Higher temperatures shorten inter-nesting periods in olive ridley turtles

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Climate Change Ecology
• Conservation Science

Background:

• Climate change affects sea turtle populations globally, with temperature influencing nesting behaviors.
• Previous research indicated no temperature-IP correlation in olive ridley turtles, potentially due to small sample sizes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between sea surface temperature and the inter-nesting period (IP) in olive ridley turtles.
• To determine if elevated temperatures impact olive ridley nesting phenology, similar to other sea turtle species.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 14 years of capture-mark-recapture data from 96 olive ridley turtles in Costa Rica.
• Calculated mean sea surface temperature (SST) during inter-nesting periods using NASA's high-resolution sensor data.
• Analyzed the relationship between SST and IP duration.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant negative relationship was observed between SST and IP duration.
• Mean IP was 22.5 ± 6.0 days, with mean SST at 28.0 ± 0.6 °C.
• Findings suggest elevated temperatures influence olive ridley nesting timing.

Conclusions:

• Olive ridley turtles exhibit a temperature-dependent inter-nesting period, contrary to previous assumptions.
• Climate change-induced warming may alter olive ridley nesting seasons and arribada timing.
• This research highlights the vulnerability of olive ridley turtles to climate change impacts on reproduction.