Sea turtles are a special case of endangerment, due to the effects of climate change. Since they are an aquatic species with terrestrial births, they have to face extra consequences from climate change. A loss of nesting sites and change in temperature gauged gender determination both occur with sea turtles. I find it interesting that as temperatures gradually increase, sea levels rise, due to melting glaciers and planet expansion (Carnero-Bravo, Vladislav, et al., 2017). This then leads to the statement that, as sea levels rise, there is less available space for eggs to be laid. Shorelines are receding, which leads to nesting sites being pushed further back into uncharted territory, higher mortality, rates and the possibility for extinction (Warrick, R. A, 1993). Research by Santos, Katherine, et al. 2017 also concurs, stating that warmer temperatures correlate with higher mortality rates in sea turtles. Taking this one step further, sea turtle gender is temperature-dependent, where the incubation temperature at the embryotic stage determines the sex (Booth, David, 2017). This means that as temperatures continue to rise, the species will become overwhelmingly female. On top of that, research shows that sea turtles won’t receive the proper nutrients needed to develop, which can lead to either deformed or deceased hatchlings (Laloë, JO, et al., 2017).

Continue through this blog to see what scientists and even regular people can do to help!