The goal of this project is to assess sea turtle nesting response on different template designs for nourished beaches and how these differ from a "natural beach".
Location
Martin and Brevard Counties, FL
Summary
GNSS survey data collected at nest/apex, at the primary dune crest, along the turtle crawl path and along cross-shore transect from the waterline to the point where vegetation became impassable.
The cross-shore transects and crawl paths were collected continuously at 10 Hz along each by a person walking with an Ashtech ProFlex GNSS unit mounted in a backpack.
Nest/apex, dune toe, and primary dune crest were marked by pausing for 10 seconds at each of those locations while collecting data along the cross-shore transect.
Post-processed using the nearest base station data from either a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Florida Permanent Reference Network (FPRN) station or a National Geodetic Survey (NGS) Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS).
Melbourne - Mid Reach - surveys on 2 days; mapped 64 emergences; 16 nests; 48 false crawls.
Melbourne - South Reach - surveys on 2 days; mapped 68 emergences; 18 nests; 50 false crawls.
Jupiter - surveys on 2 days; mapped 73 emergences; 34 nests; 39 false crawls.
COVID severely limited data collection this year.
Info derived
Beach elevation profiles and sea turtle nesting locations.
Comments
Platform: Honda SxS 700-4 UTV
Vehicle: Ford F-350 Dually - Silver (GSA)
This FAN covers multiple surveys for the same project.
Entries for this field activity are based on entries from Field Activity 2019-322-FA
