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IMPACT OF SARGASSUM ACCUMULATIONS ON LOGGERHEAD HATCHLING RECRUITMENT TO NEARSHORE WATER ON A RAKED URBAN NESTING BEACH IN FLORIDA.
- Date Issued:
- 2021
- Abstract/Description:
- Hatchling loggerhead turtles emerge from subsurface nests on the beach at night, crawl down the beach and enter the sea. Recently, increases in a floating algae (Sargassum) has been reported in the mid-Atlantic and the Caribbean, resulting in large algal wrack on Florida beaches. The purpose of my study was to determine if these accumulations acted as a barrier, preventing hatchlings from completing their crawl to the sea. To address this issue I recorded seasonal changes in Sargassum density and directly observed when, and under what circumstances, hatchlings could cross the wrack. There was a significant overlap between when Sargassum accumulation peaked and when the turtles emerged, with the result that hatchling recruitment was significantly reduced (by~22%) during the 2020 nesting season. I conclude that algal accumulations represent a significant threat that may impede the recovery of loggerhead populations, that are currently threatened or endangered worldwide.
Title: | IMPACT OF SARGASSUM ACCUMULATIONS ON LOGGERHEAD HATCHLING RECRUITMENT TO NEARSHORE WATER ON A RAKED URBAN NESTING BEACH IN FLORIDA. |
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Name(s): |
Schiariti, Joshua P. , author Salmon, Michael, Thesis advisor Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor Department of Biological Sciences Charles E. Schmidt College of Science |
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Type of Resource: | text | |
Genre: | Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation | |
Date Created: | 2021 | |
Date Issued: | 2021 | |
Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
Place of Publication: | Boca Raton, Fla. | |
Physical Form: | application/pdf | |
Extent: | 56 p. | |
Language(s): | English | |
Abstract/Description: | Hatchling loggerhead turtles emerge from subsurface nests on the beach at night, crawl down the beach and enter the sea. Recently, increases in a floating algae (Sargassum) has been reported in the mid-Atlantic and the Caribbean, resulting in large algal wrack on Florida beaches. The purpose of my study was to determine if these accumulations acted as a barrier, preventing hatchlings from completing their crawl to the sea. To address this issue I recorded seasonal changes in Sargassum density and directly observed when, and under what circumstances, hatchlings could cross the wrack. There was a significant overlap between when Sargassum accumulation peaked and when the turtles emerged, with the result that hatchling recruitment was significantly reduced (by~22%) during the 2020 nesting season. I conclude that algal accumulations represent a significant threat that may impede the recovery of loggerhead populations, that are currently threatened or endangered worldwide. | |
Identifier: | FA00013806 (IID) | |
Degree granted: | Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021. | |
Collection: | FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection | |
Note(s): | Includes bibliography. | |
Subject(s): |
Loggerhead turtle Sargassum Conservation biology |
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Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013806 | |
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. | |
Use and Reproduction: | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | |
Host Institution: | FAU | |
Is Part of Series: | Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections. |