Lunar Effects on Sea Turtle Nesting Periodicities in Broward County, Florida
Defense Date
12-2013
Document Type
Capstone
Degree Name
M.S. Marine Biology
Second Degree Name
M.S. Coastal Zone Management
First Advisor
Curtis Burney
Second Advisor
Richard E. Spieler
Third Advisor
Lou Fisher
Abstract
Broward County, Florida’s sea turtles nest annually from March through September. When a female is attempting to select a nest site she will typically emerge from the ocean at night and crawl up the beach to locate a suitable area to commence nesting. Throughout theworld ithas been a commonly touted belief that sea turtles increase nesting attempts in correlation to lunar and tidal cycles. This capstone review paper analyzed eleven loggerhead sea turtle seasons (2000-2010) to identify any such correlations between nesting cycles and lunar cycles for Broward County’s sea turtles. Four patterns became evident of lunar correlation and loggerhead sea turtle nesting. Three years showed no significant relationship between nesting andlunar cycle. Threeseasondemonstrated higher nesting near the quarter moons while two other years showed higher nesting at the full and new moons. Finally, three remaining seasons resulted in mixed patterns of nesting and moon phase. This research compared Broward County sea turtles with those from other nesting areas for similarities and differences. These findings could contribute to improved conservation strategies.
NSUWorks Citation
Laura J. Wright. 2013. Lunar Effects on Sea Turtle Nesting Periodicities in Broward County, Florida. Capstone. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, . (268)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cnso_stucap/268.