ENDANGERED marine turtles in Queensland still haven't recovered from the extreme weather of early 2011, scientists say.
Numbers of nesting green turtles near Cape York Peninsula have fallen to the lowest level in almost four decades, nearly two years after floods and cyclones hit Queensland.
Dr Col Limpus, the chief scientist of threatened species with Queensland's Department of Environment and Heritage says something similar happened after floods hit the state during 1974, causing green turtle breeding to drop off for four years.
"We expect one of the lowest green turtle seasons in the last four decades, since detailed monitoring started in Queensland, but we are not concerned," he said.
"This dip in turtle breeding is now a well-known natural consequence of weather."
Dr Limpus said the size of a green turtle breeding population was determined by climate events about 18 months before breeding season.
This December, researchers have observed just 200 to 300 turtles at Raine Island off Cape York Peninsula.
Usually, more than 6000 are spotted.
Dr Limpus says a loggerhead turtle has returned to lay her eggs at Mon Repos on the Bundaberg coast after almost dying on New Years Eve 2009.
The turtle became disoriented by lights after coming ashore and wandered inland.
She was found the next day by a farmer, overheated and near death in the middle of a paddock.
Researchers and volunteers rescued her and released her back into the ocean the next day.
"It is great to see this tough old girl back and successfully laying eggs," he said.
"She would be about 40 years old, and this year is her seventh recorded breeding season."
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