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Effects on beach renourishment on the survival of loggerhead sea turtles

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Date Issued:
1991
Summary:
The fate of loggerhead (Caretta caretta, L.) clutches at four physically different beaches, including a renourished site, was investigated in the Boca Raton area. I compared the four sites with regard to their thermal environment, moisture content, sand grain size, and pore spacing at depths of a typical nest. Significantly more sea turtle hatchlings emerged from nests deposited on the renourished beach than at the other sites. At the renourished beach moisture content and pore spacing were highest. Pore spacing and moisture content correlated negatively with the number of hatchlings which died in the nest, and correlated positively with emergence success. At the natural beach, hatchling weight was lowest and straight-line carapace length (SLC) was shortest. I conclude that at the renourished beach, conditions favored hatchling production. However, that may not be the case in all instances of renourishment, as effects probably vary with the nature of the sands used to replenish the beach.
Title: Effects on beach renourishment on the survival of loggerhead sea turtles.
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Name(s): Broadwell, Ann L.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Salmon, Michael, Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1991
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: pdf
Extent: 53 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The fate of loggerhead (Caretta caretta, L.) clutches at four physically different beaches, including a renourished site, was investigated in the Boca Raton area. I compared the four sites with regard to their thermal environment, moisture content, sand grain size, and pore spacing at depths of a typical nest. Significantly more sea turtle hatchlings emerged from nests deposited on the renourished beach than at the other sites. At the renourished beach moisture content and pore spacing were highest. Pore spacing and moisture content correlated negatively with the number of hatchlings which died in the nest, and correlated positively with emergence success. At the natural beach, hatchling weight was lowest and straight-line carapace length (SLC) was shortest. I conclude that at the renourished beach, conditions favored hatchling production. However, that may not be the case in all instances of renourishment, as effects probably vary with the nature of the sands used to replenish the beach.
Identifier: 14749 (digitool), FADT14749 (IID), fau:11540 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1991.
Subject(s): Loggerhead turtle--Reproduction
Loggerhead turtle--Florida
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14749
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.