As world temperatures heat up, marine reptiles will likely shift polewards
Sea turtles will likely move poleward out of protected areas and into shipping lanes due to climate change. Researchers say these highly trafficked areas will put turtles at higher risk for collisions with vessels. Using a new predictive model, scientists from the Free University of Brussels calculated the movements of each of the seven species of sea turtles under three different warming scenarios in 2050 and 2100. They found that 50% of sea turtle hot spots may disappear by 50%. Currently, only 23% of current sea turtle hot spots are within established Marine Protected Areas. Six of the seven species of sea turtles on the planet are listed on the IUCN Red List and are imperiled by commercial fishing, habitat loss and climate change. They play important roles in coastal ecosystems, though, in maintaining coral reefs and cycling nutrients throughout the ecosystem. “Protecting sea turtles is therefore not only a conservation priority but also essential for sustaining ecosystem services upon which coastal communities depend,” the authors of the study wrote. “Effectively addressing these multifaceted challenges requires an integrated, adaptive approach to marine conservation.”
Read more in Science Advances.
