MULTIANNUAL SAND TEMPERATURES

COLLECTED AT CAPE CANAVERAL

FLORIDA AND RELATIONSHIPS TO
CENTRAL FLORIDA SEA TURTLE SEX
RATIOS

Jane Provancha and Michael Corsello.

DYN-2 Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
MULTIANNUAL SAND TEMPERATURES
FLORIDA AND RELATIONSHIPS TO
TURTLE SEX
COLLECTED AT CAPE CANAVERAL
CENTRAL FLORIDA SEA
RATIOS
Jane Provancha and Michael Corsello
DYN-2 Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
 ABSTRACT
Sand temperature data were collected at middle
nest depth for C. caretta (30 cm) at Cape Canaveral,
from 1986-1995. These data were used to determine
annual temperature variability over the decade in
relation to a previous five-year study which indicated
a strong female bias (Mrosovsky and Provancha
1993). Seasonal mean sand temperatures ranged
from 29.6 to 31.3 (oC), with most biweekly means
above the pivotal temperature for Caretta (29.4 oC).
Annual variation during the decade was not
statistically significant, however, the 1988 and 1991
nest seasons had lowest temperatures, closest to
the pivotal.
INTRODUCTION
Study Site At
Cape Canaveral Florida
Study Site At
Cape Canaveral Florida
 METHODS
 Study Site

 Sand temperature data from fixed stakes

along transects: manual intermittent &
automated continuous collections.
Manual : YSI Model 33 with soil
probes accuracy +/- 0.25 oC
Automatic: Hydrolab Datasonde
(model 2020, accuracy +/- 0.1 oC ), Grant
Squirrel Meter (accuracy +/- 0.2 oC ) and
Li-Cor 1000 with soil probes ( accuracy
+/- 0.5 oC) .
 Nest data were collected by biologists
during daily crawl surveys of the Cape
and Kennedy Space Center beaches.
 METHODS cont’d
The temperatures reported here were collected from probes
buried at 30 cm depths to represent mean depths for
Caretta nests.
RESULTS
Temperature data averaged for biweekly periods in each nesting season
DATE 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95
April 16-30 26

May 1-15 28 24

May 16-31 29 28 27 30 29 28

Mid-season
June 1-15 31 30 28 30 31 30 29 32 30

June 16-30
July 1-16
30
31
30
31
29
30
31
31
31
31
31
30
29
32
30
32
30
32
28
31
}
July 17-31 32 32 31 31 32 33 32 33 30 30

Aug 1-16 32 32 29 31 31 32 31 33 30 31

Aug 17-31 31 31 27 31 31 29 31 29 30

Sept 1-15 31 29 31 31 31 29 30 31

Sept 16-30 30 30 31 29 30

Oct 1-16 25 27 29

Oct 17-31 24
Percent of nests laid in
mid-season box above 71% 77 % 76% 64% 73% 74% 76% 78% 76% 73%
BiWeekly Mean Sand Temperatures at KSC from 1986 through 1995
34

32
Mean Sand Temperature

30

28

26

1986
1987 1991 Plot 1 100% Female
24 1988 1992
1993 Plot 1 50% Distribution
1989
1994 Plot 1 100% Male
1990 1995

22
 Annual Change in Global Land/Ocean Temperature ( oC) from
1856-1994. (Modified from NOAA, National Climatic Data Center.)

0.3
Period of our study
0.2
Temperature (oC)

0.1

0.0

-0.1

-0.2

-0.3

-0.4

-0.5
1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990
YEAR
 Annual Change in Global Land/Ocean Temperature (oC) from
1856-1994. (Modified from NOAA, National Climatic Data Center.)

0.3 Period of our study

0.2
Temperature (oC)

0.1

0.0

-0.1

-0.2

-0.3

-0.4

-0.5
1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990
YEAR
 CONCLUSIONS:

(Monastersky 1996)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

NASA- Kennedy Space Center, Ecological Program,

N. Mrosovsky played a major role in the original design and
encouragement of this project. R. Hall, M. Hensley, H.
Klienschmidt, P. Makurjee, C. McMillan, , E. Possardt, R. Roane,
D. Turner, R. Theimann, K. Whaley/Merritt Island National Wildlife
Refuge provided field assistance.

Citations
Mrosovsky, N. and J. Provancha. 1992. Sex ratio of logger head sea turtles: data and
estimates from a 5-year study. Canadian Journal Zoology 70: 530-538.

Mrosovsky, N. and J.A. Provancha. 1989. Sex ratio of loggerhead sea turtles hatching on a
Florida beach. Canadian Journal Zoology 69:2533-2539.

Monastersky, R. 1996. 1996: Year of warmth and weather reversals. Science News, Vol.
151, p38.