Uncertain future for global sea turtle populations in face of sea level rise
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2023-04-20Referencia bibliográfica
Rivas, M.L., Rodríguez-Caballero, E., Esteban, N. et al. Uncertain future for global sea turtle populations in face of sea level rise. Sci Rep 13, 5277 (2023). [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31467-1]
Resumen
Sea level rise has accelerated during recent decades, exceeding rates recorded during the previous
two millennia, and as a result many coastal habitats and species around the globe are being impacted.
This situation is expected to worsen due to anthropogenically induced climate change. However,
the magnitude and relevance of expected increase in sea level rise (SLR) is uncertain for marine and
terrestrial species that are reliant on coastal habitat for foraging, resting or breeding. To address
this, we showcase the use of a low-cost approach to assess the impacts of SLR on sea turtles under
various Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) SLR scenarios on different sea turtle
nesting rookeries worldwide. The study considers seven sea turtle rookeries with five nesting species,
categorized from vulnerable to critically endangered including leatherback turtles (Dermochelys
coriacea), loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), olive ridley
turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Our approach combines freely
available digital elevation models for continental and remote island beaches across different ocean
basins with projections of field data and SLR. Our case study focuses on five of the seven living sea
turtle species. Under moderate climate change scenarios, by 2050 it is predicted that at some sea
turtle nesting habitats 100% will be flooded, and under an extreme scenario many sea turtle rookeries
could vanish. Overall, nesting beaches with low slope and those species nesting at open beaches such
as leatherback and loggerheads sea turtles might be the most vulnerable by future SLR scenarios.