Turkey sea turtle populations face gender imbalance due to rising temperatures
Rising sand temperatures at the Iztuzu Beach near Dalyan, Turkey, are altering the sex ratios of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). While conservation efforts have seen success, with approximately 30,000 hatchlings from 495 nests reaching the water during the 2026 breeding season, climate change is creating a new biological risk.
Loggerhead sea turtles undergo temperature-dependent sex determination, meaning the temperature of the nest determines whether an egg becomes male or female. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), lower temperatures typically produce males, while higher temperatures produce females. A temperature of approximately 29 degrees Celsius results in a balanced ratio, but increasing heat is causing a disproportionate number of females to hatch.
Entities
Anadolu Agency · Dalyan · Dekamer Research and Rescue Center · Iztuzu Beach · National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The sex of loggerhead sea turtles is determined by nest temperature rather than chromosomes. www.harzkurier.de · www.nrz.de · www.morgenpost.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 30,000 young loggerhead sea turtles reached the water during the 2026 breeding season at Iztuzu Beach. www.harzkurier.de · www.nrz.de · www.morgenpost.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Higher nest temperatures lead to a higher frequency of female hatchlings. www.harzkurier.de · www.nrz.de · www.morgenpost.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Temperatures around 29 degrees Celsius produce an approximately equal ratio of males to females. www.harzkurier.de · www.nrz.de · www.morgenpost.de