Up to 93 per cent of green turtle hatchlings could be female by 2100, as research suggests climate change causes "feminisation" of the species.

The gender of turtle hatchlings is determined by temperature, and at present about 52 per cent of hatching green turtles, one of seven species of sea turtle, are female.

But a study by the University of Exeter and the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre in Portugal shows that in warmer temperatures predicted by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios, 76 to 93 per cent of hatchlings would be female.

The figures are specific to the study site in West Africa, but researchers say they expect a similar picture globally.