{"id":15043,"date":"2020-12-16T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=15043"},"modified":"2020-12-17T13:56:05","modified_gmt":"2020-12-17T18:56:05","slug":"sea-turtles-and-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/sea-turtles-and-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Sea Turtles Face Challenges in Warming Waters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Photo \u00a9 Esther Horvath.<\/em> Lea Desrochers, Turtle Research Assistant at Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary rescues a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle at at Corn Hill Beach, Truro, MA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Every November and December, for more than 30 years, sea turtles strand on the bayside beaches of Cape Cod. At first there were only a few. But since 1999, hundreds of turtles have washed ashore each year. In 2014, more than 1,200 sea turtles were rescued or recovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold Stunning in Cape Cod Bay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sea turtles strand on the Cape in the fall because of \u201ccold-stunning\u201d, a kind of hypothermia. Most are young Kemp\u2019s Ridleys, the most endangered sea turtle in the world, transported north by the Gulf Stream. Ridleys feed along the New England coast during the summer. As they move south in the fall, some may become trapped by the hook shape of Cape Cod. Unable to find their way out of the bay and chilled by falling temperatures, turtles\u2019 systems start to shut down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, the staff and volunteers at Mass Audubon\u2019s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary<\/a> have patrolled beaches to rescue cold-stunned turtles and transport them to the New England Aquarium<\/a> for lifesaving medical care. Most of the rescued turtles will eventually return to the ocean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warming Waters May Play a Role<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before 1990, sea turtles generally didn\u2019t travel north of Cape Cod because the water was too cold. Young turtles making return trips south in the fall would cold-stun on Long Island, New York, but rarely along the Massachusetts coast. That started changing in the 1990\u2019s. Since then, the Gulf of Maine, which includes Cape Cod Bay, has been warming even faster than the global average. Warmer waters have encouraged sea turtles and many other forms of marine life to take advantage of abundant food resources in New England and even eastern Canada. Unfortunately, for some turtles, the outstretched arm of the Cape can be a deadly trap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warming Temperatures Pose More Threats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Green Sea Turtle covering a nest. Photo \u00a9<\/em> United States National Park Services.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Climate change threatens sea turtles well beyond Cape Cod. Warming temperatures on nesting beaches, especially those in tropical regions, could skew sea turtle sex ratios since a hatchling\u2019s sex is determined by the incubation temperature of its nest. Warmer nest temperatures tend to produce females and, in some locations, nests are producing too few males. If the sand at a nesting beach becomes too hot, it can weaken hatchlings or even kill them. Nesting turtles can also be overcome by heat in the process of digging their nests or laying eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the beaches turtles use to nest are themselves at risk. The increasing rate of sea level rise, more intense coastal storms, erosion, and flooding are likely to accelerate the loss of sea turtle nesting habitat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope for these Resilient Reptiles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sea turtles have been on the planet for 100 million years and managed to survive the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs. But can they survive all the human-made problems that confront them? Sea turtles are also threatened by ocean pollution, entanglement in fishing gear, and extensive development along their nesting beaches. The good news is that sea turtle populations have been bolstered with help from conservationists, including Mass Audubon, and there are significant legal protections in place for them. There\u2019s been progress, but a great deal of work remains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A cold-stunned sea turtle that washes up on a Cape Cod beach has already dodged a number of obstacles in its life. Rescuing that turtle supports a second chance at survival. But we also have a special opportunity to make a difference in helping it to overcome larger challenges like climate change<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Jenette Kerr, Wellfleet Bay’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every November and December, for more than 30 years, sea turtles strand on the bayside beaches of Cape Cod. At first there were only a few. But since 1999, hundreds of turtles have washed ashore each year. In 2014, more than 1,200 sea turtles were rescued or recovered. Cold Stunning in Cape Cod Bay Sea […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15051,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[178],"tags":[246,150,379,292,99],"class_list":["post-15043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate","tag-climate-action","tag-climate-change","tag-cold-stunning","tag-sea-turtles","tag-stranding"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3UD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15919,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/all-about-sea-turtles-in-massachusetts\/","url_meta":{"origin":15043,"position":0},"title":"All About Sea Turtles\u202fin Massachusetts","author":"Hillary T.","date":"June 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"When most people think of sea turtles, they imagine these marine reptiles enjoying the warm waters of the tropics. However, visitors and residents of the Cape\u00a0may\u00a0not realize that each summer hundreds of these turtles make their way into\u00a0waters\u00a0around\u00a0Cape Cod.\u202f\u00a0 Loggerhead \u00a9 Elizabeth Bradfield While sea turtles don\u2019t nest north of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11955,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/rescuing-sea-turtles-on-cape-cod\/","url_meta":{"origin":15043,"position":1},"title":"Rescuing Sea Turtles on Cape Cod","author":"Hillary T.","date":"November 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"As winter approaches, the water temperature of Cape Cod Bay slowly drops, and sea turtles should make their way south to warmer tropical waters. However, each year since the late 1970s, some juvenile turtles do not make the journey in time. Trapped by the hook of the Cape, the turtles\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15773,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/protecting-endangered-species-at-mass-audubon\/","url_meta":{"origin":15043,"position":2},"title":"Protecting Endangered Species at Mass Audubon","author":"William Freedberg","date":"May 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Mass Audubon protects dozens of endangered species with different strategies from habitat protection, science-based management plans, and advocacy. Here are just a few of the ways we\u2019re watching out for rare and declining wildlife. Helping Shorebirds Share the Beach Piping Plovers and Least Terns nest on the ground along Massachusetts\u2019\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15376,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/in-your-words-barbara-brennessel\/","url_meta":{"origin":15043,"position":3},"title":"In Your Words: Barbara Brennessel","author":"Ryan D.","date":"March 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Barbara Brennessel is a long-time volunteer at Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, where her work includes cold-stunned sea turtle rescue. Barbara and her husband Nick with a cold-stunned Loggerhead sea turtle My husband Nick and I have volunteered at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary for more than 15 years. In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "In Your Words"","block_context":{"text":"In Your Words","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/in-your-words\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Barbara and her husband Nick with a cold-stunned Loggerhead sea turtle","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/03\/Barbara-and-Nick-with-loggerhead.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/03\/Barbara-and-Nick-with-loggerhead.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/03\/Barbara-and-Nick-with-loggerhead.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/03\/Barbara-and-Nick-with-loggerhead.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1424,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/saving-stranded-sea-turtles\/","url_meta":{"origin":15043,"position":4},"title":"Saving Stranded Sea Turtles","author":"Hillary T.","date":"December 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Molly Shuman-Goodier of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary reports on this year\u2019s sea turtle stranding season. Every year come fall, the lower air and water temperatures lead to the stranding of many \"cold-stunned\" sea turtles on Cape Cod. Strandings are not a new phenomenon: plenty of fish, turtles, and birds wash\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/12\/turtlewellfleet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/12\/turtlewellfleet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/12\/turtlewellfleet.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/12\/turtlewellfleet.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8716,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/how-to-help-turtles\/","url_meta":{"origin":15043,"position":5},"title":"How to Help Turtles","author":"Hillary T.","date":"March 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Go out for a nature walk on a sunny day and there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ll spot a turtle basking in the sun. If something is so common, it probably doesn\u2019t need our help, right? Not so fast. Turtles may be found in our ponds, streams, rivers, and oceans, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15043"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15043\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15070,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15043\/revisions\/15070"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}