Biology and Conservation of Loggerhead Sea Turtles--Image 05 of 6

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Example of artificial lighting along a beach. Artificial lights inhibit the reproduction of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in two ways. First, adult females tend to avoid laying their eggs on beaches with artificial light. Second, hatchlings become disoriented and fail to migrate toward the ocean and instead wander along the beach and even further inlands. While wandering, disoriented hatchlings are more susceptible to nocturnal predators and become exhausted. Sources of artificial light include streetlights, sky glow, exterior lights on commercial establishments, beachfront homes, and even people near the beach carrying flashlights and setting bonfires.

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Primary or BEN resource type	Photograph
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Format	jpeg
Is Part Of	This collection of images shows events associated with the reproduction of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) - a marine species with a worldwide distribution. Loggerheads are listed as Endangered on a worldwide basis. In the United States, loggerheads are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act and are protected by federal and state laws. The loggerhead nesting population in the southeastern United States continues to decline, and conservation experts recommend that this species be reclassified from Threatened to Endangered.
Collection Link	http://esa.org/ecoed/folders/0095/biologyandconservationofloggerheads...
Ecological Core Concept	Human impacts -- Biodiversity loss Communities -- Spatial and temporal dynamics Applied ecology -- Conservation
Drought & Water-Ecosystem Services Collection	Off
Conservation Targets Under Global Change Collection	Off
Big Data Collection	Off
Editor's Choice	No
Audience	Undergraduate upper division 15-16 Undergraduate lower division 13-14
Pedagogical Use Description	This series of images can be used in lectures dealing with marine biology, conservation biology, and herpetology. It can also be used in courses that take field trips to coastal locations where loggerheads nest. To promote active learning, it can be used to as a set-up piece to promote class discussion of human impacts on species, such as whether people should limit otherwise normal activities (having outdoor lighting) to prevent harm to a single natural species.
Keywords	marine reptile, human impacts, beaches, hatchlings, migration, mating strategy, life cycle, conservation management strategies, threatened, IUCN
Key taxa	Caretta caretta
Life science discipline (subject)	Wildlife science Population Biology Oceanography Evolutionary Biology Education Ecology Conservation Biology
Primary Author Controlled Name	Arturo Herrera
Primary Author Affiliation	CoastalAmerica
Primary Author email	arturo_e_herrera@hotmail.com
Submitter Name	Arturo Herrera
Submitter Email	arturo.herrera@gmail.com
Rights	Arturo Herrera
Review Status	Accepted
Resource Editor	Unknown
Reviewer A	Unknown
Reviewer B	Unknown
Date Of Record Submission	2011-05-05
Author Submission Status	Submit for Review

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