Beach Renourishment and Loggerhead Turtle Reproduction: A Seven Year Study At Jupiter Island, Florida

摘要: The effects of beach renourishment on a major marine turtle nesting (Jupiter Island) in Florida were studied over seven years. This made possible long-term comparison between reproductive activity several beaches, renourished at different times, and control composed natural sand. Our goal was to determine if resulted that, from the turtles' perspective equivalent beach. Equivalence based upon two criteria: number nests placed by females an equal length (nest "density"), proportion eggs that developed into hatchlings left those nests. Nests deposited beaches did not differ statistically departing hatchlings. But significantly fewer than There correlates. When narrowed erosion, turtles nested there. After renourishment, more tried nest but large them abandoned these attempts. Abandoned attempts positively correlated with greater surface hardness beach. Berms tended form after each project probably prevented some crawling preferred sites. years, decreased, berms rarely present, often successful, densities comparable subsequent declined again as erosion Thus Jupiter Island, less occurred because sites cycled relatively long unattractive, short attractive, "states". To extent other mimic cycles, they also represent inferior habitats. It is therefore imperative reduce beach-front armoring associated development (which accelerates erosion), protect few remaining used sea Florida.