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Quantifying the energetic cost of disorientation in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle hatchlings

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Date Issued:
2012
Summary:
The photopollution of beaches caused by artificial light sources can interfere with sea turtle hatchlings' ability to orient properly towards the sea. Exhaustion due to extended disorientation crawling may then increase hatchling mortality. This study evaluated the energetic consequences of long-distance crawls in green and loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings. Turtles crawled for 200 m or 500 m on a treadmill, followed by a 30 minute evaluation of swim performance. Metabolic activity was quantified via measures of blood glucose, blood lactate, and oxygen consumption. No significant changes in metabolism resulted from long-distance crawling activity in loggerheads ; however, loggerheads rested for extended periods of time during the crawl trials, often unresponsive to stimuli. This behavior implies that loggerhead hatchlings would be vulnerable to predation or temperature stress due to exhaustion from extended periods of crawling. Further data is required to draw any significant conclusions about long-term disorientatin crawling in green hatchlings.
Title: Quantifying the energetic cost of disorientation in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle hatchlings.
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Name(s): Williams, Sean.
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Department of Biological Sciences
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Issued: 2012
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
Extent: x, 36 p. : ill.
Language(s): English
Summary: The photopollution of beaches caused by artificial light sources can interfere with sea turtle hatchlings' ability to orient properly towards the sea. Exhaustion due to extended disorientation crawling may then increase hatchling mortality. This study evaluated the energetic consequences of long-distance crawls in green and loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings. Turtles crawled for 200 m or 500 m on a treadmill, followed by a 30 minute evaluation of swim performance. Metabolic activity was quantified via measures of blood glucose, blood lactate, and oxygen consumption. No significant changes in metabolism resulted from long-distance crawling activity in loggerheads ; however, loggerheads rested for extended periods of time during the crawl trials, often unresponsive to stimuli. This behavior implies that loggerhead hatchlings would be vulnerable to predation or temperature stress due to exhaustion from extended periods of crawling. Further data is required to draw any significant conclusions about long-term disorientatin crawling in green hatchlings.
Identifier: 820560959 (oclc), 3356891 (digitool), FADT3356891 (IID), fau:3987 (fedora)
Note(s): by Sean Williams.
Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012.
Includes bibliography.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
System requirements: Adobe Reader.
Subject(s): Sea turtles -- Nests -- Protection
Sea turtles -- Life cycles
Animal behavior
Predation (Biology)
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3356891
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU