Turtles in trouble

GREEN turtles could become extinct as research reveals 99 per cent are born female.

Warm water in the Great Barrier Reef has caused the phenomenon, scientists said.

The northern Great Barrier Reef is home to one of the largest green turtle populations in the world. Researchers said lower incubation temperatures were necessary at key rookeries on Queensland’s coast to reduce the number of female turtles.

The sex of sea turtle hatchlings is determined by the incubation temperature of the eggs – with female numbers rising with the temperature.

The study found 65 to 69 per cent of green turtles in the cooler southern Great Barrier Reef were female, with a “staggering” 87 to 99.8 per cent in the warmer northern reef.