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IMPACT OF INCREASED GREEN TURTLE NESTING ON LOGGERHEAD FITNESS
Title
IMPACT OF INCREASED GREEN TURTLE NESTING ON LOGGERHEAD FITNESS.
Creator
Carmichael, Amanda R, Mansfield, Kate, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Marine turtles exhibit strong fidelity to their nesting beaches, making the conservation of nesting beaches important for ensuring successful sea turtle populations. Conservation of these nesting beaches involves understanding how species interact with the environment and each other, and understanding how environmental change and population growth can affect the suitability of the nesting habitat. The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR) is unusual in its high density of sea turtle...
Show moreMarine turtles exhibit strong fidelity to their nesting beaches, making the conservation of nesting beaches important for ensuring successful sea turtle populations. Conservation of these nesting beaches involves understanding how species interact with the environment and each other, and understanding how environmental change and population growth can affect the suitability of the nesting habitat. The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR) is unusual in its high density of sea turtle nesting by two species: green (Chelonia mydas) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles. The ACNWR in Melbourne Beach, Florida was established in 1991 due to the high density of loggerhead nesting, but in the time since it was established there has been a significant increase in green turtle nesting, from fewer than 50 nests in 1982 to over 15,000 in 2017. With such a high density of these two species in one relatively small area (21 kilometers of beach), the two species may compete for space. This is especially true for green turtles, which disturb large amounts of sand during their nesting process; in 2017, we observed 338 loggerhead clutches disturbed by nesting females during nesting surveys, nearly all of which were disturbed by green turtles. Using observed spatial and temporal nesting patterns for both green turtles and loggerheads on the ACNWR, I examined the effects these species may have on each other's nests now and in the future. Additionally, green turtles and loggerheads nest in different densities along the length of the ACNWR, with green turtles more concentrated in the southern portions of the Refuge. Finally, green turtle nesting begins and peaks approximately one month later on the ACNWR than loggerhead nesting. For each of these metrics, there is both considerable overlap and distinct separation between the two species. By using these metrics in a modeling approach, I estimated the probability of nest disturbance by a subsequently nesting female, ranging from 0 to 0.105, and how these probabilities are predicted to change over time with a growing green turtle population. Evaluating the carrying capacity of this beach is important in the context of habitat disturbance, including climate change and an increase in storm frequency, and informing adaptive management strategies for effective conservation.
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Date Issued
2018
Identifier
CFH2000284, ucf:45878
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000284
ACTIVITY BUDGETS AND BEHAVIOR OF CAPTIVE BLACK-HANDED SPIDER MONKEYS (ATELES GEOFFROYI) AT THE CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDENS
Title
ACTIVITY BUDGETS AND BEHAVIOR OF CAPTIVE BLACK-HANDED SPIDER MONKEYS (ATELES GEOFFROYI) AT THE CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDENS.
Creator
Hargrave, Stephanie, Mansfield, Kate, Logiudice, Frank, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Establishing baseline activity budgets for zoo-housed captive animals can be important in tracking behavior changes that may indicate medical or other concerns, as well as assessing overall welfare and the need for implementation of interventions such as increased amounts of enrichment. This study sought to calculate activity budgets for the current spider monkeys residing at the Central Florida Zoo, a father-daughter pair of Ateles geoffroyi. Having a baseline activity budget is also...
Show moreEstablishing baseline activity budgets for zoo-housed captive animals can be important in tracking behavior changes that may indicate medical or other concerns, as well as assessing overall welfare and the need for implementation of interventions such as increased amounts of enrichment. This study sought to calculate activity budgets for the current spider monkeys residing at the Central Florida Zoo, a father-daughter pair of Ateles geoffroyi. Having a baseline activity budget is also valuable because major changes in behavior may accompany the upcoming introduction of new individuals to this particular group of spider monkeys. BORIS behavior coding software was used to log behavior continuously over 58.3 hours of observation. The individuals in this zoo setting spent significantly more time stationary (resting or still and awake) and less time engaged in feeding behavior than wild spider monkeys. However, they spent as much or more of their time moving than Ateles species in natural settings. Temperature and exhibit renovation had minimal to no observed effects on activity budgets. Human presence usually has the effect of increasing activity and vigilance of animals while decreasing resting time, but on busier days at the zoo, one subject (a pet-reared male spider monkey) spent more time resting and less time moving than when there were fewer zoo visitors. No aggression was observed, but affiliative social behavior like allogrooming and embracing was observed infrequently. The study animals appeared to lack the bimodal pattern of activity (with activity peaking early and late in the day) common in wild spider monkeys, a finding that is consistent with activity budgets of other spider monkeys that are frequently exposed to humans. Time of day affected activity budgets to a small degree; the monkeys became more active later in the day and spent more time resting in the morning.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFH2000518, ucf:45607
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000518
Business in the Estuary, Party in the Sea: Migration Patterns of Striped Mullet (Mugil cephalus) Within the Indian River Lagoon Complex
Title
Business in the Estuary, Party in the Sea: Migration Patterns of Striped Mullet (Mugil cephalus) Within the Indian River Lagoon Complex.
Creator
Myers, Olivia, Cook, Geoffrey, Mansfield, Kate, Reyier, Eric, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Commercial and recreational environmental enterprises in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida supply nearly 10,000 jobs and produce $1.6 billion dollars a year in revenue. These waters contain iconic species of sportfish, including red drum, snook, and sea trout, as well as their lower trophic level prey such as snapper and mullet. Striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) are both commercially valuable as well as an indicator species for overall ecosystem health. From September to December, mullet...
Show moreCommercial and recreational environmental enterprises in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida supply nearly 10,000 jobs and produce $1.6 billion dollars a year in revenue. These waters contain iconic species of sportfish, including red drum, snook, and sea trout, as well as their lower trophic level prey such as snapper and mullet. Striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) are both commercially valuable as well as an indicator species for overall ecosystem health. From September to December, mullet in the IRL undergo an annual migration from their inshore foraging habitats to oceanic spawning sites. However, their actual migratory pathways remain unknown. To address this knowledge gap, I utilized passive acoustic telemetry to assess the migration patterns of M. cephalus within the IRL complex, particularly focusing on movement pathways from inshore aggregation sites to oceanic inlets to spawn. Coupling environmental metrics with movement data, I evaluated catalysts for migration as well as travel routes through the estuary. Network analyses identified potential conservation areas of interest and sites needing management intervention. Impoundments around the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge appear to serve as an important refuge area for striped mullet while the Banana and Indian Rivers act as corridors during their inshore migratory movements. The environmental metrics of depth, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, barometric pressure, and photoperiod were the best predictors for the number of detections and residency time produced by two case studies of striped mullet activity. An emphasis on spatial fisheries management along with vigilant environmental monitoring will ensure the status of this species, to the benefit of both natural and human systems in the Indian River Lagoon. The knowledge generated as a result of this project may also provide a framework for sustainably managing other migratory baitfish.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007895, ucf:52768
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007895
Spatial distribution and abundance of large green turtles on foraging grounds in the Florida Keys, USA.
Title
Spatial distribution and abundance of large green turtles on foraging grounds in the Florida Keys, USA.
Creator
Welsh, Ryan, Mansfield, Kate, Quintana-Ascencio, Pedro, Gorham, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Discerning distribution, density, and abundance of organisms is essential for conservation and management of imperiled species. However, simple counts of sampled individuals are often not adequate to make such estimates, this is especially true for large and highly mobile marine animals. Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are a highly migratory, long-lived, late-maturing, marine megafauna, that is beginning to recover from severe global population declines. Distance sampling techniques can be...
Show moreDiscerning distribution, density, and abundance of organisms is essential for conservation and management of imperiled species. However, simple counts of sampled individuals are often not adequate to make such estimates, this is especially true for large and highly mobile marine animals. Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are a highly migratory, long-lived, late-maturing, marine megafauna, that is beginning to recover from severe global population declines. Distance sampling techniques can be used to generate estimates of abundance of green turtles in foraging grounds which have been relatively unstudied in the Northeastern Atlantic basin, filling in important data gaps in a species that is of critical conservation concern. The Quicksands foraging grounds located west of Key West, Florida, USA is used by both sub-adult and adult green turtles. Standardized transects were performed 18 times between 2006 (-) 2018, and using the collected data; abundances, spatial distribution and evidence of spatial segregation were generated through density surface models and null mode analysis. Densities of foraging green turtles rival some of the largest densities known in the world. Spatial segregation of the two size classes is evident on the foraging ground and may be attributed to differing predator detection and avoidance strategies of the size classes Finally, given the high densities of animals found on the foraging grounds and the rise in general population levels of green turtles and drop in population of green turtle predators (i.e. large sharks), concern is raised for the long term sustainably of the Quicksands seagrass pastures.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007874, ucf:52767
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007874
Using Biomarkers to Assess the Migratory Ecology and Reproduction of the Florida Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Title
Using Biomarkers to Assess the Migratory Ecology and Reproduction of the Florida Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas).
Creator
Chabot, Ryan, Mansfield, Kate, Worthy, Graham, Seminoff, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Migratory connectivity between breeding and foraging areas is a vital component of the ecology of a diverse collection of marine vertebrates. Habitat quality, composition, and resource availability at these locations have direct ramifications for individual fitness. The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a long-lived, highly migratory species of conservation concern. Important green turtle nesting habitat in Florida is protected, but more information is needed to identify foraging habitats and...
Show moreMigratory connectivity between breeding and foraging areas is a vital component of the ecology of a diverse collection of marine vertebrates. Habitat quality, composition, and resource availability at these locations have direct ramifications for individual fitness. The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a long-lived, highly migratory species of conservation concern. Important green turtle nesting habitat in Florida is protected, but more information is needed to identify foraging habitats and the influence these habitats have on reproduction. Here, I used stable isotope analysis of ?13C, ?15N, and ?34S and satellite telemetry validation to determine the number of putative foraging areas used by the breeding aggregation at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR), and the relative contribution of each foraging area. I evaluated the influence of foraging area and other variables on egg size, clutch size, hatching success, and emerging success using model selection frameworks. Isotopic values of skin and eggs were used to build conversion equations between the two tissue types. Results suggest strong migratory connectivity between the ACNWR and the Florida Keys/Florida Bay complex. I found that the influences of foraging area are likely to be more detectable when evaluating female-centric fitness metrics like clutch size and egg size; these influences are more muted in hatching and emerging success, which are strongly influenced by nest incubation conditions. These are the first green turtle-specific tissue conversion equations for ?13C and ?15N, and the first ?34S equation for any marine turtle species. These will allow researchers to have a (")common currency(") between frequently collected samples to better compare results.
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Date Issued
2017
Identifier
CFE0006574, ucf:51314
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006574
The paths less traveled: Movement of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) along roads and railways
Title
The paths less traveled: Movement of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) along roads and railways.
Creator
Rautsaw, Rhett, Parkinson, Christopher, Mansfield, Kate, Seigel, Richard, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Urbanization and an expanding human population have led to a large degree of habitat destruction and fragmentation. These, in turn, reduce biodiversity and wildlife population sizes on a global scale. Transportation infrastructure, such as roads and railways, are some of the largest contributors to habitat fragmentation. Roads are well-established to negatively impact wildlife, but some studies suggest a potential use in habitat connectivity by functioning as wildlife corridors to connect...
Show moreUrbanization and an expanding human population have led to a large degree of habitat destruction and fragmentation. These, in turn, reduce biodiversity and wildlife population sizes on a global scale. Transportation infrastructure, such as roads and railways, are some of the largest contributors to habitat fragmentation. Roads are well-established to negatively impact wildlife, but some studies suggest a potential use in habitat connectivity by functioning as wildlife corridors to connect distant populations. Railways are similarly known to impact wildlife by increasing mortality rates as well as provide unique risks such as electrocution and entrapment when compared to roads. However, the influence of railways on the movement and behavior of most taxa remains understudied. Here, I used Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) at the John F. Kennedy Space Center as a model system to (1) determine whether roadsides are or could be used as a wildlife corridor to connect distant habitats and (2) evaluate the impacts of railways on tortoise movement and behavior while providing management implications for both roads and railways.To examine the use of roadsides as wildlife corridors, I tracked the movement of individuals found along roadsides using radio-telemetry to determine if tortoises used the roadsides to move between inland and coastal habitat. In addition, I compared home range sizes of tortoises along roads to those of inland and coastal habitats to examine differences in spatial use patterns with regards to roads. I translocated tortoises from distant habitats into the roadside corridors to determine whether they would use the roadsides as a connective route to return to their original capture location. Overall, I determined that roadsides do not function as movement pathways, as even translocated tortoises remained along roads throughout the duration of the study. Instead, roads appear to function as long-term residential areas and potentially suitable habitat. I suggest management of roadsides to reduce mortality and further studies to examine the potential of roadsides acting as ecological traps.To study the impact of railways on tortoise movement and behavior I first used radio-telemetry to track the movement of tortoises found less than 100 m from railways. I simulated movement by using 1000 correlated random walks per tortoise to determine if the number of observed crossing events were significantly less than what would be expected by chance. Second, I measured behavior via continuous focal sampling for one hour to determine railway crossing ability and test for behavioral differences associated with the familiarity of the railways using a principal component analysis. Lastly, I tested if trenches dug underneath the rails could be used as a management strategy to alleviate the impact of railways on tortoises. I found that tortoises are unlikely to cross the railways and the number of observed crossing events were significantly less than what we would expect by chance. Additionally, familiarity with the railway did not have any influence on a tortoise's ability to cross nor their behavior. Trenches were frequently used to move from one side of the railway to the other and are, therefore, a valid management strategy to alleviate the impacts railways have on tortoise mortality, movement, and behavior.Overall, I conclude that transportation infrastructure and the expanding human population have immense impacts on wildlife, especially on turtles and tortoises. I recommend further research continue to identify unique management strategies as well as alternative barriers that may play a large role in a species' decline.
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Date Issued
2017
Identifier
CFE0006954, ucf:51660
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006954
A SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF MARINE TURTLE ECO-TOURISM
Title
A SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF MARINE TURTLE ECO-TOURISM.
Creator
Cope, Kendra, Mansfield, Kate, Weishampel, John, Slotkin, Michael, DeFreese, Duane, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Marine turtles have historically contributed to economic activity through consumptive harvest for food, tools, and decorative objects. Only recently have they begun to benefit humans economically through non-consumptive roles, primarily as a focal point of educational eco-tourism. In recent years, the annual number of turtle walks conducted around the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR) has risen. This expansion contributed to a statistically significant increase in attendance from 2...
Show moreMarine turtles have historically contributed to economic activity through consumptive harvest for food, tools, and decorative objects. Only recently have they begun to benefit humans economically through non-consumptive roles, primarily as a focal point of educational eco-tourism. In recent years, the annual number of turtle walks conducted around the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR) has risen. This expansion contributed to a statistically significant increase in attendance from 2,162 in 2001 to 3,047 participants in 2014. I examined the regional economic impacts of marine turtle eco-tourism around the ACNWR using social surveys and an economic impact analysis tool. IMPLAN, an input-output modeling package, has been used in tourism industries around the U.S. since 1992, but this study is the first to use this tool to evaluate the holistic economic effects of marine turtle-based eco-tourism within a selected region. During the 2014 turtle walk season (June through July), surveys were distributed at six different turtle walk locations within Brevard and Indian River Counties, Florida, along the central Florida Atlantic coast. Adults attending the turtle walks (n=2,274) were given time before the educational presentation began to complete a one-page survey. Approximately 93% of turtle walk participants completed surveys. Due to market interactions within this two-county region, turtle walks contributed a minimum of three new jobs and a conservative estimate of almost $250,000 (USD) to the local economy during the two-month turtle walk season. Using financial comparisons and economic impact tools, like IMPLAN, can improve our understanding of the many roles, especially non-consumptive uses, sea turtles have in our communities. This information can be useful in resource management and conservation-based decision making.
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFE0005934, ucf:50845
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005934