Rising beach temperatures are creating a dangerous imbalance in sea turtle populations worldwide.
According to Mongabay, sand temperature determines whether sea turtle eggs develop into males or females. Warmer sand produces females, while cooler sand creates males.
This temperature-based process functioned for millions of years, but atmospheric pollution is now tipping the scales.
At one beach in India, 71% of hatchlings emerged as female over nine years. In certain years, more than 97% were female.
"In the long term, there need to be enough adult males to ensure mating and clutch fertility," Graeme C. Hays of Deakin University told the publication.
"So, highly skewed hatchling sex ratios are a concern, and, at some point, there may need to be intervention to cool some clutches to produce more males."
Beaches aren't the only concern. Warmer ocean waters are forcing turtles to leave their usual feeding grounds and into busy shipping lanes, where boat strikes kill adults.
More females might sound helpful at first since they lay eggs. But without enough males, fertilization problems emerge, and future generations face weakened genetics.
The situation gets worse as temperatures climb. Higher sand temperatures cause more deaths in the nest and make surviving hatchlings weaker. Even hatchlings that survive face a gauntlet of new threats.
According to Mongabay, scientists predict half of the current sea turtle habitats will be gone by 2050. As turtles look for cooler waters, they're swimming into areas packed with commercial shipping traffic. Boat strikes already kill many adult turtles, and this shift will make it worse.
For humans, losing sea turtle populations means damaged ocean ecosystems. Turtles help maintain seagrass beds and coral reefs, which sustain fishing industries and protect coastlines.
Conservation efforts are adapting to these new challenges. Scientists are experimenting with ways to lower nest temperatures, including shading techniques and relocating eggs. These interventions can help produce more male hatchlings.
Researchers are also pushing for adaptable ocean protections that move with the turtles. Using tracking technology, managers can set temporary speed limits for ships or fishing restrictions where turtles congregate.
A global initiative to protect 30% of ocean areas by 2030 can create safer zones, reducing dangers to turtles.
If you want to help, support organizations working on sea turtle conservation. You can also contact your representatives about ocean protection policies and climate action that addresses these problems.
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