Digitized Honors Theses (2002-2017)
Date of Award
5-2004
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
BS
Department
Biology
Faculty Mentor
David Nelson
Abstract
The Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, is the only sea turtle known to commonly nest on Alabama beaches. Archival data collected from the nesting seasons of 1994 through 1999 were analyzed to assess the nesting activities of Loggerhead sea turtles on two Alabama beaches:. Dauphin Island and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Data from this site complex were also compared with data from both the panhandle and peninsula of Florida. Nesting success for each site or site complex was compared with average rainfall levels and average ambient air temperatures to explore how these variables may affect nesting success. A relationship between nesting success and average rainfall was found for the Alabama site complex (adjusted R2 = 20.2%). Average air temperature was found to have no effect on any of the data sets. Nest proximity to water was also calculated for the Alabama site complex, with a mean of 83.3 meters found for Dauphin Island and a mean of 130.8 meters for the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.
Recommended Citation
Timmerman, Lindsey, "Analysis of Nesting Activity of the Atlantic Loggerhead Sea Turtle Along Coastal Alabama and Florida from 1994-1999" (2004). Digitized Honors Theses (2002-2017). 113.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_theses-boundprint/113