Global warming causing Caretta turtles to lay eggs sooner

The discovery of a Caretta caretta nest on May 10 in Lagana Bay, on the island of Zakynthos, has confirmed predictions that climate change has brought the turtles' nesting season forward, the sea turtle protection society Archelon has said.

According to Archelon, this is the first time in 40 years of monitoring the turtles on Zakynthos, the Peloponnese and Crete, that a nest has been found so early in the season.

Archelon volunteers and researchers monitor the breeding activities of the Caretta caretta turtles from May until October every year, beginning with preparations at their facilities and the training of the new volunteers.

This year, they met with a surprise on their first visit to the beach on May 11, as the first nest of the season had already been made the previous night at Sekania, in the Zakynthos National Marine Park.

According to Dr Aliki...