Cape Canaveral (Standora et al)

Project Type(s):capture

Site Name:Cape Canaveral (Standora et al)

Site Reference Number:33

Region(s):Southeast

Counties:Brevard

Approximate Latitude: 28.41 Approximate Longitude: -80.57

Principal Investigator(s):Bolten, Alan; Morreale, Stephen; Standora, Edward

Point(s) of Contact:Standora, Edward - Phone Number: Not Provided, Email: standoea@aol.com; Morreale, Stephen - Phone Number: Not Provided, Email: Not Provided

Organizations Involved:Buffalo State College, Cornell University, University of Florida

Organization Type(s):university, university, university

Project Status: Inactive

Start Date: 3/1993

End Date: 4/1993

General Method(s) Used:trawl

	Visual	Capture
Sampling regime:	annually	annually
Measure of effort:	unknown	unknown

Bottom Type(s):channel

Water Type Zone: neritic Water Type Environment: marine

Min. Depth (m): 0 Max. Depth (m): 11

Mean Depth (m): 11

Species	No. of Captures	No. of Sightings	Min Size* (cm)	Max Size* (cm)	Mean Size* (cm)	FP Observed	Life Stages**	Comments
Green Turtle (Cm)	0	n/a	0.0	0.0	0.0	n/a	n/a
Loggerhead (Cc)	81	n/a	45.6	108.7	0.0	No	n/r
Kemp's Ridley (Lk)	0	n/a	0.0	0.0	0.0	n/a	n/a
Hawksbill (Ei)	0	n/a	0.0	0.0	0.0	n/a	n/a
Leatherback (Dc)	0	n/a	0.0	0.0	0.0	n/a	n/a

*All size measurements are SSCL unless otherwise indicated
** For Cm, Cc, Lk, & Ei: O - Oceanic-stage juvenile; N - Neritic-stage juvenile; S - Subadult; A - Adult. For Dc: I - Immature; A - Adult. n/a = not applicable; n/r = not reported.

diving behavior

radio tracking

relocation respons

sonic tracking

This study used biotelemetric methods to determine daily patterns of channel usage by turtles and compared them with movements outside the channel. The diurnal diving patterns of turtles were monitored to determine the relative amount of time spent at different depths. The study also documented the amount of time loggerheads spent at the surface in order to assist in calculating correction factors for aerial surveys. The researchers also examined the utility of relocating turtles from the channel as a means of mitigating or minimizing turtle deaths caused by dredging. Loggerhead sizes ranged from juvenile to adult and included both males and females. Eighty-one turtles were captured, ten of which were adult males that were immediately released from the net. Twenty-two of the captured turtles were tagged and released back into the channel. The remaining 49 turtles were used in the monitoring and relocation studies. A bimodal distribution of size classes indicated that turtles of two distinct size classes used this channel: juvenile and adult. Mainly juveniles were captured in March, and adult males made up the majority of captures in April. A study in the summer of 1992 (Bolten et al., 1993), conversely, found females to be dominant. Turtles spent greater amounts of time in the bottom third of the water column in the spring and considerably less time at the surface than during the 1992 summer study (Bolten et al., 1993). There were also differences in behavior between size classes within the spring: mature males were more active at the surface than juveniles and showed a greater tendency toward residency in the channel area. These differences were evident in the direction of movement, net distance moved, and rate of travel for most turtles. The higher levels of adult activity may be due to the start of the mating season for loggerheads in the area. During this period, there was a large influx of adult males and a later one by adult females in the summer. The differences observed both between and within seasons may thus reflect differences between age classes and reproductive condition. During a relocation experiment to assess management strategies, 34 turtles were released at distances of 10, 40, and 70 km north or south of the channel. Six control turtles were not displaced. Control turtles did not display uniform behavior. The displacement distance was significantly correlated with the time it took for turtles to return to the channel. There was no significant relationship between the direction of displacement and the time required to return or the number of turtles returning. Overall, however, turtles released to the south showed less random movements than those released to the north. The study did not recommend relocation during spring; relocations may, however, different seasonal effects and concomitant changes in turtle behavior and activity.

No documents uploaded.

Standora, E., M. Eberle, J. Edbauer, S. Ryder, K. Williams, S. Morreale, A. Bolten. 1995. Diving behavior, daily movements, and homing of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) at Cape Canaveral, Florida, March and April 1993. Found In: Hales, L. Z. Compiler, Sea Turtle Research Program, Summary Report. Final Report. Prepared for US Army Engineer Division, South Atlantic, Atlanta, GA, and US Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, GA. Technical Report CERC-95- . 145 pp. p. 48-51.

Ryder, T., E. Standora, M. Eberle, J. Edbauer, K. Williams, S. Morreale, A. Bolten. 1994. Daily movements of adult male and juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Found In: Bjorndal, K. A. ,Bolten, A. B. ,Johnson, D. A. ,Eliazar, P. J. Compilers, Proceedings of the Fourteenth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-351, 323. p. 131

Standora, E., S. Ryder, M. Eberle, J. Edbauer, K. Williams, S. Morreale, A. Bolten. Homing behavior of loggerhead turtles relocated from dredging areas in Cape Canaveral Channel, Florida. 1994. Found In: Bjorndal, K. A. ,Bolten, A. B. ,Johnson, D. A. ,Eliazar, P. J. Compilers, Proceedings of the Fourteenth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-351, 323. p. 141-142.

Morreale, SJ. and Standora, EA. 2005. Western North Atlantic waters: Crucial developmental habitat for Kemp's ridley and loggerhead sea turtles. Chelonian conservation and biology 4:872-882.