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Inter- and Intra-Beach Thermal Variation for Green Turtle Nests on Ascension Island, South Atlantic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

Graeme C. Hays ,
Colin R. Adams ,
Jeanne A. Mortimer  and
J.R. Speakman
Graeme C. Hays
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB9 2TN
Colin R. Adams
Affiliation:
Department of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA
Jeanne A. Mortimer
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
J.R. Speakman
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB9 2TN
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Extract

Nest temperatures for green turtles (Chelonia mydas) nesting on Ascension Island, South Atlantic (7°57'S 14°22'W), were examined. Temperature probes were placed into nests on two beaches, Long Beach (26 nests) and North East Bay (8 nests). Within these beaches there was relatively little thermal variation (SD of nest temperature was 0.32°C for Long Beach and 0.30°C for North East Bay). To examine inter-beach thermal variation temperature probes were buried at 55 cm on 12 beaches. Inter-beach thermal variation was large and was related to the beach albedo with the darkest beach (albedo, 016) being 4.2°C warmer than the lightest coloured beach (albedo, 0.73).

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 75 , Issue 2 , May 1995 , pp. 405 - 411
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1995

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