Sea turtles play a vital role in marine ecosystems, acting as key regulators of energy flow and maintaining balance in the food chain. However, the populations on the island of Hispaniola are declining due to climate change and human activities.
Of the four recorded sea turtle species in the region, at least three—the Hawksbill, Leatherback, and Green turtles—are listed as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.
In the Dominican Republic, no sea turtle species have been declared extinct. Yet, significant threats remain. According to the Ministry of Environment, sea turtles face challenges such as incidental capture in fisheries, illegal hunting, human consumption of their meat and eggs, and coastal development, which reduces nesting sites. Rising sea levels due to climate change further diminish available habitats, as melting glaciers contribute to shoreline erosion. This impacts turtle populations in additional ways, including the sex ratio of hatchlings, which is influenced by the sand temperature where eggs are incubated.
Most female turtles nest at night, laying between 70 and 170 eggs per nest. They cover the eggs with sand and leave them to incubate. During a nesting season, a female can lay up to four clutches of eggs. The temperature of the sand affects the sex of the hatchlings: warmer temperatures tend to produce more females, while cooler temperatures result in more males. This imbalance, exacerbated by rising temperatures, poses a long-term threat to population stability. Dominican marine biologist Omar Chamir explains, “Higher temperatures in nests often lead to a greater number of females, which can significantly alter natural sex ratios and impact reproduction over time.”
Extreme weather events, like hurricanes and tropical storms, also threaten turtle nests, often causing flooding and beach erosion, which further endanger eggs.
How Do Sea Turtles Benefit Our Oceans?
Sea turtles play an essential role in marine ecosystems. They help maintain coral reef and seagrass bed health by controlling populations of jellyfish, algae, and molluscs. Additionally, they act as nutrient transporters across vast ocean distances. According to the Ministry of Environment, sea turtles support ecosystem productivity, contributing to coral reef and seagrass habitat vitality and balancing the marine food chain.
Monitoring Turtles in Protected Areas
As of mid-2024, the Dominican Ministry of Marine Coastal Resources reported 51 monitoring sessions of nests, involving the assisted incubation of 1,486 eggs and the release of 1,017 hatchlings to their beaches. The Ministry’s Species Conservation Program operates across multiple coastal provinces, implementing educational campaigns, round-the-clock monitoring, species identification, egg relocation, and hatchling release.
Additional initiatives have been supported by groups like the El Seibo-Miches Hotel and Tourism Association, which monitors and protects sea turtles in tourist areas of the eastern region. The Eco-Bahía Foundation also partners with the Ministry of Environment in conservation efforts in the Samaná Province, Playa Nueva Romana, Boca del Soco, and other significant nesting sites.
Key Nesting Beaches in the Dominican Republic
Hawksbill turtles nest on beaches in Puerto Plata and Samaná, including El Anclón, El Limón, Morón, and Cosón. In the National District, they nest on beaches like Güibia, Pescadores, and Manresa. Green turtles frequent Sans Souci Beach (National District), Isla Catalina (La Romana), and Nisibón (La Altagracia). Leatherbacks nest on beaches such as Derrumbao (Peravia), Mosquea (Pedernales), La Vacama (La Altagracia), and Estero Hondo (Puerto Plata).
In 2018, the Dominican Republic published a manual for the conservation and management of sea turtles, aiming to support sustainable practices nationwide. The country is also a signatory to international treaties like the Cartagena Convention for Marine Protection and the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles (IAC).
In September 2024, the National Aquarium released 175 sea turtle hatchlings—92 Hawksbill and 83 Green turtles—on Güibia and Manresa Beaches, demonstrating ongoing efforts to support sea turtle recovery.
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This story was originally published by Listín Diario, with the support of our Caribbean Climate Justice Journalism Fellowship, which is a joint venture between Climate Tracker and Open Society Foundations.
