Open AccessExtreme rainfall events and cooling of sea turtle clutches: Implications in the face of climate warming
Author(s) -
Laloë JacquesOlivier,
Tedeschi Jamie N.,
Booth David T.,
Bell Ian,
Dunstan Andy,
Reina Richard D.,
Hays Graeme C.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.7076
Subject(s) - sea turtle , climate change , environmental science , turtle (robot) , global warming , extreme weather , nest (protein structural motif) , ecology , ecosystem , range (aeronautics) , climatology , endangered species , rookery , atmospheric sciences , biology , habitat , population , biochemistry , materials science , demography , sociology , composite material , geology
Understanding how climate change impacts species and ecosystems is integral to conservation. When studying impacts of climate change, warming temperatures are a research focus, with much less attention given to extreme weather events and their impacts. Here, we show how localized, extreme rainfall events can have a major impact on a species that is endangered in many parts of its range. We report incubation temperatures from the world's largest green sea turtle rookery, during a breeding season when two extreme rainfall events occurred. Rainfall caused nest temperatures to drop suddenly and the maximum drop in temperature for each rain‐induced cooling averaged 3.6°C ( n = 79 nests, min = 1.0°C, max = 7.4°C). Since green sea turtles have temperature‐dependent sex determination, with low incubation temperatures producing males, such major rainfall events may have a masculinization effect on primary sex ratios. Therefore, in some cases, extreme rainfall events may provide a “get‐out‐of‐jail‐free card” to avoid complete feminization of turtle populations as climate warming continues.