Introduction
Climate change has been a major threat to biodiversity across the globe, as it can have serious impacts to the distribution, physiology and behaviour of many species[3]. Global temperatures have increased by approximately 0.6ºC in the past 100 years, and are predicted to increase by at least 2ºC in the next 40 years[7] [8].
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), a large marine turtle with a distinct leathery shell and dark blue colouration, is one such species. It is one of seven species of sea turtles threatened by climate change, due to their extreme sensitivity to changes in environmental temperatures[3]. As of 2013, it is classified as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, though this classification has gone as high as "Critically Endangered" in the past, and is expected to change again in future[3] [7]. Even though the species is listed as "Vulnerable", certain sub-populations are more severely affected than others, such as the Pacific ocean sub-populations[4] [12] [14]. While a major cause of mortality in this species has been attributed to fishery by-catch, long-term threats to the leatherback turtle population can be attributed to climate change and its effects on distribution, nesting behaviour and offspring sex ratio[1] [14].
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), a large marine turtle with a distinct leathery shell and dark blue colouration, is one such species. It is one of seven species of sea turtles threatened by climate change, due to their extreme sensitivity to changes in environmental temperatures[3]. As of 2013, it is classified as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, though this classification has gone as high as "Critically Endangered" in the past, and is expected to change again in future[3] [7]. Even though the species is listed as "Vulnerable", certain sub-populations are more severely affected than others, such as the Pacific ocean sub-populations[4] [12] [14]. While a major cause of mortality in this species has been attributed to fishery by-catch, long-term threats to the leatherback turtle population can be attributed to climate change and its effects on distribution, nesting behaviour and offspring sex ratio[1] [14].