Kristy Sexton-McGrath, ABC News 4 Feb 10;
Researchers working on a remote Cape York island in far north Queensland say they are concerned about the impact of high tides on turtle nesting habitats.
A group of scientists has been counting and examining turtles at Milman Island. David Roe from the Sea Turtle Foundation says early results show numbers for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle are steady.
However, he says high tides are creating vertical walls of sand that is making it hard for turtles to reach the island to nest.
"The fear is with rising sea levels and increased heights of storm surges we can expect to see more of that type of erosion of suitable nesting beaches for turtles," he said.
"The high tides were building over the top of the beach, they were building a vertical wall of sand and the poor turtles couldn't get up over that wall of sand and get into the dry sand. They like to nest up on the dry sand."
