Beach Nourishment Effects on Nesting Marine Turtles Whitney
Pyatt NC Coastal Reserve & NERR May 9, 2011
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Background Beach nourishment is the most widely used form of
stabilization and shoreline protection Implications for nesting
success of marine turtles
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Sediment Quality Grain size distribution Beach morphology Shear
resistance (hardness) Density Permeability Compaction Sediment
color Heat retention Mineral content Aragonite v. Silicate Sand
shape Heat retention
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Rumbold et al., 2001
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Brock et al., 2009
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Research Findings Steinitz et al. Nesting success:
significantly lower on renourished than on the control beach both
before, and for the two seasons after, the completion of a
renourishment project. By the third season (year 2), no significant
differences were evident. Hardness: renourished sections were
significantly greater than at the control section. 1 and 2 years
after the project, shear resistance declined and became comparable
to control site.
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Steinitz et al., 1998
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Research Findings Emergence success at the renourished beaches
(median of 71%) was lower than emergence success on the control
beach (median of 78%), but the difference was not statistically
significant. Sands used as fill matched those on the control beach
in size distribution and in bulk density. Steinitz et al.,
1998
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Milton et al., 1997
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Aragonite v. Silicate Milton et al., 1997
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Conclusion Renourishment effects vary spatially and temporally
Studies show positive, negative, and neutral effects on nest fate
Most significant impacts appear to be 1-2 years
postrenourishment
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References Brock, K. et al., (2009). The Effects of Artificial
Beach Nourishment on Marine Turtles: Differences Between
Loggerheads and Green Turtles. Restoration Ecology 17(2), 297-307.
Milton, S. et al., (1997). The Effect of Beach Nourishment with
Aragonite versus Silicate Sand on Beach Temperature and Loggerhead
Sea Turtle Nesting Success. Journal of Coastal Research 13(3),
904-915. Rumbold, D. et al., (2001). Estimating the Effect of Beach
Nourishment on Caretta caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtle) Nesting.
Restoration Ecology 9(3), 304-310. Speybroeck J. et al., (2006).
Beach Nourishment: An Ecologically Sound Coastal Defence
Alternative? A Review. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater
Ecosystems 16, 419-435. Steinitz, M. et al., (1998). Beach
Renourishment and Loggerhead Turtle Reproduction: A Seven Year
Study at Jupiter Island, Florida. Journal of Coastal Research
14(3), 1000-1013.
