CUR Allie- Introduction/ Storming the Beach

My name is Allie femiano, I was born and raised in upstate New York and moved to Daytona Beach shortly after completing High School. I have always had a strong love for science, nature and animals. My favorite place to spend my time is the beach and around the ocean. This past summer I received my associates in environmental science and in the future, I plan on earning my bachelors in marine science. I ultimately would love to work in ocean sciences and make waves to make the world a better, cleaner and safer place. During this semester I am enrolled in OCELAB1001 and am co-author to classmate Jessica Jacono's research on variations of sand composition in areas of Loggerhead turtle nesting. 

A baby loggerhead turtle 

         Let’s talk turtles. 
Nesting season for turtles is from May 1^st to Oct. 31^st and it is not uncommon for you to run into some of these little guys beachside. New Smynra, Flagler and Volusia county beaches host thousands of hatchlings during this season. 




         

        As of early September 2019, Hurricane Dorian affected the southeast coastline of the United States. Including Flagler, Volusia, NSB and many more. In the article, ‘Hurricane Dorian damages Daytona Pier, drowns sea turtle eggs’ author Mark Harper reports the damage done to our local shores and the impact this storm has had on the animals that inhabit these areas. Between Canaveral National Seashore (24 miles) including southern Volusia and northern Brevard counties, 13,000 nests have been recorded and more than half of these nests have successfully hatched eggs prior to Hurricane Dorian. Investigations have estimated around 25% of the remaining 6,000 nests were lost.

Shoreline of Ponce days after Hurricane Dorian

      A nest can be damaged by storm surges that create erosion in the sand and wash eggs out, basically drowning them. When a hatchling makes it to the sea but does not survive the storm it is called a ‘washback.' When visiting the coastline, you should be alert for hatchlings and exposed nests during the aftermath of a storm. Remember, nesting season continues until October 31st- there is still time for turtles to successfully hatch.

Erosion pictured at Ponce Inlet

Fortunately, for Floridians Hurricane Dorian downgraded to a category 2 hurricane and didn’t cause as much damage to the area as previous hurricanes. Nonetheless, the damage was still severe in east coast Florida and now marine animals are suffering. Volusia County community information specialist, Kate Sark states the sand in Ponce Inlet has been affected.  Dorian pivoted north about 100 miles along the southeastern coast, and still managed to cause erosion on the beaches, resulting in thousands of sea turtle eggs to drown. Beth Libert of Volusia Turtle Patrol reports, an estimated 150-200 nests have been lost and with assessments still to be made, they estimate the real number might end up close to 300.

  

This independent research project is based on the readings of six separate temperature probes inserted approximately 18 inches into the sand of New Smyrna and Canaveral areas. The initial objective was to determine variations in sand texture. It is known that the temperature of the sand determines the sex of the turtle hatchling. Does the texture of the sand affect the temperature of the sand? The condition of the sand after a storm correlates to the population of new turtle hatchlings. This can possibly be further explained by examining the recent years of turtle hatchlings and severity of storms hitting within the turtle nesting season. 

Works Cited

Harper, Mark. “Hurricane Dorian Damages Daytona Pier, Drowns Sea Turtle Eggs.” Daytona Beach News-Journal Online, Daytona Beach News-Journal Online, 5 Sept. 2019, www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190905/hurricane-dorian-damages-daytona-pier-drowns-sea-turtle-eggs.

Pulver, Dinah Voyles. “39,000 Turtles Hatch as Volusia-Flagler Sets Records in 2017.” Daytona Beach News-Journal Online, Daytona Beach News-Journal Online, 24 Nov. 2017, www.news-journalonline.com/news/20171122/39000-turtles-hatch-as-volusia-flagler-sets-records-in-2017.