A research group has found that in a certain beach where a certain pollutant is present there is a higher number of turtle eggs that do not hatch. They propose that the pollutant somehow kills the turtle eggs. This claim can be considered a(n)

The claim can be considered a hypothesis

Explanation: scientific hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon which can be tested before it can be proven to be true or not.

In the case of this research, it has been proposed by the researchers that the pollutants in the beach somehow kill the turtle eggs but before that statement can be ascertained as true or not, it has to be tested by scientific means.

you answered your own : -/