Relocation and Flood Impacts on Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Nest Success

Sea level rise threatens loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests laid close to the high tide line (HTL) with inundation from washover. Boca Raton, Florida is a relatively steep, dynamic beach with changes in beach morphology even during nonactive hurricane seasons. One potential solution to conserve sea turtle nests is to relocate nests laid at or below the HTL closer to the dune. In this study, I examined reproductive success for in situ vs relocated nests. Relocation did not decrease reproductive success, while nests left near the HTL were at risk of washout. During a dry season, nests that experienced one to three days of washover had significantly higher reproductive success than nests that experienced no washover. Relocation can be a useful method to preserve nests against sea level rise, but nonrelocated nests near the HTL may sometimes benefit from washover to cool the nests during hot and dry years.