Constructing climate-resilient hatcheries for endangered sea turtles in the Philippines

Small pile of baby sea turtles in the sand

Referred to as the Philippines’ “last biodiversity frontier,” the province of Palawan is home to many endangered species, including five different species of sea turtles. Three species—the olive ridley, green, and hawksbill sea turtles—are listed as vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered, respectively. El Nido, a municipality of Palawan, has some of the country’s main foraging and nesting habitats for these turtles.

Located in the West Pacific typhoon belt, the Philippines is subject to extreme weather events which have only increased in severity over the last five to 10 years. Severe storms have caused coastal erosion in prime turtle-nesting habitats, and combined with rising sand temperatures, have resulted in decreased turtle egg hatching rates. The poaching of eggs presents an additional threat.

A nest with a temperature censor in one of the hatcheries.

  • A container with a turtle mural painted on the side

    Completed hatcheries.

  • A large white container with a grate on top

    Completed hatcheries.

  • A large container with paintings of turtles around it

    Completed hatcheries.

With the support of WWF’s Wildlife Adaptation Innovation Fund, the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute (LAMAVE) partnered with Duli Beach Resort, a member of the El Nido Marine Turtle Conservation Network, to construct three climate-resilient hatcheries in different nesting beaches in El Nido. Constructed out of concrete and partially buried in the sand, these hatcheries were designed to protect nests from weather and climate-related threats and include weather stations and sensors to monitor the nests’ temperatures in real-time.

Additionally, trained community members and citizen scientists conducted nightly patrols during the primary hatching seasons of November to February in an effort to involve local communities, raise environmental awareness, and ward off poachers. Through resounding community interest and engagement, 16 additional nests were found and relocated to the hatcheries from beaches upwards of 3.7 miles away from the target beaches, bringing the total of relocated nests to 190. To further promote awareness within the community, the project is working with the WWF Philippines Education for Sustainable Development program to engage 100 local students in the next year in on-the-ground turtle conservation work. Through these community-driven initiatives, this project succeeded in increasing hatching success by an average of over 10% across all the sites, even during one of the hottest years on record.