Date of Award
Spring 5-1-2023
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Caroline Solomon
Second Advisor
Jennifer Reilly
Abstract
Sea turtles are a part of both the marine and terrestrial ecosystems as primary and secondary consumers. By laying nests on the beaches and migrating across the ocean, sea turtles are significant in maintaining the nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) flux between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Nests bring nutrients into the sand by decomposing unhatched eggs and egg remains. The distribution of their nests is significant in getting insights into the population density of sea turtles and what drives the nesting location, which ultimately regulates nutrient flux. The location of their nests is driven by sandy beach ecosystem structures, especially active sand escarpments, which could be potential obstructions. One specific goal of this capstone is to study the relationship between the presence of active sand escarpments and the distribution of nests. Results show that active sand escarpments do have an impact on nesting distribution. In the presence of sand escarpments, 74.5% of all sea turtle species will crawl over the escarpment and back to the ocean without depositing their eggs. Less than 21% of all species will nest above the escarpment. This shows that there is an existing relationship between the presence of escarpments and the distribution of nests. Sand escarpments reduce the distribution of nests, which implies the reduction of the input of nutrient flux from the nests. The results support the significance of the relationship between the two factors as a contributing insight into nutrient cycling processes in terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Recommended Citation
Ronco, Dakota, "Sand Escarpments as a Potential Barrier to the Nesting Distribution of Sea Turtles" (2023). Undergraduate University Honors Capstones. 96.
https://ida.gallaudet.edu/honors_capstones/96
