Hot Summer Temps Produce More Female Sea Turtles

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Sea Turtle Report 9-10-26

It was an unusually hot and dry summer across South Florida, according to the National Weather Service, with several cities setting new records for summer heat! Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of the summer season and are we finally going to see a break in the hot and steamy temperatures?

What does higher temperature mean to sea turtle eggs? Based on research from NOAA Fisheries, rising temperatures are turning major sea turtle populations female! When a mother sea turtle comes ashore and digs a nest on our beach, the sex of the embryo is yet to be determined. Unlike humans, where sex is determined by genetics, the sex of a baby sea turtle is determined by the temperature of the nest during critical stages of development.

This biological term is called “temperature dependent sex determination” (TSD). Warmer sands generally produce more females; cooler sands more males! With Mother Nature cranking up the heat this summer, warming the nests, many sea turtle eggs hatched in Marco will tend to favor more female babies.

Just remember the common adage, “hot chicks and cool dudes.” Might be good news for male sea turtles – they may have more access to female partners. When you see a sea turtle hatchling scrambling towards the water’s edge – we can assume it’s a girl!