Sea turtle populations could become feminised with climate change, but Hunter beaches could help males survive.
Holly West, NSW TurtleWatch project officer, said there was concern for green and loggerhead turtles that nest in NSW, as they were threatened species.
"With the impacts of global warming, we may potentially see a feminisation of sea turtle populations around the world," Ms West said.
The sex of the sea turtle is determined by the temperature of incubation, with warmer temperatures producing more females.
"NSW beaches have cooler temperatures and therefore produce more males, which may be important in the future for retaining males in the population."
Climate change could send the turtles further south in future to areas including Newcastle.
"That's why we want to monitor their nesting behaviour more closely to see if this is happening," Ms West said.
"They may also make other behavioural changes to combat climate change, such as nesting earlier or later in the season.
"I would like to think if they decide to nest further south we could be ready for them, making sure we keep our beaches dark [away from light pollution] and plastic-free."
Ms West said turtle-nesting season was now "up and running again".
"We start monitoring beaches from November 1 and they can nest through until February and March," she said.
"Then we can see hatchlings on the beaches from January through until April and June potentially."
She said there were no nests to report yet, but the busiest months in NSW were generally December and January.
Nests could be spotted in Newcastle, but she said "the furthest south we get consistent nesting is the Forster/Tuncurry area".
"From past reports we have had a nest on the Central Coast and a couple down near Sydney, including one on Manly beach - but it's not common.
"We are asking all beach goers to become citizen scientists and help us locate potential nest sites and record basic data."
All reports of nests or turtle tracks on the sand were "vital to helping us protect them during this critical breeding period".
"We estimate that only 1 out of 1000 turtle hatchlings will reach maturity, so every single nest, egg and hatchling that we can protect will make an impact on the survival of these species.
"The best time to look for sea turtle tracks is first thing in the morning, as turtles usually come up to nest overnight," Ms West said.
Melissa Giese from the NSW government's Saving our Species program said last year that staff and volunteers reported 19 nesting activities that ended up producing more than 470 hatchlings.
Turtle sightings can be reported to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service on 13000-PARKS or to NSW TurtleWatch on 0468 489 259.
A Vegan School
A Barnsley preschool has claimed a gong at PETA's Vegan Food Awards.
The Sustainable Play Preschool has been described as Australia's first plant-based preschool.
PETA campaigns advisor Mimi Bekhechi said the preschool "teaches kids compassion for animals, as well as the importance of climate protection and healthy eating".
It offers a plant-based menu developed with dietitians to meet Australian nutritional guidelines and teaches kids about the wonders of fresh produce.
