Quantifying the impacts of future sea level rise on nesting sea turtles in the southeastern United States.

摘要: Sandy beaches, a necessary habitat for nesting sea turtles, are increasingly under threat as they become squeezed between human infrastructure and shorelines that changing result of rising levels. Forecasting where shifting sandy beaches will be obstructed how directly impacts coastal species is successful conservation management. Predicting changes to areas difficult because lack consensus on the physical attributes used by females in site choice. In this study, we leveraged long-term data sets localities two turtle species, loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, green Chelonia mydas, within four barrier island National Seashores southeastern United States predict future beach area based these currently nest relation mean high water. We predicted location level rise scenario 2100 quantified impervious surfaces inhibit movement, which impact both total available percentage flood following hurricane-related storm surge. Contrary our expectations, those islands with greatest levels were not projected experience loss due or surge events. Notably, have equal across Seashores; Seashore least amount lost has highest densities study suggesting even low could substantial disproportionate population growth species. Our novel method estimating current can broadly applied studies requiring bounded encompasses part useful comparing global trajectories activity.