Sea turtle hatchery sand management: nest relocation depth, clutch shading, and sex ratios?

Sea turtle sex determination is temperature-dependent (TSD), governed by incubation temperatures in the middle third of the 60-day development period. The pivotal threshold is roughly 29.2°C: sand temperatures above 29.5°C produce 100% female hatchlings, while temperatures below 28.5°C yield males. In artificial hatchery pens, relocated clutches are reburied at their exact natural depth (60-80cm for Green turtles). Hatchery managers monitor sand temperatures using digital thermocouple probes, installing overhead coir thatch screens to provide 40% shade to prevent overheated sand from producing female-skewed populations.