Climate Change is Eliminating Florida's Male Turtles

Turtle eggs incubate deep in the sand for up to 60 days. Whether the hatchlings become male or female is determined by the sand's temperature. According to the National Ocean Service, if a turtle egg incubates below 82°F, the hatchling will be male. If the egg incubates above 89°F, the hatchling will be female. Temperatures between the two extremes will result in a mix of male and female baby turtles.

In Florida, turtles begin laying eggs in early May. Increasing temperatures attributed to human-driven climate change have made beach sand so warm that almost every turtle hatched on Florida beaches is now born female. The consequences for turtle populations are obvious: fewer males mean fewer fertilized eggs and fewer turtles.