A cool change for marine turtles

The Albanese Labor Government is investing $1.25 million to protect marine turtle populations from rising temperatures caused by climate change.

The Government is providing grants between $50,000 and $500,000 to support on-ground action in regions where the impacts of climate change on marine turtles is likely to be most severe.

Climate change is the greatest risk to marine turtle recovery, with rising sea levels causing the ‘drowning’ of turtle nests.

Beaches where turtles are nesting are also getting hotter. This rise in sand temperature is influencing the sex of hatchlings, resulting in more females than males.

These grants will support the innovation of new methods to prevent impacts of climate change on turtle nests, supporting on-ground actions such as the installation of shade coverings and the use of ocean water to cool nests.

Marine turtle species that are in focus for the grants are green, flatback, hawksbill and olive ridley turtles.

Applications for the Marine Turtle Climate Change Resilience and Nest Protection Program are open until Thursday 10 March 2023 for a range of eligible groups including state and territory agencies, researchers and Indigenous organisations

For further information on how to apply can be found here: www.business.gov.au/MTCCRNP

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek:

“The time for action is now. This new program will help protect our most vulnerable marine turtle populations from the impacts of climate change.

“The Albanese Labor Government is acting on climate change. We have already legislated our 43% emission reduction target and are investing in transforming our energy systems, but some of our precious species need more urgent help than others. 

“These grants will support First Nations peoples, researchers and on-ground conservation to give our marine turtle populations the best chance of survival in the face of climate change.”

Priority marine turtle stocks targeted:

•    North-west Kimberley - Flatback turtle (Natator depressus)
•    Gulf of Carpentaria - Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
•    North-west Cape York - Olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
•    Northern Territory - Olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
•    Joseph Bonaparte Gulf - Flatback turtle (Natator depressus)
•    North-east Arnhem Land - Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)