Climate change implications for the nest site selection process and subsequent hatching success of a green turtle population

Sandy beach habitat where sea turtles nest will be affected by multiple climate change impacts. Before these impacts occur, knowledge of how nest site selection and hatching success vary with beach microhabitats is needed to inform managers on how to protect suitable habitats and prepare for scientifically valid mitigation measures at beaches around the world. At a highly successful green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookery at Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, we measured microhabitat characteristics along the beach crawl (rejected sites) and related nest site conditions (selected sites) to subsequent hatching success rates for 64 nesting events. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report environmental data along the nesting crawl for a green turtle population and the first to use natural breaks in the data to describe their preferred habitat ranges. Our results indicate that turtles were likely using a combination of cues to find nest sites, mainly higher elevations and lower sand surface temperatures (Kruskal-Wallis test, H?=?19.84, p?<?0.001; H?=?10.78, p?<?0.001). Hatching success was significantly and negatively correlated to sand temperature at cloaca depth (Spearman’s ρ?=??0.27, p?=?0.04). Indeed, the preferred range for cloaca sand temperatures at the nest site (26.3–27.5 °C) had significantly higher hatching success rates compared to the highest temperature range (Tukey HSD?=?0.47, p?=?0.05). Sand temperatures at various depths were intercorrelated, and surface and cloaca depth sand temperatures were correlated to air temperature (ρ?=?0.70, p?=?0.00; ρ?=?0.26, p?=?0.04). Therefore, rising air temperatures could alter sand temperature cues for suitable nest sites, preferred nest site ranges, and produce uneven sex ratios or lethal incubating temperatures. Elevation cues and preferred ranges (1.4–2.5 m) may also be affected by sea level rise, risking inundation of nests.     

Sex ratio estimations of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings by histological examination and nest temperatures at Fethiye beach, Turkey

Hatchling sex ratios in the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) were estimated by placing electronic temperature recorders in 21 nests at Fethiye beach during 2000–2002. Over the seasons, the mean temperature in the middle third of the incubation period ranged from 26.7 to 32.1°C, and incubation periods ranged from 49 to 67 days. Based on the mean temperatures during the middle third of the incubation period, and on histologically sexed dead hatchlings, the sex ratios of hatchlings at Fethiye beach were roughly equal, i.e. 60–65% of the hatchlings were females. This contrasts with the highly female-skewed sex ratios in loggerhead turtles elsewhere; Fethiye has a relatively high proportion of male hatchlings. For endangered sea turtles, the knowledge of hatchling sex ratios at different beaches, coupled with appropriate conservation measures, can make an important contribution to their survival.     

Conservation science in developing countries: an inside perspective on the struggles in sea turtle research and conservation in Venezuela

Human exploitation of sea turtles in Venezuela dates back at least 800 years and continues to the present day. The first concerns about the status of sea turtle populations arose in the 1970s, and the projects from this early era were a tagging program, beach evaluation and in situ nest protection. Since then, efforts to develop a sea turtle research and conservation sector in Venezuela have resulted in a number of successes and rather more failures. Among the achievements is a course “Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation Techniques”, which has now been run for 15 years and has educated several hundred participants and enabled the establishment of a valuable professional network, and the publication of the Venezuelan “Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan” in 2000. But Venezuela shares with other developing countries some crucial shortcomings which have restricted the success of conservation and research efforts. Whilst regulations relating to protected areas and natural resource use have proliferated, enforcement is weak. Community-based projects and environmental education programs exist, but levels of participation are low. A large number of conservation approaches have been applied, including head-starting and nest translocation to hatcheries, but their value as conservation tools remains unproven. Research has increased, but its impact on decision-making is not significant. Taking an insider's perspective on the challenges to date in sea turtle research and conservation in Venezuela reveals much about the reality facing conservation scientists in developing countries and the forces that shape and can potentially derail research and conservation efforts.     

Management strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on sea turtle’s terrestrial reproductive phase

Climate change poses a serious threat to sea turtles (Cheloniidae) as their terrestrial reproductive phase is only successful within a limited range of environmental and physical conditions. These conditions are likely to become less optimal as climate change progresses. To date, management and conservation of sea turtles has focused almost entirely on non-climatic stressors, due at least in part to practitioners not knowing what strategies to take and the feasibility and risks of potential strategies. To aid the management of sea turtles in a changing environment, we identified management strategies via a focus workshop and surveys to mitigate the impacts of climate change to the terrestrial reproductive phase of sea turtles. The effectiveness, ecological risks and potential social and logistical constraints associated with implementing each of the identified management strategies is discussed. Twenty management strategies were identified; strategies varied from habitat protection to more active and direct manipulation of nests and the nesting environment. Based on our results, we suggest a three-pronged approach to sea turtle conservation in light of climate change, where managers and researchers should: 1) enhance sea turtle resilience to climate change by mitigating other threats; 2) prioritise implementing the ‘no regret’ and ‘reversible’ management strategies identified here; and 3) fill the knowledge gaps identified to aid the trial and implementation of the potential strategies identified here. By combining these three approaches our collective toolkit of sea turtle management strategies will expand, giving us an array of viable approaches to implement as climate change impacts become more extreme.     

Communal nesting and kinship in degus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Octodon degus</Emphasis>)

Communal nesting is a fundamental component of many animal societies. Because the fitness consequences of this behavior vary with the relatedness among nest mates, understanding the kin structure of communally nesting groups is critical to understanding why such groups form. Observations of captive degus (Octodon degus) indicate that multiple females nest together, even when supplied with several nest boxes. To determine whether free-living degus also engage in communal nesting, we used radiotelemetry to monitor spatial relationships among adult females in a population of O. degus in central Chile. These analyses revealed that females formed stable associations of > 2–4 individuals, all of whom shared the same nest site at night. During the daytime, spatial overlap and frequency of social interactions were greatest among co-nesting females, suggesting that nesting associations represent distinct social units. To assess kinship among co-nesting females, we examined genotypic variation in our study animals at six microsatellite loci. These analyses indicated that mean pairwise relatedness among members of a nesting association (r=0.25) was significantly greater than that among randomly selected females (r=–0.03). Thus, communally nesting groups of degus are composed of female kin, making it possible for indirect as well as direct fitness benefits to contribute to sociality in this species.     

The efficiency of phenological shifts as an adaptive response against climate change: a case study of loggerhead sea turtles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caretta caretta</Emphasis>) in the Mediterranean

Phenological shifts are widely reported for different species as a response to climate change. Still, the efficiency of this mechanism is questioned because of the accelerated rate of change and the different change patterns of various climate parameters that may cause mismatches. Here, using loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) as model species, we examined whether phenological shifts could be an effective adaptive strategy over the critical period that determines reproductive output in the Mediterranean region. We compared the rate of temperature and precipitation change over the recent past (1971–2015) and future periods (2016–2060) along the 45 main nesting sites of the Mediterranean population, during the incubation period. Next, utilizing predictions of an earlier nesting season, we evaluated whether the timing of incubation will impact offspring survival on the Mediterranean population. To further assess species vulnerability, we investigated any potential relationship between hatching success and climate parameters at the largest Mediterranean nesting rookery (Zakynthos, Greece). We found that phenological changes would allow species to capture a thermal window similar to one they experience nowadays during the incubation period. Still, phenological shifts might be less adequate to follow precipitation changes, which however, were found to have a limited impact upon hatching success. Global adaptation management strategies should be directed towards (a) acquisition of long-term high-resolution temperature and precipitation series at nesting sites, (b) developing early warning systems to prevent negative impacts upon reproductive outputs, and (c) directly applying cooling of the nests when first altered climate signs are detected.     

大亚湾典型生态系统状况调查与分析

大亚湾典型生态系统状况调查表明:过度捕捞,乱捕及违禁捕捞使大亚湾水产资源大幅下降,传统的渔汛早已不复存在;岸线、海滩过度开发、非法盗猎、航道阻隔、海域环境污染和诸多人为误捕、滥杀和破坏产卵环境等原因,大亚湾绿海龟的生存环境受到严重威胁;港口开发和水下爆破等致使珊瑚礁群落的优势种发生改变及石珊瑚出现白化现象;大型海岸工程的建设和过度对滩涂的围垦养殖,导致大亚湾红树林多以小簇或单株零散分布,红树林生态系统已处于一种极不健康的状态;大亚湾地区的滨海湿地面积逐年减少,人工湿地面积逐渐增大,天然湿地林相退化严重,湿地的外貌和结构日趋简单,降低了湿地生态和环境的功能.     

Measuring the economic effects of sea level rise on shore fishing

In this paper we develop estimates of the economic effects of sea level rise on marine recreational shore fishing in North Carolina, USA. The relationship between angler behavior and spatial differences in beach width is estimated using the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistics Survey and geospatial data. We exploit the empirical relationship between beach width and fishing site choice by simulating the effects of sea level rise on angler site choice. We find that reductions in beach width negatively affect the quality and number of fishing trips even as anglers adapt by using piers and bridges. Welfare losses are potentially substantial, ranging up 39% of the total value of marine shore fishing in North Carolina.     

Black Sea beaches vulnerability to sea level rise

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) aims to promote sustainable management of coastal zones based on ecosystem and holistic management approaches. In this context, policies have to consider the complex interactions that influence the fragile equilibrium of coastal ecosystems. Beaches represent both valuable and vulnerable natural resources because of the various ecosystem services they provide and their sensitivity to climate change and sea level rise.We present the first comprehensive digital record of all Black Sea beaches and provide a rapid assessment of their erosion risk under different scenarios of sea level rise. Through the digitisation of freely available remote-sensed images on the web, we provide broad information on the spatial characteristics and other attributes of all Black Sea beaches (e.g. photo-based visual estimation of the sediment type, presence of coastal defences, urban development). These data have been assembled and stored in full Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) – allowing spatial queries, visualisation and data sharing – and are therefore particularly interesting to feed/supply web-GIS portals (coastal atlases) for visualisation purpose, spatial queries or spatial indicators calculations.The resulting Black Sea beaches database contains 1228 beaches, with a total coastline length of 2042 km with an area of 224 km². The majority of the Black Sea beaches have been found to have small widths (61% have maximum widths less than 50 m), whereas 47% of all beaches presented coastal defence schemes, suggesting an already serious beach erosion problem.The erosion risk of the Black Sea beaches was assessed through the comparison of their maximum widths with estimations of the sea level rise-induced retreat by an ensemble of six 1-D analytical and numerical morphodynamic models. Following more than 17,000 experiments using different combinations of wave conditions, beach sediment textures and slopes and 11 scenarios of sea level rise (up to 2 m), the means (best fits) of the lowest and highest projections by the model ensemble were estimated; these were then compared to the maximum widths of the Black Sea beaches. The analysis showed that sea level rise will have highly significant impacts on the Black Sea beaches, as for a 0.5 m sea level rise 56% of all beaches are projected to retreat by 50% of their maximum width. For a 0.82 m sea level rise (the high IPCC estimate for the period 2081–2100) about 41% are projected to retreat by their entire maximum width, whereas for 1 m sea level rise about 51% of all Black Sea beaches are projected to retreat by (drowned or shifted landward by) their entire maximum width, if the high mean of the model ensemble projections is used.Results substantiate the risk of beach erosion as a major environmental problem along the Black Sea coast, which therefore needs to be taken into account in any future coastal management plans, as a matter of urgency. As these scenarios consider only sea level rise, they are considered to be conservative. Although the present results cannot replace detailed studies, the database and projections may assist Black Sea coastal managers and policy makers to rapidly identify beaches with increased risk of erosion, valuate accordingly coastal assets and infrastructure, estimate beach capacity for touristic development purposes, and rapidly assess direct and indirect costs and benefits of beach protection options. They also provide the necessary inputs to advance discussions relevant to the Black Sea ICZM.     

Modern sea level changes of the Eastern China Seas and their influences on coastal areas

The statistics of tidal gauging records showed that the mean sea level of the China Seas has risen for 14 cm in past 100 years. The annual mean sea levels of the Eastern China Seas have been rising at a speed of about 0.21 -0.23 cm/a since 1960. The annual mean sea levels of the Eastern China Seas in 1989 were 1.45 cm higher than that in 1988 on average.The sea level rise may cause the damage of the dynamical balance of the natural environments in the coastal area? and form or strengthen many coastal disasters, such as storm-tide catastrophic events, sea water invasion landward, soil salinization in coastal lowland and plains, and beach erosion retreat.     

基于传输路径的秦皇岛海域微塑料分布特征调查

微塑料作为新兴污染物被广泛关注,但其在入海传输路径所涉及的环境介质中的分布特征仍有待进一步研究。为给微塑料入海传输研究提供更多可行的基础数据,本研究于2019年、2020年不同水期对秦皇岛海域4种环境介质(入海河口水体、岸滩底泥、表层海水和近岸底泥)进行采样,分析微塑料的种类、粒径、形状和颜色等指标,并基于以上结果分析入海传输路径上不同环境介质中微塑料的分布特征。结果表明,秦皇岛海域微塑料污染在4种环境介质中广泛存在,总体呈中等水平,入海河口水体、岸滩底泥、表层海水和近岸底泥微塑料平均丰度分别为(721.42±530.13) n/m³、(450.00±326.60) n/kg、(0.42±0.28) n/m³和(613.24±410.04) n/kg。不同水期的调查结果对比表明,降雨会显著降低入海河口水体、岸滩底泥和近岸底泥中的微塑料含量;空间上的分析表明,人类活动极易影响微塑料的分布。在各类环境介质中,粒径<0.5 mm的小粒径微塑料占比最大;纤维状微塑料更易赋存在水体中,碎片状和颗粒状微塑料更易传输到沉积物中;而微塑料的颜色在传输过...     

Floral colour change in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Byrsonima variabilis</Emphasis> (Malpighiaceae) as a visual cue for pollen but not oil foraging by oil-collecting bees

Pollinators search for multiple flora resources throughout their life cycle. Most studies, however, only assess how bees discriminate floral cues in the context of nectar foraging. In the present study, we sought to elucidate whether oil-collecting bees discriminate flowers of Byrsonima variabilis (Malpighiaceae) with petals of different colours when foraging for pollen or oil. As the colour of the standard petal changes during anthesis, we characterised the spectral reflectance patterns of flowers throughout anthesis and modelled chromatic perceptual space to determine how these colour patterns are perceived by bees. Through the quantification of flower pollen in the different phases, we found that the colour of the standard petal is an honest cue of the presence of pollen. Centridine bees preferentially visited flowers with a yellow (bee’s green) colour when searching for pollen, but indiscriminately visited flowers with different petal colours when searching for floral oil. We suggest that standard petals, in the species studied and others of the genus, like nectar guides, act as pollen guides, which oil-collecting females use to detect pollen-rich flowers. Moreover, they use different floral clues during foraging for different resources in the same host plant.     

The sea-finding behavior of hatchling olive ridley sea turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea, at the beach of San Miguel (Costa Rica)

Newly hatched olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) were tested for their directional preferences in a sand-filled circular arena in total darkness. Hatchlings that had crawled about 5 m on the beach, toward the sea preferred the southwesterly direction that would have brought them to the water line, whereas hatchlings that had been denied this experience headed eastward, a direction of unclear origin. These data suggest that a short crawl across the natural beach can set the direction in which the young turtles subsequently move. The crawling experience was sufficient to acquire the compass course that they later follow, probably with the help of a magnetic compass, not only in the water, but already while still on land.     

厦门湾沙滩沉积物微塑料污染特征

微塑料（MPs）广泛存在于各种环境介质中,目前已经成为全球性环境问题.为了解海湾沙滩沉积物中微塑料的污染特征,揭示微塑料沉积规律及其影响因素,在厦门湾选择了5个典型沙滩,根据潮汐变化,同时在高潮线、中潮线和低潮线分层采集了0~10、10~20和20~30 cm的沉积物柱状样品,研究了沙滩沉积物中微塑料水平与垂直分布特征.结果表明,厦门湾沙滩45个沉积物样品中均检出微塑料,微塑料丰度范围为39~260 n ·kg^-1,平均丰度为（114±26） n ·kg^-1;微塑料形状主要为纤维状、碎片状、颗粒状和泡沫状,其中纤维状占比最大;主要成分为聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）、赛璐芬（cellophane）和聚乙烯（PE）;微塑料的颜色包括透明、蓝色、黄色、黑色和白色等.从统计结果可以看出,微塑料的平均丰度因沙滩位置、潮间带位置和采样深度的不同呈一定的规律,并且波浪、潮汐、岸线形状、风、游客数量和海漂垃圾清洁等自然和人为多种因素均影响沙滩微塑料的丰度和分布.研究成果有助于了解沙滩沉积物中微塑料的污染特征及来源,为微塑料的陆海传输提供依据,对海漂垃圾及岸滩垃圾收集提供数据支撑.     

Asynchronous emergence by loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchlings

For many decades it has been accepted that marine turtle hatchlings from the same nest generally emerge from the sand together. However, for loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting on the Greek Island of Kefalonia, a more asynchronous pattern of emergence has been documented. By placing temperature loggers at the top and bottom of nests laid on Kefalonia during 1998, we examined whether this asynchronous emergence was related to the thermal conditions within nests. Pronounced thermal variation existed not only between, but also within, individual nests. These within-nest temperature differences were related to the patterns of hatchling emergence, with hatchlings from nests displaying large thermal ranges emerging over a longer time-scale than those characterised by more uniform temperatures.     

Pollen foraging: learning a complex motor skill by bumblebees (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus terrestris</Emphasis>)

To investigate how bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) learn the complex motor skills involved in pollen foraging, we observed naïve workers foraging on arrays of nectarless poppy flowers (Papaver rhoeas) in a greenhouse. Foraging skills were quantified by measuring the pollen load collected during each foraging bout and relating this to the number of flowers visited and bout duration on two consecutive days. The pollen standing crop (PSC) in each flower decreased drastically from 0530 to 0900 hours. Therefore, we related foraging performance to the changing levels of pollen available (per flower) and found that collection rate increased over the course of four consecutive foraging bouts (comprising between 277 and 354 individual flower visits), suggesting that learning to forage for pollen represents a substantial time investment for individual foragers. The pollen collection rate and size of pollen loads collected at the start of day 2 were markedly lower than at the end of day 1, suggesting that components of pollen foraging behaviour could be subject to imperfect overnight retention. Our results suggest that learning the necessary motor skills to collect pollen effectively from morphologically simple flowers takes three times as many visits as learning how to handle the most morphologically complex flowers to extract nectar, potentially explaining why bees are more specialised in their choice of pollen flowers.     

From Specialization in Spider Egg Predation to an Original Nesting Mode in a "Primitive" Ant: A New Kind of Lestobiosis

 Mature colonies of Discothyrea oculata were observed nesting in cribellatid spider oothecas where they found both shelter and food although these oothecas, installed in preexisting cavities, were protected with crimped silk. Workers of colonies bred in test tubes during laboratory experiments recuperated the silk from spider oothecas introduced into their foraging area, using their mandibles and forelegs, to operculate and line the test tubes. Also, colonies left the test tubes to shelter in the cribellatid spider oothecas. The term "arachnolesty" is proposed for this new kind of lestobiosis. Received: 20 April 1998 / Accepted in revised form: 16 October 1998     

2009—2017年山东省海滩垃圾时空分布特征与来源分析研究

根据2009—2017年的调查资料,系统分析了9 a间山东省7处岸滩的海滩垃圾时空分布特征,并进行了垃圾来源分析研究。结果显示:山东省海滩垃圾的主要组分为塑料类、木制品类、玻璃类和纸类,数量以塑料类最多,占55.86%;山东省海滩垃圾平均数量密度为75958个/km2,质量密度为1186.47 kg/km2,山东省海滩垃圾数量与质量密度表现出区域差异性;山东省海滩垃圾规格以数量多、质量较小的中小块轻质垃圾为主（74.03%）;山东省多年海滩垃圾存量与全国监测区海滩垃圾有类似变化特征;人类海岸活动产生的海滩垃圾（54.88%）、其他废弃物（24.59%）和航运/捕鱼垃圾（11.14%）为多年间山东省海滩垃圾的主要来源,分区域统计表明各地市海滩垃圾主要来源各有差异,这可能与各地市经济发展状况、海岸利用程度与监测区邻近海域功能区类型有关。     

我国海滩垃圾污染现状及控制对策

为明晰我国各海域的海滩垃圾污染状况及垃圾主要来源,在我国各海区选择24个代表性采样点,共86个调查样方,对我国各海域的海滩垃圾的种类、来源进行了详细调查和重点区域的跟踪调查.结果表明:我国海滩垃圾平均个数为1.03 m-2,其中塑料类最多(占37.37%),其次为泡沫类(占35.67%);总密度为15.91 g/m2,塑料类密度(3.62 g/m2)最大,其次为织物(布)类(2.87 g/m2)和木制品类(1.97 g/m2);主要来源是生活垃圾和旅游垃圾,分别占垃圾总量的39.26%和25.23%;对照国际国内相关调查资料,我国海洋垃圾的污染呈逐渐恶化的趋势,总体形势不容乐观.针对我国海洋垃圾的污染控制,提出应通过进一步海洋垃圾污染调查工作,从制订污染防治监督管理办法、编制污染防治专项规划等方面入手理清各部门管理权责;同时以政府为主导,联合公众、企业、NGO(非政府组织)等多方力量,建立海洋垃圾回收资源化示范点,开展海洋垃圾宣传、清理和海滩清扫活动等控制对策.      

Yellowjackets (Vespula pensylvanica) thermoregulate in response to changes in protein concentration

Social insects can modulate body temperature to increase foraging efficiency; however, little is known about how the relative value of protein resources affects forager body temperature. Such regulation may be important given that colony growth is often limited by protein availability. In this paper, we present what are, to our knowledge, the first data for social insects showing that thoracic temperatures (T (th)) of foragers increase with the protein content of food resources. In an introduced population of western yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica), we measured T (th) of foragers collecting high-quality protein (100% canned chicken) and low-quality protein (50% canned chicken, 50% indigestible alpha-cellulose by volume) at different ambient air temperatures (T (a)). Wasps foraging on 100% chicken consistently exhibited higher T (th) compared to wasps foraging on 50% chicken. After correcting for T (a), the mean T (th) for wasps collecting 100% chicken were 1.98 degrees C higher than those of individuals collecting 50% chicken. We suggest that this mechanism may increase foraging efficiency in this and other social wasp species.