Adapt or Die
There may be hope in using their heads!
Image found at <http://life-sea.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/life-of-loggerhead-sea-turtle.html>.
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Even though rising temperatures threaten loggerhead turtles and their ability to produce male offspring, the species possesses adaptation abilities that could save them from extinction. One way in which they compensate for warm temperatures is by changing the spatial location of nesting sites (Hays et al. 2001). For example, moving to higher levels on the beach, laying eggs in shallower sand, or finding different type of soil that does not trap heat as effectively could result in slightly lower incubation temperatures (Hays et al. 2001). Any of these adaptations could correct any inclination for the female sex to dominate the clutch (Hays et al. 2001). Loggerheads could also adapt by adjusting the timing of nesting such that eggs are laid closer to the beginning or end of the season when temperatures are slightly cooler (Pike et al. 2006).
Climate change has forced loggerheads to change their migratory routes poleward in order to find food, but their ability to geospatially monitor their own location could be the necessary tool they need to find their way back to suitable nesting sites (Sims et al. 2008). The rising intensity of oceanic and coastal storms linked to climate change also threatens loggerhead survival, but their strong diving abilities allow them to stay under the water for long periods of time to avoid storms at the surface (Storch et al. 2006). Climate change coupled with human activities will damage loggerhead vitality and could eventually even drive the species to extinction. However, loggerhead turtles do possess some unique strategies and skills that might just allow them to successfully adapt with climate change and survive in the changing world in which they live. |