Sea turtle monitoring and management at Cape Hatteras National Seashore: 2017 annual report
Doshkov, P, Losch K, Thompson W, Wright J, Campbell C, Sweeney N. 2018. Sea turtle monitoring and management at Cape Hatteras National Seashore: 2017 annual report. Natural Resource Report. NPS/CAHA/NRR—2018/1652. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore), located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina from Nags Head, NC to Oracoke Inlet, contains many ecologically important habitats including those that support sea turtles. Sea turtle nesting activity is monitored annually on the Seashore from May through September. In 2017, 250 sea turtle nests (240 loggerhead, and 10 green) and 219 false crawls (208 loggerhead, 9 green, and 2 unidentified crawls) were documented at the Seashore. The first nesting activity was documented on May 9 and the last nesting activity was documented on September 30. The mean number of eggs per nest (clutch size) was 112.8. Mean hatch success for all nests was 60.5% while mean emergence success was 53.4%. Seashore staff found 0.8% of eggs depredated and 0.1% of the hatchlings lost. Significant storm and tide events resulted in 13 nests washed away, 41 complete nest failures and 24 partial nest failures. Pedestrian, ORV, and dog intrusions were documented in protected areas, but there was no evidence that these intrusions affected nest success. The Seashore documented 280 stranded sea turtles in 2017.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Doshkov,, Paul; Losch, Konrad; Thompson, William; Wright, Jocelyn; Campbell, Carolyn; Sweeney, Nocholas
- Date of Issue
- 2018-05
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CAHA , NRSS
- Keywords
- off-road vehicle management, sea turtle monitoring, sea turtles
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Marine Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Amphibians and Reptiles