Environmental and Nesting Variables Associated with Atlantic Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Embryonic and Hatching Success Rates in Grenada, West Indies.

ABSTRACT: Annual monitoring of leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting grounds in Grenada, West Indies has identified relatively low hatch rates compared to worldwide trends. This study investigated the impact of selected environmental variables on leatherback sea turtle embryonic development and hatching success rates on Levera Beach in Grenada between 2015-2019. The mean number of nests per year and eggs per nest were 667.6 ± 361.6 and 80.7 ± 23.0 sd, respectively. Within excavated nests, 35.6% ± 22.0 sd of eggs successfully developed embryos and 30.6% ± 22.6 sd of eggs successfully hatched. The number of eggs per nest, along with embryo and hatching success rates, differed by nesting year. Embryo development success rate was associated with nest location, and both embryo deve

SUBMITTER: Charles KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9951857 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature