Grant: 09-051R
Project Title: Evaluating the Effects of Global Warming, Beach Nourishment, and Beach Location on Temperature-Dependant Sex Determination in Loggerhead Sea Turtles in Florida
Project Manager: Thane Whibbels
Organization: University of Alabama at Birmingham (Research and Educational Institute)
Grant Amount: $6429.00
Completion Date:

Summary: Sea turtles possess temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) which has significant implications for their conservation and biology. With previous funding from the Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program we have developed an extensive collaborative network for the simultaneous evaluation of beach temperatures (using data loggers buried at nest depth) on twenty-one loggerhead nesting beaches throughout Florida. This collaborative network has allowed us to generate a beach temperature database that is revealing specific trends. The proposed research during 2009 will address specific hypotheses that are targeting the most obvious threats regarding temperature-dependent sex determination in the loggerhead. Hypothesis 1: We propose that many loggerhead nesting beaches in Florida appear to have temperatures that are near the upper limit in the transitional range of temperature for this species’ sex determination. Hypothesis 2: We propose that beach nourishment projects may shift nesting beach temperatures by altering beach sand type and topography. Hypothesis 3: We propose that some minor nesting beaches such as those in the Florida panhandle may produce significantly higher proportion of males in comparison to Atlantic beaches.

Results: