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Nest-to-surf mortality of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle hatchlings on Florida’s east coast in 2016
| Title: | Nest-to-surf mortality of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle hatchlings on Florida’s east coast in 2016. |
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| Name(s): |
Erb, Victoria, author Wyneken, Jeanette, Thesis advisor Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor Charles E. Schmidt College of Science Department of Biological Sciences |
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| Type of Resource: | text | |
| Genre: | Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation | |
| Date Created: | 2017 | |
| Date Issued: | 2017 | |
| Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
| Place of Publication: | Boca Raton, Fla. | |
| Physical Form: | application/pdf | |
| Extent: | 53 p. | |
| Language(s): | English | |
| Summary: | Worldwide, sea turtles are especially vulnerable immediately after emerging from nests. Many monitoring programs measure hatchling production from nest inventories. These inventories rarely account for mortality occurring post-emergence, leaving an incomplete estimate of hatchling production. This study addresses the nest-to-surf data gap for Florida’s east coast nesting assemblages of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Five locations were surveyed during the 2016 nesting season by using infrared time-lapse imagery, night vision optics, and track maps. Over all beaches, 7.6% of the observed hatchlings did not survive to reach the water. Mortality sources varied by location. Observed predators included: foxes, bobcats, yellow-crowned night herons, ghost crabs, and gulls. Hatchling disorientation and misorientation occurred more frequently in urban areas than natural areas. Factors including number of hatchlings emerging, nest-to-surf distance, and urbanization may help managers estimate nest-to-surf mortality. This study will improve life history models that serve as foundations of conservation management. | |
| Identifier: | FA00004934 (IID) | |
| Degree granted: | Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. | |
| Collection: | FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection | |
| Note(s): | Includes bibliography. | |
| Subject(s): |
Sea turtles--Mortality--Florida. Loggerhead turtle--Mortality. Predation (Biology) Sea turtles--Orientation. Animal navigation. Fire ants--Venom--Physiological effect. |
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| Held by: | Florida Atlantic University Libraries | |
| Sublocation: | Digital Library | |
| Links: | http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004934 | |
| Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004934 | |
| 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. |
