Sea turtle nesting beaches are under pressure from coastal development, artificial lighting, beach vehicles, and rising sand temperatures from climate change affecting both turtles and eggs.
Sea turtle nesting females disturbed by lights, vehicles, or people abort nesting attempts, expending significant energy reserves and reducing breeding season output. Hatchlings emerging and moving toward artificial light rather than the sea die from exhaustion or predation before reaching the ocean. Eggs incubating in nest temperatures above lethal thresholds produce no hatchlings or malformed ones that cannot survive. Beach sand compaction from vehicles prevents nesting females from excavating adequate nests. Climate-driven feminisation of hatchling populations from warmer nests threatens long-term population viability.