Heat, health and hatchlings: associations of in situ nest temperatures with morphological and physiological characteristics of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings from Florida

Conservation Physiology
Kelsey A FlemingAlison M Gainsbury

Abstract

Incubation temperatures, in addition to an embryo's genetic makeup, are critical in many aspects of adequate sea turtle embryonic development. The effects of high and low incubation temperatures on hatchling quality have been previously examined; however, many of these studies were conducted on relocated or laboratory-reared nests, which do not accurately reflect natural nest temperature fluctuations. To observe the impacts of varying in situ incubation temperatures on loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchling morphology, various health variables and locomotor performance, temperature data loggers were deployed in 15 loggerhead nests on Juno Beach, Florida, between May and July 2018. Over the course of the study period, 10 morphological traits were measured, blood analytes and heart rate were assessed for the establishment of reference intervals and the self-righting response in seawater was evaluated. Warmer months were associated with smaller body size and higher body condition index, larger umbilical scar size, slower righting time, lower heart rates and higher packed cell volume, hemoglobin, total solids, total white blood cell count, absolute heterophils and absolute basophils. These findings provide evidence that ...Continue Reading

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