Microbial characterization of loggerhead and green sea turtle eggs in Broward County, Florida

The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the bacterial microbiota from the cloaca of nesting sea turtles and the sand surrounding the nests to the hatched and unhatched eggs from loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles, in Broward County, Florida. By doing so, we also aimed to pinpoint any potential pathogenic bacteria causing sea turtle eggs to go unhatched and see if the microbiota vary between nests. This project provides valuable information on the different types of bacterial transmission between the cloaca, sand, and eggs of sea turtles and how they impact hatching success. Turtle-specific and/or species-specific microbiome symbionts could also be identified in this study with the comparison between loggerhead and green turtles. This research also helps explain why specific locations have a greater hatching success and potentially show if there are specific microbes that aid in or threaten the survival of the eggs through analyzing the variation in nest microbiota between beaches. The bacterial data was also used to determine any correlation with human activities (nest relocation, beach renourishment, and tourism) and provide information on the effects of human activity on sea turtle hatching success and identify factors that reduce the natural productivity of marine turtle nesting beaches.