Green sea turtles are adjusting their nesting habits in response to rising global temperatures. Individual females are laying their eggs earlier in the season to cope with warmer conditions, researchers report in the February Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Scientists have long known that the sex of most turtle species is determined by incubation temperature — higher temperatures give life to females, and lower ones produce males. As climate change drives up temperatures, more females and fewer males are being born, potentially weakening populations. Extreme heat can also be lethal for the eggs.
Marine biologist Mollie Rickwood kneels next to a loggerhead turtle protected nest. The females