The Role of Sand Moisture in Shaping Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Neonate Growth in Southeast Florida

Published source details Erb V., Lolavar A. & Wyneken J. (2018) The Role of Sand Moisture in Shaping Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Neonate Growth in Southeast Florida. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 17, 245-251.
Share Tweet Email

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use irrigation systems Action Link

Use irrigation systems

A replicated, controlled, paired study (year not given) on a sandy beach in Florida, USA (Erb et al. 2018) found that watering loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta nests lead to larger hatchlings that grew more in captivity over 10 weeks in one of three measures compared to hatchlings from un-watered nests. Hatchlings from watered nests had higher mass (watered: 17 g; un-watered: 16 g), straight carapace length (watered: 42 mm; un-watered: 40 mm) and straight carapace width (watered: 33 mm; un-watered: 32 mm) compared to those from un-watered nests. Growth in straight carapace width over 10 weeks was higher for hatchlings from watered compared to un-watered nests (watered: 65 mm; un-watered 62 mm after 10 weeks), though there was no significant difference in growth in mass (watered: 89 mm; not watered: 79 mm after 10 weeks) and straight carapace length (watered: 76 mm; not watered: 72 mm after 10 weeks). In one nesting season, eggs from 10 nests were divided in half and reburied 1 m apart (10 pairs of nests, buried 60 cm deep). One received 45 minutes of daily watering, while the other received no additional watering. Hatchlings (67 from watered, 55 from un-watered nests) were transferred to tanks supplied with fresh seawater, and measurements of mass, straight carapace length and width were taken weekly for 10 weeks.

(Summarised by: William Morgan)