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The Effect Of Artificial Light Pollution On Orientation Of Hatchling Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta) In The Grand Strand Region, South Carolina, Emily S. Asp
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Sea turtle hatchlings primarily utilize sight to detect differences in elevation and light intensity present along the horizon to navigate from the nest to the water’s edge. The addition of artificial lights can cause visual misdirection, resulting in disorientation (aimlessly wandering in circular paths) or misorientation (moving in distinct paths away from ocean). Extensive research has been done on effects of high levels of artificial light but little on effects of comparatively lower levels of artificial light on hatchling sea turtle orientation. This study examined these lower intensity areas to identify if there is a threshold of artificial light above …
The Impact Of Photopollution On Nesting Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta) Along The Grand Strand, South Carolina, Ryan Bonner
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Photopollution present along heavily developed coastlines is known to have a significant negative impact on nesting sea turtle populations by damaging nesting habitat quality, but few studies have explored this relationship on broad spatial scales. The purpose of this study was to characterize the onshore light field along a developed stretch of South Carolina coastline and to quantify how photopollution intensity affects regional loggerhead sea turtle (Carretta carretta) nesting density using historical nesting data. Light measurements were collected using a portable low-light photometer at 74 sites spaced at approximately one km intervals across the study area. At each site, the …