SCIENCE

Climate change makes green sea turtles ‘increasingly female’

Warmer sands on beaches where turtles lay eggs lead to fewer male offspring, threatening the species’ survival
Kaya Burgess
, Science Reporter
The Times
The warmer the sand in which green sea turtles bury their eggs, the more likely that egg is to hatch a female
The warmer the sand in which green sea turtles bury their eggs, the more likely that egg is to hatch a female
JAY FLEMING/GETTY IMAGES
Kaya Burgess
, Science Reporter
The Times

Marine pollution and global warming are causing green sea turtles to give birth to almost exclusively female offspring that now outnumber males by more than one hundred to one, putting the species at risk of extinction, a study has found.

The turtles, known formally as Chelonia mydas, are classed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “red list” of threatened species, largely due to poaching, loss of habitat and accidental capture in fishing nets.

Another threat is growing, however, due to the fact that the sex of their offspring is governed by temperature. The warmer the sand in which turtles bury their eggs, the more likely an egg is to develop into a female hatchling.

Researchers found that heavy metals in oceans passed on to hatchlings from their parents, could also determine a low birthrate of males
Researchers found that heavy metals in oceans passed on to hatchlings from their parents, could also determine a low birthrate of males
ALAMY

“Sea turtle nesting beaches are experiencing