The first successful loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nest at Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS) in Maryland occurred in 2017. This was followed by successful nests in 2019, 2020, and 2021. A total of nine nests have been documented, five with hatchling emergences. ASIS is at the northern range of the species, and successful nesting in the park is important for the species’ recovery and northern range expansion. Loggerhead sea turtles have strong site fidelity, so it is reasonable to expect that nest activity will increase. However, inundation and substrate temperature contribute to nest success (or failure), and the phenological sensitivity of C. caretta to these factors are unknown at this latitudinal extreme and other parts of the mid-Atlantic region. Analyzing the effects of inundation and temperature on egg/hatchling mortality will allow ASIS to identify the likelihood and timing of nest failure (if it occurs) and support science-based decision making within a future management plan for sea turtles, with considerable input from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ecological Services Program.
Funding Source: National Park Service
Deadline: The deadline for responding to this letter of interest is January 13, 2023.
General Information: Send Letters of Research Interest (LOIs) to Lindsay Ries (Lindsay_Ries@nps.gov). A panel will review the LOIs and select the top candidate(s) for full proposal development.
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