Sea Turtles Experience Record Nesting in Florida Despite Climate Change Concerns
The sea turtles, a species that has been making their annual trek to U.S. beaches for millions of years, have undergone a record-breaking nesting season this past year.
Preliminary state statistics in Florida have revealed over 133,840 loggerhead turtle nests, shattering the record set in 2016. Similarly, the estimate of green turtle nests at a minimum of 76,500 is well above the previous mark set in 2017.
High sea turtle nest numbers have also been reported in South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia. While not all have set records like Florida, the number of nests discovered this year is remarkable according to Justin Perrault, vice president of research at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. He mentioned that the number of nests found in Florida’s Palm Beach County was 4,000 above the local record.
Another fact to consider among these remarkable nesting numbers is that all seven species of sea turtles – loggerhead, green, leatherback, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, and flatback – are considered either endangered or threatened. They come ashore in the summer, dig pits in the sand, deposit dozens of eggs, and then return to the sea. Florida beaches are one of the most crucial hatcheries for loggerheads worldwide.
However, the odds of survival for sea turtle hatchlings remain low due to the multitude of natural threats they face, including predators, disruptions to nests, and natural calamities like Hurricane Idalia, which wiped out the majority of nests along the Gulf Coast in Florida earlier this year.
Climate change plays a major role in contributing to these challenges, which lead to a reduction in beaches due to rising sea levels and more powerful tropical storms. The impact of warmer air, water, and sand, along with changes in the ocean currents that turtles rely on for migration, lowers the chances of their survival.
Furthermore, sand temperatures significantly influence sea turtle sex determination, with warmer temperatures producing more female turtles. Researchers have projected that with rising temperatures globally, more female turtles are likely to be produced. Hatchlings emerging from warmer nests are also smaller and often slower, posing additional threats to their survival.
As a result of these challenges, researchers are finding that sea turtles will have to nest much later or much earlier than they currently do to cope with the changing environmental conditions. Rapid changes due to climate change are causing concerns about the ability of sea turtles to adapt, given the historical timeframe of their evolutionary process.
Other difficulties faced by sea turtle mothers include finding an ideal nesting spot in areas where shoreline constructions like seawalls are prevalent. Here, female turtles may undergo multiple attempts to find a suitable location, also known as false crawls, before successfully laying their eggs. After hatching, the newborn turtles face threats from predators and artificial light sources, which can cause disorientation as they try to make their way to the ocean.
The substantial increase in sea turtle nest numbers this year does not necessarily translate to a healthy future for the species. While there may be record numbers now, experts note that the future for these animals may be much more critical as the impact of climate change continues to evolve.
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AP video journalist Cody Jackson contributed from Juno Beach, Florida.
