its criminal that I might soon not be found.

Speak out to establish marine protected areas, strengthen legislation and fund my protection,

Don't delay or look away please do something today, you'll surely miss me upon later reflection.