Emily Chan
When it comes time for female sea turtles to lay their eggs, they will deposit them in a nest and cover the nest with sand. With their jobs done, the mothers return to the ocean and leave the eggs to hatch on their own.
The hatchlings must face many challenges during the journey to survival, from nest predators to rising temperatures. Only about one in 1,000 hatchlings make it to adulthood. Research has shown that size and temperature play a crucial role in the survival of baby sea turtles.
Larger hatchlings can move faster, so they can reach the water more quickly and spend less time exposed on the sand. Cooler temperatures also produce larger, heavier turtles and more males. On the other hand, warmer temperatures speed up hatching.
A new study has found that baby sea turtles’ development inside the egg may be more impacted by precipitation than temperature changes. The effects of precipitation vary depending on the species or the population.
For the loggerhead, hatchlings will not grow to their usual size if their nests are subjected to heavier than average rainfall, although they will reach a greater weight.
For green sea turtles, heavy rainfall won’t affect their body mass, but the carapace (shell) will be larger. These two species are considered to be endangered.
Researchers from the University of Tübingen in Germany and Florida Atlantic University explored how fluctuating rainfall affects the development of baby sea turtles.
They analyzed data from 37 beaches all over the world, including a longitudinal study on Florida beaches and experiments on the Cape Verde Islands.
Their findings demonstrated that rainfall cools the surface of the beach and increases the availability of water, which is needed for growth and development. As a result, precipitation is a better predictor of body size than temperature.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
