Sea Turtle Gender Affected by Climate Change

sea turtle close” by q phia licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: NY Daily News

According to a new report published in Current Biology, a population of about 200,000 green sea turtles along the Great Barrier Reef are being affected by ocean temperatures changing due to climate change.

The report states that more female turtles are being born due to warmer temperatures, since a turtle’s sex is dependent on the incubation temperature.

Complete feminization is possible in the near future.

Global temperatures are predicted to increase by 2.6C in less than a century, which researchers say will lead to high mortality of most offspring and the birth of only females.

Currently in northern areas of the Great Barrier Reef there are nearly 100 percent females being born only.

Read Full Story: NY Daily News

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