Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Salmon, Michael

Abstract

Artificial lighting disrupts sea turtle hatchling orientation from the nest to the sea. I studied how a light-induced landward crawl affects the ability of hatchlings to later crawl to the sea, and swim offshore from a dark beach. A brief (2 min) landward crawl had no effect on orientation, as long as waves (used as an orientation cue while swimming) were present. In the absence of waves (a flat calm sea), landward-crawling hatchlings failed to swim offshore while those crawling seaward were well oriented. A longer (2 h) landward crawl impaired the ability of hatchlings to crawl to the sea. These results demonstrate that previous exposure to artificial lighting compromises subsequent orientation, both on land and in the sea. On the basis of my results, I suggest several changes to current management practices, currently used when releasing misoriented turtles in the wild.

Extent

45 p.

Comments

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2006.|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2006.

Identifier

FADT13400

Format

pdf

Download

Share

COinS