In the last 5 years, 99% of sea turtles have been born female because the temperature of the sand influences their sex during their incubation period. The hotter the sand, there’s more probability of female newborns, and an eventual disappearance of sea turtles. One way to avoid the effects of global warming in the population of sea turtles is by lowering the temperature of the sand where their nests are located, reaching what scientists call pivotal temperature which is the temperature that guarantees an even proportion of female and male sea turtles.

Banana Boat in partnership with The Colombian Sea Turtle Conservation Program (ProCTMM) created an innovative and sustainable solution to protect turtles from the damaging effects of global warming: The Parity Shelters

These are the first nest domes that regulate sand temperature on the beaches, influencing the conditions, in terms of shading and ventilation, needed to hatch an even proportion of female and male newborns.

Inspired by the organic shape of sea turtle’s shells and designed with the help of marine biologists, local artisans, designers, and engineers, the Parity Shelters were created with materials that make part of the sea turtle’s nesting beaches ecosystems.

The Parity Shelters are a global scale solution that has already been implemented in 4 countries (Colombia, Mexico, Turkiye and Guinea Bissau) with an open-source blueprint that is available upon request, with the hope that they will be crafted and installed on nesting beaches globally.

Banana Boat’s mission is to be a positive force for good and protect the fun under the sun, including all species that inhabit our planet and their ambition is to build a world in which caring for ourselves is balanced with caring for our shared planet and society.

This project fits into the Sustainable Care 2030 in which innovation is the foundation for a brighter future, where actions in the present do not negatively affect the future.

PROTOTYPING

• Constructed with wood from the specific nesting beaches where they are located

• Internal cork layer, a natural coolant

• Natural oil coating to prevent humidity

• Handcrafted windows that optimize the circulation of wind, pushing the hot air out of dome.

TESTING

The Colombian Sea Turtle Conservation Project tested the prototypes in Dibulla Beach, Santa Marta (Colombia). The final design was reached after 8 iterations, as the final prototype showed that it was able to lower the temperature of the sand by 4º C in comparison to the external temperature.

SCALE

The Parity Shelters have been implemented in partnership with local conservations programs, such as Rancho San Cristobal in Mexico, in 10 nesting beaches in 4 countries: Colombia, Mexico, Turkiye and Guinea Bissau with outstanding results like a hatching success rate of 95%, compared to 68% with other methods used to protect the eggs.

We achieved to lower the temperature in the nests by 4º C, guaranteeing the pivotal temperature needed to achieve an even proportion of male and female sea turtles, having a positive impact on the future sea turtle population who are now classified as endangered.

Conservation centers and the local communities participated, and were trained in the use of the Parity Shelters.

The idea has been acclaimed by the scientific community since the 41st International Sea Turtle Symposium (18th - 24th March, 2023).

The results of 2023 were shown in the 42nd Symposium held in Thailand (24th – 29th March, 2024) in a paper called “An Innovative Strategy to Mitigate the Impact of Climate Change in the Sexual Determination of Sea Turtles”

Also, 3 additional conservation programs joined the cause.