[Eoas-seminar] MS Defense - Johnson

[eoas-seminar at lists.fsu.edu]

Good afternoon,

Please join us for Ali Johnson's MS Defense on Wednesday, March 11th from 9-11 AM.

Title: EFFECTS OF INUNDATION ON LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE (CARETTA CARETTA) HATCHLING MORPHOLOGY, FITNESS, AND INCUBATION TEMPERATURE


Name:  Ali Johnson

Time: Mar 11, 2026 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Major Professor:  Mariana Fuentes

Join Zoom Meeting

https://fsu.zoom.us/j/95712100606<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffsu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F95712100606&data=05%7C02%7Ceoas-seminar%40lists.fsu.edu%7C372dda72c7c149617ae508de78876424%7Ca36450ebdb0642a78d1b026719f701e3%7C0%7C0%7C639080720047052073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FBZE5YnqTAeWPq7JSkDlR%2F7RitBt5XyMDu14IY0jf%2Bw%3D&reserved=0>



Meeting ID: 957 1210 0606


Abstract: Sea turtle embryos are vulnerable to inundation (i.e., standing water in the nest) as it can lead to changes in nest temperature and oxygen deprivation from water filling air spaces in the nest. Inundation rates are expected to increase as sea level rises and tropical storms intensify with climate change, potentially impacting the incubating environment, incubation duration and hatchling phenotype and fitness. Increased water in the nest is known to potentially reduce hatch success, and influence hatchling phenotype, but the specific effects of measured inundation events on incubation temperatures, hatchling morphology and fitness are unknown. This study investigates how measured inundation events affect loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle incubation temperatures, hatchling morphology and fitness in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. In 2022 and 2024 temperature and water levels were recorded in eighteen in situ nests on St. George Island (SGI), Florida. Upon emergence, up to 20 hatchlings per nest were collected for morphological measurements, and to perform crawl and righting tests as proxies of fitness. Average incubation temperatures were compared between inundated and non-inundated nests, inundated and non-inundated days, and in the 24 hours before and after inundation events. Hatchling incubation durations, morphology and fitness were also compared between inundated and non-inundated nests. Cooler temperatures were documented across incubation for inundated nests, on days that experienced inundation, and in the 24 hours after inundation events. Hatchlings from inundated nests incubated for significantly longer durations and exhibited heavier mass, smaller plastrons, and slower crawl speeds than hatchlings incubated in non-inundated nests. While inundation may ameliorate the impacts of rising incubation temperatures, the slower crawl speeds and smaller size exhibited by inundated hatchlings may adversely impact hatchling dispersal and survival. This is especially concerning as SGI is the largest source of hatchling production for the Northern Gulf of Mexico Loggerhead Recover Unit (NGMRU) and a reduction in hatchling survival may impact recruitment across the entire recovery unit. By identifying the impacts of environmental stressors on incubating embryos, we will be better equipped to plan for future climate scenarios and maximize hatchling output to ensure global sea turtle population persistence.

Best,
Adea

Adea Arrison
Sr. Academic Program Specialist
Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Science
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