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Scientists warn of climate change risk to marine turtles
February 20, 2007North American marine turtles are at risk if global warming occurs at predicted levels, according to scientists from the University of Exeter. An increase in temperatures of just one degree Celsius could completely eliminate the birth of male turtles from some beaches. A rise of three degrees Celsius would lead to extreme levels of infant mortality and declines in nesting beaches across the USA.
Research published this week in the journal Global Change Biology analyses 26 years of loggerhead turtle nesting and climate data and compares the findings with models for future temperatures. The study shows just how vulnerable marine turtle populations are to changes in temperature. The sex of marine turtle hatchlings is determined by the temperature of eggs during incubation, with warmer temperatures producing females and cooler conditions producing males. Temperatures during nesting also need to be at the right level for eggs to develop healthily and hatch successfully.
'We are stunned by these results and what they could mean for the species in the future,' said Dr Brendan Godley of the University of Exeter's School of Biosciences. 'In particular, we're concerned that populations that are already predominantly female could become 100% female if temperatures increase by just one degree. This is a major issue for nesting populations further south, in Florida, for example, where males are already in short supply.'
The research team recommends that conservation efforts are focused on protecting northern breeding grounds. While in Florida, 90% of hatchlings are female, in North Caroline 42% are male and scientists believe some of these males currently travel south, bolstering southern populations. A decline in male turtles in northern populations, as a result of global warming, could potentially impact marine turtles across the continent. 'We take this as an important step in identifying essential thermal habitat for marine turtles,' said study co-author Dr. Matthew Godfrey, of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 'It highlights the need to establish measures to specifically protect male-producing beaches.'
Dr Brendan Godley continued: 'In the face of climate change, it's essential that we prioritise the protection of sites that produce males not only for local breeding success, but to help support potentially vulnerable populations further south.'
This work was carried by the University of Exeter in partnership with the Bald Head Island Conservancy and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources
University of Exeter
The research team recommends that conservation efforts are focused on protecting northern breeding grounds. While in Florida, 90% of hatchlings are female, in North Caroline 42% are male and scientists believe some of these males currently travel south, bolstering southern populations. A decline in male turtles in northern populations, as a result of global warming, could potentially impact marine turtles across the continent. 'We take this as an important step in identifying essential thermal habitat for marine turtles,' said study co-author Dr. Matthew Godfrey, of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 'It highlights the need to establish measures to specifically protect male-producing beaches.'
Dr Brendan Godley continued: 'In the face of climate change, it's essential that we prioritise the protection of sites that produce males not only for local breeding success, but to help support potentially vulnerable populations further south.'
This work was carried by the University of Exeter in partnership with the Bald Head Island Conservancy and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources
University of Exeter
Climate Change Current Events and Climate Change News RSSDNA barcodes: Creative new uses span health, fraud, smuggling, history, more
The scientific ability to quickly and accurately identify species through DNA "barcoding" is being embraced and applied by a growing legion of global authorities - from medical and agricultural researchers to police and customs authorities to palaeontologists and others.
Past climate of the northern Antarctic Peninsular informs global warming debate
The seriousness of current global warming is underlined by a reconstruction of climate at Maxwell Bay in the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic Peninsula over approximately the last 14,000 years, which appears to show that the current warming and widespread loss of glacial ice are unprecedented.
Nitrogen loss threatens desert plant life, study shows
As the climate gets warmer, arid soils lose nitrogen as gas, reports a new Cornell study. That could lead to deserts with even less plant life than they sustain today, say the researchers.
Deep creep means milder, more frequent earthquakes along Southern California's San Jacinto fault
With an average of four mini-earthquakes per day, Southern California's San Jacinto fault constantly adjusts to make it a less likely candidate for a major earthquake than its quiet neighbor to the east, the Southern San Andreas fault, according to an article in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Researchers Hail Innovative Plan to Save Rainforest, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
An innovative proposal by the Ecuadorian government to protect an untouched, oil rich region of Amazon rainforest is a precedent-setting and potentially economically viable approach, says a team of environmental researchers from the University of Maryland, the World Resources Institute and Save America's Forests.
Paleoecologists offer new insight into how climate change will affect organisms
An article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science written by a team of ecologists, including Robert Booth, assistant professor of earth and environmental science at Lehigh University, examines some of the potential problems with current prediction methods and calls for the use of a range of approaches when predicting the impact of climate change on organisms.
Report on US-China collaboration on carbon capture and sequestration
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Julio Friedmann, in collaboration with the Center for American Progress, the Asia Society Center and with partner Monitor Group, today released the report, "A Roadmap for U.S.-China Collaboration on Carbon Capture and Sequestration."
Study gives clearer picture of how land-use changes affect U.S. climate
Researchers say regional surface temperatures can be affected by land use, suggesting that local and regional strategies, such as creating green spaces and buffer zones in and around urban areas, could be a tool in addressing climate change.
Calm before the spawn: Climate change and coral spawning
What's the point of setting up marine reserves to protect coral reefs from pollution, ship groundings and overfishing if climate change could cause far more damage? A study published this week in London in Proceedings of the Royal Society B provides the answer.
Iron controls patterns of nitrogen fixation in the Atlantic
Scientists including researchers from the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and the University of Essex have discovered that interactions between iron supply, transported through the atmosphere from deserts, and large-scale oceanic circulation control the availability of a crucial nutrient, nitrogen, in the Atlantic.
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