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Today at the New York Times Green blog:
On beaches, poachers snatch up their eggs and babies for stewing; at sea, adults get snagged by fishermen’s long lines and nets. Now, climate change joins the list, threatening the survival of critically endangered leatherback sea turtles in the Pacific.
Turtles, the article explains, will have an especially difficult time adapting to climate change for a couple of reasons. First, moving farther north to cooler nesting beaches means a greater risk of poachers away from places like Costa Rica and our beaches in Nicaragua, where turtles are protected. Second, sea turtles often don’t nest until they are 30 years old. With so few generations between now and the time nesting beaches become inhabitable, there is little time for natural selection to kick in.
For now, Dr. Spotila sees leatherback survival as a constant struggle. While other researchers fight to alleviate the threats that fisheries and development pose to adult leatherbacks, he grapples with how to make the beach more favorable for nestlings. Although national parks prevent egg poaching, conservationists now face the prospect of having to either install miles of sprinkler units to keep eggs moist, or to devise a shading system to cool hundreds of nests.
Who will solve this problem?
We are among those working to alleviate the threats of fisheries and development, and protect Leatherback, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, and Green sea turtles. We are pleased to share the many ways we are working to mitigate climate change and ensure the survival of sea turtles.
Meet Our Turtle Rangers: Paso Pacifico’s Turtle Rangers form the “thin green line” between critically endangered sea turtles and would-be poachers and predators. (Watch our Ranger Slideshow.)
Turtle-friendly Fisheries: Our sustainable fisheries program helps fishermen transition away from gill nets to turtle-friendly fishing gear.
Mitigating Climate Change: Our reforestation projects help mitigate climate change.
You can help!
Sponsor a junior turtle ranger.
Protect a turtle nest.
Replace a gill net.
Plant a tree.
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