Forty Young Sea Turtles Return to the Ocean as Researchers Warn of Missing Males

Florida, United States – Researchers at Florida Atlantic University released 40 young sea turtles into the ocean after raising them in the university's laboratory, while warning that almost all of them are female.

Footage released by the university shows researchers wearing snorkels setting the turtles into open water from a boat.

Professor Jeanette Wyneken, director of the university's Marine Science Laboratory, said every sea turtle currently being raised and studied there is female. A sea turtle's sex is decided by the temperature of its nest, and warmer sand produces females.

"We need approximately 25% males every three to four years. We're not getting that. We're not even close," Wyneken said.

Hatching success this year was about 53%, below the expected 65% to 75%, the university said.