Sea turtles frequently lay their eggs on French shores in a phenomenon that raises scientists' questions

In an environmental development "recorded for the first time in France," six protected Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) have chosen French beaches to lay their eggs, potentially leading to an increase in egg-laying due to rising Mediterranean Sea temperatures.

Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Celine Feral from the Mediterranean Turtle Study and Conservation Center said, "We are asking ourselves many questions."

The latest observation of a turtle on the beach occurred over the past weekend, when a Loggerhead turtle was discovered on the Frejus beach, coming to lay its eggs. Quickly, specialists from the French Biodiversity Office and the French Network for Mediterranean Turtles rushed to the scene to protect the nest.

A few days earlier, a pedestrian in Lido du Toit found traces of a turtle, as confirmed by Feral, who visited the area and confirmed the presence of eggs from this endangered species.

Protective barriers were installed, and the municipality issued a ban on entry to the surrounding area during the incubation period, which lasts 55 days on average and ends if the conditions are favorable and the young turtles successfully reach the sea.

The authorities in Frejus stated that "temperature monitoring tools will be deployed to gather the necessary scientific data to better understand this phenomenon."

In the Mediterranean region, Greece, Turkey, Libya, and Cyprus are traditional breeding areas for Loggerhead sea turtles. These migratory animals reach a length of 90 centimeters and a weight of 150 kilograms when fully mature, and they only leave the water to lay their eggs on sandy beaches, digging and covering the nest with their flippers.

Celine Feral says, "For the past ten years, we have noticed an increase in egg-laying of these turtles in Italy and Spain. In France, where we used to witness egg-laying once every year or two, this year's increase is significant."

She adds, "It is encouraging to see an increase in the numbers of these turtles, but we still need to see how their young will grow and develop."

Sydney Catto, coordinator at the French Biodiversity Office and the French Network for Mediterranean Turtles and project manager of the "Marine Turtles" project at Marineland, believes that there are two hypotheses explaining the increased presence of turtles on the shores. The first is "climate warming, leading to higher sea surface temperatures and changes in water currents." The second is the "natural evolution of egg-laying sites with the disappearance of some and the emergence of others."

Apart from turtles, scientists have also observed the presence of other rarely-seen species in the region, such as the Beluga whale, which was spotted in the Seine River in 2022, and the Emperor penguin, which was seen last winter in Cote d'Azur and Corsica.

Isabelle Brasor, research and conservation director at Marineland in Antibes, who participated in the rescue of the Beluga, says that "the Emperor penguin lives in Northern Europe and spends the winter in the southern Mediterranean basin."

The "sporadic" presence of other species is attributed to storms that hit Northern Europe and displaced the animals from their usual habitats, according to Brasor.

For any phenomenon to be "noticeable," it needs to be repeated for several consecutive years. Currently, there has not been enough repetition of events related to different species to talk about changes in their distribution, according to the researcher.

When Loggerhead turtles arrive at Frejus, they believe they are in Greece, one of the common places where they lay their eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP