Science Source

Climate change and temperature-linked hatchling mortality at a globally important sea turtle nesting site

States that recently, concerns for species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in a warming world have increased because imbalanced sex ratios could potentially threaten population viability
States that relatively little attention has been given to the direct effects of increased temperatures on successful embryonic development
Investigates the effects of warming incubation temperatures on the survival of hatchlings in nests using 6,603 days of sand temperature data recorded across 6 years at the Cape Verde Islands, a globally important loggerhead sea turtle rookery

Results show that higher temperatures increase the natural growth rate of the population as more females are produced
Results also show that as incubation temperatures near lethal levels, the natural growth rate of the population decreases and the long-term survival of this turtle population is threatened
Underlines the need for research to extend from a focus on temperature-dependent sex determination to a focus on temperature-linked hatchling mortalities