Aiding sea turtle conservation through coastal management

Jakob C. Christiaanse^1*Ad J. H. M. Reniers¹Stefan G. J. Aarninkhof¹Elias F. Ostertag^1,2Ronel Nel^3,4Carlos M. Duarte⁵Jose A. A. Antolínez^1*

• ¹Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
• ²Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
• ³General Organization for Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• ⁴Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
• ⁵Biosciences and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

Climate change and human activity pose increasing challenges to endangered sea turtles, which are key species in many marine ecosystems worldwide. Among these challenges are the flooding and erosion of nesting beaches. In this perspective, we argue that existing methods and tools from coastal science and management hold significant, yet underused, potential for sea turtle conservation. We introduce a stepwise framework for integrating sea turtle ecology and coastal management to address these coastal threats. The framework follows an Observe–Understand–Predict–Intervene cycle and links ecological thresholds, coastal processes, and management interventions across scales, from Regional Management Units (RMUs) to individual beaches. We illustrate how state-of-the-art monitoring, modeling, and nature-based solutions (NBS) can be embedded within this framework to inform when and how to intervene. Increased in-situ data collection and interdisciplinary collaboration will be critical to apply and refine this approach, thereby enhancing the long-term resilience of nesting habitats.