Sea Turtle Nest Monitoring System

Northern Recovery Unit Loggerhead DNA Project

The Georgia and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Sea Turtle Programs are participating in a multi-state genetics research project along with the University of Georgia to answer several basic loggerhead sea turtle nesting questions. The answers to these questions will help biologists better understand how the loggerhead population is doing. Currently, the actual number of loggerhead sea turtles that nest in these three states is not known (loggerheads nesting in these three states make up the Northern Recovery Unit which is genetically distinct from loggerheads nesting in Florida and other parts of the world). By collecting an egg from every single nest, we will use DNA genetic fingerprinting (CSI for sea turtles) to identify individual loggerhead nesting females. This information will provide a census of the actual nesting population. In addition to estimating how many females are nesting in Georgia, North and South Carolina each year, we also have the potential to answer the following questions:

  • How many clutches of eggs does each nesting female lay in a year?
  • Is the female nesting on more than one beach?
  • How far apart are her nests?
  • How many turtles are nesting in more than one state?
  • Most individual females do not nest every year. How often does each turtle nest: every two years, three years, four or more years?
  • How precisely does a daughter return to her hatching site to lay her eggs?
  • For more specific information, please visit: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/seaturtle/volres/genetics.pdf

Use the drop down boxes below to view a summary of results for each state and beach participating in the project.

Nests:

DNA Samples Assigned: 0 (%)
Unique DNA Fingerprints (individual females): 0

Mean Site Fidelity Index: 0.00 km
Minimum Index: 54 km (view)
Maximum Index: km (view)