Effects of Beach Renourishment on Sea Turtles in NC

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Effects of Beach Renourishment on Sea Turtles in
NC

• Liz Berg

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Beach Renourishment as Hazard

• Sea turtles in NC
• Loggerhead
• Green
• Kemps ridley
• Leatherback
• At Sea
• Can be sucked up a dredge
• Ex.) Carteret County- 4 turtles killed

Loggerhead
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Danger on Land

• Turtles lay about 120 soft-shelled eggs
• 1 of 10,000 hatchlings will reach adulthood
• Females will not nest
• 1.) beach too steep
• 2.) if beach is bathed in artificial light
• 3.) sand not the right consistency
• Beach too steep
• Cant climb up to nest

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Artificial light

• Turtles like to nest at night, try to avoid
  bright light
• Encounter pipes that move sand
• Nest destroyed
• Buried by new sand
• Destroyed by heavy machinery
• Hatchling disoriented by light

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Unsuitable Sand

• Studies of turtle nests decreases on a
  renourished beach
• Too much silt, shell, rock fragments
• Alter hatchlings ability to escape
• Shells may puncture eggs
• Different physical properties
• Gas diffusion, moisture content, temperature
• Sex ratios boys-cool, girls-warm

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Reduce Hazards for Sea Turtles

• Monitor dredge operations
• Move nests
• Renourishment projects opposite nesting season
• Renourishment projects when water above 58
  degrees F
• New sand used should closely match old sand

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