Climate Change Effects on Sea Turtles

1
Climate Change Effects on Sea Turtles
2
REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS

• Loss of nesting areas
• Sea level rise
• Inland movement blocked by cliffs, roads,
  development

3
REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS

• Loss of nesting areas
• Sea level rise
• Inland movement blocked by cliffs, roads,
  development
• Drowned nests
• Excessive rainfall

4
REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS

• Loss of nesting areas
• Sea level rise
• Inland movement blocked by cliffs, roads,
  development
• Drowned nests
• Excessive rainfall
• Changes in beach characteristics
• Changes in thermal characteristics
• Hard for hatchlings to dig out of nest

5
REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS

• Loss of nesting areas
• Sea level rise
• Inland movement blocked by cliffs, roads,
  development
• Drowned nests
• Excessive rainfall
• Changes in beach characteristics
• Changes in thermal characteristics
• Hard for hatchlings to dig out of nest
• Altered sex ratios
• Critical sex ratio?
• Behavioral adaptation (new beaches, within beach
  location, nest depth)?

6
JUVENILE/ADULT ECOLOGY

• Changes in feeding ecology
• Unknown effects on sponges
• Unknown feeding plasticity of turtles
• Jellyfish are sensitive to climate regime

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JUVENILE/ADULT ECOLOGY

• Changes in feeding ecology
• Unknown effects on sponges
• Unknown feeding plasticity of turtles
• Jellyfish are sensitive to climate regime
• Changes in migratory routes and timing
• effects on hatchling dispersal?
• Effects on juvenile developmental movements?

8
JUVENILE/ADULT ECOLOGY

• Changes in feeding ecology
• Unknown effects on sponges
• Unknown feeding plasticity of turtles
• Jellyfish are sensitive to climate regime
• Changes in migratory routes and timing
• effects on hatchling dispersal?
• Effects on juvenile developmental movements?
• Changes in remigration (reproductive frequency)

9
JUVENILE/ADULT ECOLOGY

• Changes in feeding ecology
• Unknown effects on sponges
• Unknown feeding plasticity of turtles
• Jellyfish are sensitive to climate regime
• Changes in migratory routes and timing
• effects on hatchling dispersal?
• Effects on juvenile developmental movements?
• Changes in remigration (reproductive frequency)
• Disease

10
JUVENILE/ADULT ECOLOGY

• Changes in feeding ecology
• Unknown effects on sponges
• Unknown feeding plasticity of turtles
• Jellyfish are sensitive to climate regime
• Changes in migratory routes and timing
• effects on hatchling dispersal?
• Effects on juvenile developmental movements?
• Changes in remigration (reproductive frequency)
• Disease
• Physiology
• Growth rate, maturation, fecundity, digestion,
  etc.