A potential tool to mitigate the impacts of climate change to the caribbean leatherback sea turtle
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Published source details
Patino-Martinez J., Marco A., Quiñones L. & Hawkes L. (2012) A potential tool to mitigate the impacts of climate change to the caribbean leatherback sea turtle. Global Change Biology, 18, 401-411.
Published source details Patino-Martinez J., Marco A., Quiñones L. & Hawkes L. (2012) A potential tool to mitigate the impacts of climate change to the caribbean leatherback sea turtle. Global Change Biology, 18, 401-411.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Provide artificial shade for nests or nesting sites Action Link |
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Provide artificial shade for nests or nesting sites
A controlled study in 2007 in a beach hatchery on the south‐western Caribbean Sea between Colombia and Panama (Patino-Martinez et al. 2012) found that providing shading for leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea nests increased overall hatching success and reduced the number of female hatchlings compared to nests with no shading at all. Hatching success rates for shaded nests was higher (65–66% success) compared to unshaded nests (39%). Shaded nests produced fewer female hatchlings (40% shade: 25% females, 60% shade: 4% females; number of individuals not provided) than unshaded nests (100% female). Hatchlings from nests incubated in 60% shade were smaller than hatchlings from 40% shade or unshaded nests (see original paper for details). In total 36 nests were moved to a beach hatchery (15 x 8 m). Nests were incubated under one of three different levels of shade: 40% shade, 60% shade and no shade at all (12 nests/shade level). Shade was provided by materials of two different thicknesses stretched 1.5 m above ground.
(Summarised by: Katie Sainsbury)
