Using Expert Elicitation to Determine the Relative Impact of Coastal Modifications on Marine Turtle Nesting Grounds

Marine turtles utilize sandy beaches as nesting grounds, which can be impacted by a variety of coastal modifications. In the context of limited resources, managers need to prioritize which impacts from coastal modifications to mitigate. However, data on the relative impacts of coastal modification activities are not often available. To address this, we determined the perceived relative impact of twelve coastal modification activities on marine turtle nesting grounds by eliciting information from researchers and managers who are experts on the impacts of coastal modifications on marine turtles and their nesting grounds. Experts were asked to answer a series of pair-wise comparison matrices that compared the impacts of each coastal modification activity. Beach armoring, light pollution, and other shoreline stabilization structures (such as groins and jetties) were weighted by our experts as having the greatest impact to marine turtle nesting grounds and nonpermanent coastal modifications (e.g., special events and beach cleaning) were weighted by experts as having the lowest impact to marine turtle nesting grounds. Managers can use this information to prioritize their efforts and resources to manage marine turtle nesting grounds if funds are available and policy allows.