Chapter 3 North Carolina’s Species
3.12.6 Threats and Problems The successful conservation of marine species will require the mitigation of threats both within North Carolina’s borders and beyond. Thus, interstate and international partnerships and cooperation are critical components of marine species conservation. Descriptions of the threats listed below were taken from various marine species recovery plans and peer-reviewed journal publications. Fishing pressure and climate change are known threats to fish functional diversity and rarity that have synergistic impacts (Trindade-Santos et al. 2022) . Climate change is causing marine heatwaves, periods of abnormally high ocean surface temperatures, with the frequency of heatwave events increased over 20 times historical rates (Laufkötter et al. 2020) . Assessments highlight the predominantly negative impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems and fisheries such as range shifts, reproductive failure, and increased mortalities (Cheung et al. 2022) . Cheung et al. (2022) notes the combination of heatwave events and decadal-scale climate change can lead to long-term changes in fish stocks and fisheries that will be difficult to recover. Negative impacts include both short- and long-term reductions in phytoplankton biomass, decreases in forage fish species, declines of piscivorous marine bird species, and negative trends in marine mammal populations (Suryan et al. 2021, Tittensor et al. 2021) . 3.12.6.1 Nesting Threats (Terrestrial Habitats) These onshore threats primarily impact beach-nesting sea turtles and birds. • Artificial lighting – Nighttime lighting from beachfront development—such as residences, streetlights, and vehicles—can disrupt emerging hatchlings, leading to misorientation and a significant rise in fatalities. Artificial lighting can attract nesting females and hatchlings, causing them to move in the opposite direction of the water, which then exposes them to predators, entrapment in vegetation, and/or vehicle strikes. Adult nesting sea turtles may abort nesting attempts at greater frequencies near lighted areas. • Beach cleaning – Mechanical raking (using heavy machinery) can compact or destroy incubating eggs and/or emergent hatchlings. Disposal of debris near the dune line can cover incubating clutches, entrap emergent hatchlings, and/or alter nest temperatures. • Beach erosion – Erosion can result in partial or total loss of suitable nesting habitat. Coastal development and associated activities have accelerated erosion rates and interruption of natural shoreline migration. • Beach nourishment/renourishment – If nourishment occurs during nesting season, direct impacts can include burial of nests and nest disturbance. Dissimilar sand sources can impact site selection, digging behavior, incubation, and hatchling success. Beach nourishment can also result in significant compaction or concretion of the beach.
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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