Sea turtle hatchling production from Florida (USA) beaches, 2002-2012, with recommendations for analyzing hatching success

We measured sea turtle hatchling production on 16 sea turtle nesting beaches (219.6 km) in Florida (USA) from 2002 to 2012. A standard protocol was used to sample 19 701 loggerhead Caretta caretta, 3809 green turtle Chelonia mydas, and 664 leatherback Dermochelys coriacea nest contents, representing all Florida nesting beaches. We assessed (1) annual variation in hatching (hatched eggs/total eggs) and emergence (emerged hatchlings/total eggs) successes, (2) annual hatchling production, and (3) sources of egg and hatchling mortality. We provide recommendations for analyzing hatching success and present a method of analysis that allows the inclusion of partially depredated nests. These nests are typically excluded because the original clutch size and the number of eggs removed by predators may not be known.