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IMPACT OF DEVELOPED COASTLINE ON NESTING AND HATCHLING SEA TURTLES IN SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA

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Date Issued:
1977
Summary:
The impact of coastline development on nesting sea turtles, nest contents, and hatchlings was investigated in southeastern Florida. There were 95-128 loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nests per mile on six miles of beach. Seventeen green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nests were found. Nesting females did not avoid lighted, developed beaches in favor of undeveloped beaches. Hatchling emergence bearings were measured at 397 nests, and ambient light intensities were correlated with the incidence of misorientation. Most hatchlings emerging where artificial light sources were visible were misoriented inland. From 0-96% of misoriented hatchlings were killed by automobiles, ghost crabs, or dessication. Mortality was greatest where hatchlings were able to enter roadways, and lowest where barriers prevented this. Analysis of post-emergence contents of 422 nests revealed that mortality within nests was greater on soft beaches with large-grained sand than on fine-grained, firmer beaches, and was increased by human footfalls and beach-cleaning machinery.
Title: IMPACT OF DEVELOPED COASTLINE ON NESTING AND HATCHLING SEA TURTLES IN SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA.
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Name(s): MANN, THOMAS MASON
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Issued: 1977
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 112 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The impact of coastline development on nesting sea turtles, nest contents, and hatchlings was investigated in southeastern Florida. There were 95-128 loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nests per mile on six miles of beach. Seventeen green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nests were found. Nesting females did not avoid lighted, developed beaches in favor of undeveloped beaches. Hatchling emergence bearings were measured at 397 nests, and ambient light intensities were correlated with the incidence of misorientation. Most hatchlings emerging where artificial light sources were visible were misoriented inland. From 0-96% of misoriented hatchlings were killed by automobiles, ghost crabs, or dessication. Mortality was greatest where hatchlings were able to enter roadways, and lowest where barriers prevented this. Analysis of post-emergence contents of 422 nests revealed that mortality within nests was greater on soft beaches with large-grained sand than on fine-grained, firmer beaches, and was increased by human footfalls and beach-cleaning machinery.
Identifier: 13839 (digitool), FADT13839 (IID), fau:10667 (fedora)
Note(s): Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1977.
Subject(s): Sea turtles--Florida--Palm Beach County
Sea turtles--Florida--Broward County
Green turtle
Loggerhead turtle
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13839
Sublocation: Digital Library
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.