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Ware M, Fuentes MMPB. Leave No Trace ordinances for coastal species management: influences on sea turtle nesting success. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2020. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal environments provide critical ecosystem services but experience a number of threats including marine debris and abandoned beach equipment. To address this threat, municipalities have begun enacting policy measures such as Leave No Trace ordinances. The impact of these ordinances on coastal species management has not yet been established. To evaluate the effectiveness of Leave No Trace ordinances in coastal species management, sea turtle crawl distribution, nesting success, and the frequency of obstructed crawls pre- and post-ordinance at a loggerhead sea turtleCaretta carettanesting beach in Alabama, USA, were compared between 3 treatment groups: (1) Gulf Shores and Orange Beach with new Leave No Trace ordinances enacted in 2016, (2) Fort Morgan with no ordinance, and (3) the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and Gulf State Park with Leave No Trace ordinances but no resident human population. The ordinance had no significant effect on crawl distribution or nesting success across the study site post-ordinance. However, the frequency of obstructed crawls in populated areas declined by 18.1% with the ordinance. The presence of a resident population was a more significant driver of obstructed crawls than the ordinance, as the Bon Secour NWR and Gulf State Park had fewer obstructed crawls than either populated treatment. With time and increased compliance, Leave No Trace ordinances may have the potential to improve coastal species management and increase coastal ecosystem services through reduced marine debris entanglement and ingestion, reduced physical damage to the environment, and increased tourism revenue and environmental education.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ware
- Florida State University, Marine Turtle Research, Ecology, and Conservation Group, Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - MMPB Fuentes
- Florida State University, Marine Turtle Research, Ecology, and Conservation Group, Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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PATHOLOGY OF LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE (DERMOCHELYS CORIACEA) EMBRYOS AND HATCHLINGS FROM NESTS IN ST. KITTS, WEST INDIES (2015–16). J Wildl Dis 2019. [DOI: 10.7589/2018-07-169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Stewart KM, Norton TM, Mitchell MA, Knobel DL. Sea Turtle Education Program Development, Implementation, and Outcome Assessment in St. Kitts, West Indies. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1300.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly M. Stewart
- St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, PO Box 2298, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Terry M. Norton
- St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, PO Box 2298, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Mark A. Mitchell
- Lousinana State University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803 USA [mmitche
| | - Darryn L. Knobel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Ki
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