Claire McRaven Echols Vaiden

Major: Marine Biology

University Honors with Honors in Marine Biology

Supervisor: Dr. Amanda Southwood

EFFECTIVENESS OF PROTECTION MEASURES ON LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE (CARETTA CARETTA) NESTS IN RESPONSE TO RED FOX (VULPES VULPES)

PREDATION ON MASONBORO ISLAND, NORTH CAROLINA

Masonboro Island, NC, is an uninhabited island that provides an important nesting habitat for the northern subpopulation of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) along the coastline of southeastern North Carolina. In 2007 and 2008, the northern 6.5 km of Masonboro Island was patrolled for sea turtle nests and the effectiveness

of protection measures to prevent predation by red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) was studied. Twenty-two nests were laid in 2007, and 15 were laid in 2008. In 2007, I studied the efficacy of wire box cages in preventing fox predation, and in 2008, I studied the efficacy of both wire box cages and plastic screens in preventing predation. In 2007, control (unprotected) nests experienced 40% predation, while 33% of wire box caged nests were predated. In 2008, 100% of control nests were predated, 25% of wire box caged nests were predated, and 20% of plastic screened nests were predated. The predation data were analyzed using a Fisher’s exact test. The test did not show a statistically significant difference in nest predation between treatment groups in 2007 (P = 1) of 2008 (P = 0.280). A one-way ANOVA was run to compare the percent emergence of hatchlings for nests in each treatment group to determine if protection measures presented a physical barrier to the hatchlings that could interfere with emergence. There was no statistically significant difference in percent emergence between treatment groups (P = 0.206). Although the data did not produce significant results, a small sample size could have skewed results. Masonboro Island is a valuable nesting ground for loggerheads, so further studies to determine the most effective method for protecting nests against predation are warranted.