Assessing climate change associated sea-level rise impacts on sea turtle nesting beaches using drones, photogrammetry and a novel GPS system.

Abstract in brief

• The study introduces a new, cost-effective method using drone photogrammetry and portable GPS to create highly accurate digital terrain models for coastal areas, helping to assess sea level rise impacts on sea turtle nesting sites.
• Researchers applied this technique to a Mediterranean rookery, modeling three sea level rise scenarios (0.48m, 0.63m, and 1.20m) to evaluate how future sea level rise could inundate turtle nests, finding that both loggerhead and green turtles face significant risks with increasing water levels.
• While green turtles nest at higher elevations than loggerheads, their deeper nests mean both species share similar vulnerability to sea level rise, with substantial nest losses projected under future scenarios, highlighting the importance of conservation planning and barriers that might influence nesting success.