Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina participate in a grant research program on sea turtle DNA. The Grant Program is designed to help learn more about Loggerhead Sea Turtles to include such things as: How often does a female nest in a season, does she nest every year, does she nest on only one beach each year. Harbor Island has submitted turtle shells for DNA testing for the last three seasons and we are beginning to see some interesting information.
The early statistics indicate that the females have been nesting an average of 3 to 5 times per season.
The female lays a nest about every 2 weeks.
The average incubation period is 60 days.
There were several females that each nested on Folly Beach, Kiawah and Harbor Island.
There was one female who nested on North Island, near Georgetown, and also nested on Harbor Island and two beaches in GA.
The females have multiple male partners in a season.
It seems that females nest about every third season.
For 2012 Nesting Season, the DNA study showed that Harbor Island had 17 unique females that laid our 42 nests. There was only 1 female who laid only 1 nest and the most nesting beaches for a single female was 4.
To learn more, visit: http://www.seaturtle.org/nestdb/genetics
The early statistics indicate that the females have been nesting an average of 3 to 5 times per season.
The female lays a nest about every 2 weeks.
The average incubation period is 60 days.
There were several females that each nested on Folly Beach, Kiawah and Harbor Island.
There was one female who nested on North Island, near Georgetown, and also nested on Harbor Island and two beaches in GA.
The females have multiple male partners in a season.
It seems that females nest about every third season.
For 2012 Nesting Season, the DNA study showed that Harbor Island had 17 unique females that laid our 42 nests. There was only 1 female who laid only 1 nest and the most nesting beaches for a single female was 4.
To learn more, visit: http://www.seaturtle.org/nestdb/genetics
The following information is from THE
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Genetics Recovery Research
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Marine Turtle Conservation Program is participating in a multi-state project along with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife and Resources Commission 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 South Carolina is not known. 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 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?
You can follow the progress of this study by going to the online nesting database (See links page).
TO REPORT A DEAD OR INJURED SEA TURTLE CALL 1-800-922-5431
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Marine Turtle Conservation Program is participating in a multi-state project along with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife and Resources Commission 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 South Carolina is not known. 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 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?
You can follow the progress of this study by going to the online nesting database (See links page).
TO REPORT A DEAD OR INJURED SEA TURTLE CALL 1-800-922-5431
