Studies of scientists from the University of exeter show that the thugs and green sea turtles return to Cyprus for nesting every year before and earlier.
According to experts, this is due to global warming, which affects the temperature of water and sand, and hence the life cycle of reptiles.
Scientists have studied more than 600 females, which annually come to the same beaches of the Northern Cyprus. Over the past 30 years, egg laying began to occur on average 0.78 days earlier every year. And if the sea temperature rises by 1 ° C, the season shifts by another 6.47 days. This is a protective reaction of nature: with an increase in temperature, embryos develop faster, which helps to maintain a balance between females and males.
However, the forecasts are anxious: if this process slows down, tortoise should lay eggs 0.7 days earlier a year to preserve the population. Otherwise, by 2100, their number can be significantly reduced.
The floor of sea turtles depends on the temperature of the incubation: the hotter, the more females hatch. But if the temperature becomes extreme, the cubs may not survive. In addition, the turtles instinctively return to the places where they themselves were born, which casts doubt on their ability to look for new, cooler beaches.
Experts believe that larger masonry and mature females are still helping to maintain numbers. But is this enough in the long run? Biologists continue to monitor the dynamics of the population in order to understand whether Cyprus can remain a home for sea turtles in the conditions of a changing climate.
By the way, while the turtles cope, but if the ecosystem changes too quickly, the time may not be enough for adaptation.
Source: Cyprus-Mail.com
