Grant: 21-019R
Project Title: Connecting Sea Turtle Health and Ecology on the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
Project Manager: Kate Mansfield
Organization: University of Central Florida (Research and Educational Institute)
Grant Amount: $12,152.00
Completion Date:
Summary: The University of Central Florida Marine Turtle Group will focus on the health and ecology of loggerhead and green sea turtles nesting on the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, Melbourne Beach, Florida as a component of a larger project which aims to evaluate the interface between health and ecology for these species across life-stages and habitats. These analyses will provide a better understanding of how environmental factors affect sea turtle health. This project will foster a collaboration with a previous Sea Turtle License Plate grant recipient, Dr. Simona Ceriani, by incorporating loggerhead foraging location (based on stable isotope analysis and satellite telemetry) into our environmental data. Additionally, baseline values identified and compared will be shared with local rehabilitation facilities (e.g., Brevard Zoo Sea Turtle Healing Center) to increase knowledge based on wild populations.
Results: