How The Temperature Of Sand May Affect Sea Turtles

How The Temperature Of Sand Can Affect Sea Turtle Populations

Sand temperature is an important factor in the health of sea turtles, but few know why it’s so critical to these endangered creatures. In order to fully understand what impact sand temperature can have on sea turtle populations, it’s first important to understand the anatomy of a sea turtle, as well as their habitat preferences and mating patterns. Once you have this knowledge, you’ll see how sand temperature can greatly affect the number of hatchlings that survive to adulthood and how beach erosion affects these delicate animals.

Some sea turtles are endangered because they are unable to adapt quickly enough to changes in their environment. Scientists say climate change could be an underlying factor in declining turtle populations. In a recent study, researchers measured how well sea turtle eggs incubated at different temperatures, and they used that data to create climate change projections for 39 different species worldwide. The results suggest that high temperatures reduce survival rates of baby turtles by as much as 80 percent. Changes in sand temperature can have drastic effects on sea turtle reproduction. In warmer environments, fewer hatchlings make it past their first few days after hatching because they're more susceptible to dehydration and predation than newborns in cooler areas.

As sea turtle populations around the world continue to decline due to overharvesting and habitat destruction, conservationists are looking for other ways to protect them. According to studies, sea turtles are especially susceptible to changes in climate and temperature, because they spend most of their lives at sea. One factor influencing their migratory patterns is ocean temperatures, which may be affected by climate change. To study how global warming may affect sea turtle populations, researchers from Florida Atlantic University analyzed historical data on baby hawksbill sea turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, born on a beach in Grand Cayman Island between 1997 and 2007. They discovered that warmer sand temperatures during nesting season correlated with higher levels of hatchling survival.

If sea turtles were like most animals, you’d be able to walk up to them and lend a helping hand. Unfortunately, because sea turtles are endangered, you can’t get close enough for that without possibly doing more harm than good. Instead, we have to help these creatures from afar – by taking steps in our everyday lives that could improve their habitats. One easy way to do that is by ensuring sand temperatures aren’t too hot or too cold. Many turtle species live near coastal regions and rely on both temperature and light conditions to determine when it’s time to hatch their eggs. If we can help create an environment that allows these animals to nest safely during all seasons, we can increase their populations over time.