The full extent to which climate change could impact on sea turtles is currently unknown. However there is potential for climate change to have serious impacts on all turtle species through rising sea levels, increased storm activity and temperature rises.

Rising sea levels and increased storm activity will lead to the erosion and inundation of nesting beaches. Particularly at risk are low-lying sand islands. These nesting habitats are important to sea turtles as their remoteness often means they provide safe nesting sites away from feral animals that dig up nests to eat eggs. Sea turtles have already lost much of their mainland nesting habitats to coastal developments.

Increased temperatures could lead to skewed sex ratios. Hatchling gender is dependant on nest temperatures with lower nest temperatures resulting in mainly males and higher temperatures resulting in females. Additionally eggs can fail to hatch altogether if temperatures become to hot.

Turtles have survived climate changes in the past. However the difference now is that human-induced climate change may happen too fast for evolutionary changes – for turtles, their foods and all the other organisms they are connected to – to keep up. Additionally due to an overwhelming range of other human threats, sea turtle’s resilience has been greatly reduced leaving them more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Sea Turtle Foundation is researching the impacts of climate change on hawksbill turtles on Milman Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Read more about this research here.

Download Myrtle’s Battle Against Climate Change here. This children’s book is based on the findings of Dr. Mariana Fuentes.