Marine toolbox

Sea turtle nesting beach indicator tool

Biodiversity screening

Tools and guidance to support screening approaches

Marine
restoration

Tools and guidance for marine habitat restoration

Nature
position tool

Our interactive tool to help you visualise your path to nature positive

Marine
net gain

Our guiding framework to support delivery of net gains for marine biodiversity

Mitigation
insights

Guidance to address commonly encountered risks to marine biodiversity

Underwater
sound

Guidance on the impact and mitigation of anthropogenic underwater noise on marine biodiversity

Spatial
scales

Guidance on defining ecologically appropriate scales of analysis for marine biodiversity assessments

Nesting beach
indicator tool

A tool to determine the potential for sea turtle nesting on beaches

The Sea Turtle Nesting Beach Indicator Tool has been developed by sea turtle experts from Bluedot and the University of Exeter. The tool can be used to rapidly assess and rank the value of beaches for sea turtle nesting potential where nesting may occur but is not well understood.

The tool provides indicative results on beach suitability for sea turtle nesting, with its primary uses being to support biodiversity screening, strategic assessments, and initial conservation planning. It should not be considered conclusive evidence of nesting potential unless the field conditions determine that nesting can be completely discounted. Therefore, the tool should be used with the understanding of the need for follow-up surveys by specialists.

Sea turtle nesting beach tool

How the tool works

The Sea Turtle Nesting Beach Indicator Tool is based on a scoring system that assesses two primary factors that influence nesting potential:

  • Beach Suitability: The potential of a beach to support nesting based on an understanding of sediment type, beach elevation and slope, and extent of the available nesting area.
  • Human Impacts: The level of human impacts, including artificial light, coastal development, and beach use.

Results from the tool provide an indicative ranking of beaches, pointing to areas with restoration or protection potential.

Download the tool

Disclaimer
The results from the use of the tool are dependent upon application and the interpretation of conditions in the field. Therefore, Bluedot Associates Ltd. accepts no responsibility for the use of this tool or its results. Use of the tool constitutes acceptance of this disclaimer.