Mediterranean Sea Turtles Adjust Nesting to Combat Climate Change Threats

Shifting nesting seasons help maintain gender balance in turtle populations, but long-term survival remains uncertain.

Rising temperatures in the Mediterranean threaten sea turtle populations by skewing gender ratios and reducing hatchling survival rates.
Research shows loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are laying eggs earlier each year to avoid overheating nests.
Loggerhead turtles have advanced their nesting by an average of 0.78 days annually since 1993, helping stabilize gender ratios and hatch rates.
Scientists caution that continued adaptation depends on future temperature increases and the availability of food at key times.
The observed changes are behavioral responses rather than genetic evolution, as turtles' long generational cycles prevent rapid evolutionary shifts.