Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Moore, Jon

Abstract

All sea turtles are oviparous and rely on building nest to successfully pass on their offspring. The nest’s conditions and temperature play a vital role in the hatchling biology of the egg. In particular, incubation temperature is the main factor for sex determination in all sea turtles. Similarly, rainfall can have major effects on the topography of the nest which can directly affect the hatchlings emergence success. In rare cases, too much rainfall can be deadly for eggs. Considering the drastic effects that climate change rising temperatures and weather variability may have on sea turtles’ hatchling, in this thesis I analyze the effects of temperature and rainfall on the reproductive success of three species of sea turtles using data collected from 2007 to 2020 by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center for three species of sea turtles (Leatherback, Green, and Loggerhead). I found that the effect of temperature and rainfall on the emergence success of sea turtles varied across species. However, the interaction of both environmental factors did not have a significant effect on any of the species studied.

Comments

Thesis (B.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, 2022

Extent

26 p.

Identifier

FAUHT00233

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