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

In El Nido, Palawan, the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute (LAMAVE), Duli Beach Resort, and WWF constructed three concrete, partially buried hatcheries to protect olive ridley, green, and hawksbill sea turtles. These facilities use weather stations and sensors to monitor temperatures in real-time, mitigating the effects of coastal erosion and rising sand temperatures caused by extreme weather and El Niño. The project integrated community-led nightly patrols from November to February, which relocated 190 nests—more than double the previous year's 86 nests—and successfully converted some poachers into conservationists. Despite record-setting heat during an El Niño year that raised nest temperatures by two degrees, the initiative increased hatching success by an average of over 10% across all sites.

• Climate change and extreme weather in the Philippines, exacerbated by El Niño, have led to coastal erosion in turtle-nesting habitats and rising sand temperatures, which together decrease turtle egg hatching rates.
• The project implemented three concrete, partially buried hatcheries in El Nido equipped with sensors and weather stations to monitor nest temperatures in real-time and protect nests from climate-related threats.
• Community engagement and nightly patrols from November to February resulted in the relocation of 190 nests, a significant increase from 86 nests relocated the previous year and nearly triple the amount from the last five years.
• The initiative achieved an average increase in hatching success of over 10% across all sites, even during an El Niño year where record heat caused nest temperatures to be two degrees warmer than the prior year.
• The project fostered a behavioral shift in the local community, including the use of an incentive-based mechanism to convince poachers to donate nests to the hatcheries.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Constructing climate-resilient hatcheries for endangered sea turtles in the Philippines. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/constructing-climate-resilient-hatcheries-for-endangered-sea-turtles-in-the-philippines/

Chicago

WWF International. Constructing climate-resilient hatcheries for endangered sea turtles in the Philippines. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/constructing-climate-resilient-hatcheries-for-endangered-sea-turtles-in-the-philippines/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Constructing climate-resilient hatcheries for endangered sea turtles in the Philippines |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/constructing-climate-resilient-hatcheries-for-endangered-sea-turtles-in-the-philippines/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndconstructing, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Constructing climate-resilient hatcheries for endangered sea turtles in the Philippines}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/constructing-climate-resilient-hatcheries-for-endangered-sea-turtles-in-the-philippines/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }