The Effect of Beach Nourishment on Juvenile Green Turtle Distribution Along the Nearshore of Broward County, Florida

ABSTRACT

Juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas L.) aggregate and develop to maturity in nearshore coastal habitats, putting them in close proximity to beach restoration projects. This study’s objective was to determine if the Broward County Shore Protection Project negatively altered the distribution of green turtles along the County’s shallow (≤ 8 m) reef systems. For five consecutive years, ‘Shark Fishing’ surveys were conducted to record abundance estimates and distribution profiles before and after completion of the beach nourishment project. While pre-construction surveys revealed the natural fluctuation of sea turtle abundance within the nearshore waters, a universal decline in turtle sightings was recorded for both the project area (25%) and the control site (12%) after beach construction activities. Even so, the distribution of turtles was not adversely affected or skewed, as 89% of the turtles sighted during post-construction surveys within the project area were recorded along reef resources adjacent to the beach fill reaches.