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9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 JUNE 2026 NEWS Why are sensitive turtles nesting on popular beaches? New research suggests loggerhead turtle nests on busy Mediterranean beaches are recording hidden environmental stress beneath the sand ACROSS the Mediterranean, a surprising trend is emerging— loggerhead sea turtles are in- creasingly choosing to lay their eggs on beaches heavily used by humans. But while beachgoers might consider these events as a sign of environmental recovery, new research suggests the reality be- neath the sand is far more com- plex. In their study, Using Embryon- ic Morphometrics To Diagnose Developmental Stress And Tar- get Sustainable Management Of Sea Turtle Nesting In Malta, published in Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability, authors Isaak Ko- roma and Adriana Vella explore why these turtles are expanding into new territories and what the fate of their offspring reveals about the health of coastal envi- ronments. The primary driver behind this "secondary colonisation" of the central and western Mediterra- nean is climate change. As sea surface temperatures rise in traditional nesting strongholds, loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are being pushed north- ward and westward toward higher latitudes. In the Maltese islands, this creates what re- searchers describe as a "coastal squeeze." With sandy beaches making up just 2.4% of Malta's coastline, turtles have little option but to nest in high-traffic areas shared with tourists, cafes, and boats. A recurring question is why a sensitive species would choose such noisy, brightly lit environ- ments. The study suggests that while climate-driven instincts are pushing turtles into these habitats, the "anthropogenic si- lence" experienced during the COVID-19 lockdowns offered anecdotal evidence of their sensitivity to human presence. When activity dropped, nesting success became more observa- ble, highlighting noise and light as significant deterrents that turtles are now forced to navi- gate. The 'biological ledger' The research introduces a dif- ferent way of interpreting nest failure. Rather than treating a nest as simply successful or un- successful, the authors frame unhatched embryos as a "bio- logical ledger". In other words, a physical record of the stresses experienced during incubation. By examining 122 unhatched embryos over six years (2020– 2025), the study found that most developmental failures occurred during the final third of incu- bation. This is a critical phase when oxygen demand peaks. The authors hypothesise that chronic noise pollution, par- ticularly low-frequency vibra- tions from marine vessels, may travel through sand and disrupt the cues embryos rely on to syn- chronise hatching. Human ac- tivities such as trampling and mechanical beach cleaning are also identified as factors that compact sand, potentially re- ducing gas exchange and effec- tively suffocating developing embryos. Returning to natal beaches The study warns of a "protec- tion gap," where even legally conserved beaches may fail to produce hatchlings if environ- mental conditions remain too stressful. One emerging concern is a "geomagnetic mismatch." Sea turtles navigate back to their natal beaches using the earth's magnetic field. However, coastal development involving sea walls and steel reinforce- ment may be producing "evo- lutionary traps," where turtles return to artificial structures instead of natural sandy shores. To address these challenges, Koroma and Vella call for great- er "science integration" across biology, coastal physics, and policy. They propose "sensory corridors" with strict controls on light and noise during the 50-day incubation period. By treating unhatched embry- os as diagnostic data rather than simple failure, the researchers argue that these increasing- ly used nesting sites could be transformed into more resilient long-term sanctuaries. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Gzira's GasanMamo building slated for 3-star hotel IN another sign of creeping touristification, a 151-room hotel with 322 beds is being proposed on the site of the Ga- sanMamo insurance building in Gżira. The landmark round build- ing is situated on the corner of Msida Road and Enrico Mizzi Street opposite the abandoned Empire Stadium. The new three-star hotel is proposed to rise over 10 floors, including the ground floor. A bar and pool area are also pro- posed at roof level. The applicant is committed to implementing ECO certi- fication to minimise the new hotel's environmental impact. In March 2023, the Planning Authority had approved a sev- en-storey office building for the site, which was going to re- place the existing GasanMamo Insurance building and two adjacent residential blocks. The development was never carried out. Instead, new plans for a hotel have been presented in an ar- ea that is slowly seeing an in- crease in hotel developments. When recommending the previous office block proposal, the Planning Directorate had concluded that the building would "complement the ongo- ing changes to the Gżira-Msi- da skyline", making it "a desti- nation of choice" as a business hub. The case officer had also commended on the high-qual- ity design of the proposed building, whose top floor would be characterised by a cantilever that provides a clear termination to the building and "a high-quality outdoor space for the users of the build- ing itself." The design of the new hotel, drawn up by Malcolm Xuereb, is similar to that previously ap- proved, although higher. The new hotel will further change an area once notorious as a red-light district, but it also represents a further expansion of the Gżira waterfront tourist zone inland towards Msida. Reporting by James Debono The GasanMamo building in Gzira (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)