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Seasonal variation in sea turtle density and abundance in the southeast Florida current and surrounding waters

Journal Article · · PLoS ONE
 [1];  [2]
  1. Florida Atlantic Univ., Boca Raton, FL (United States); Florida Atlantic University
  2. Florida Atlantic Univ., Boca Raton, FL (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Assessment and management of sea turtle populations is often limited by a lack of available data pertaining to at-sea distributions at appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions. Assessing the spatial and temporal distributions of marine turtles in an open system poses both observational and analytical challenges due to the turtles’ highly migratory nature. Surface counts of marine turtles in waters along the southern part of Florida’s east coast were made in and adjacent to the southeast portion of the Florida Current using standard aerial surveys during 2011 and 2012 to assess their seasonal presence. This area is of particular concern for sea turtles as interest increases in offshore energy developments, specifically harnessing the power of the Florida Current. While it is understood that marine turtles use these waters, here we evaluate seasonal variation in sea turtle abundance and density over two years. Density of sea turtles observed within the study area ranged from 0.003 turtles km-2 in the winter of 2011 to 0.064 turtles km-2 in the spring of 2012. As a result, this assessment of marine turtles in the waters off southeast Florida quantifies their in-water abundance across seasons in this area to establish baselines and inform future management strategies of these protected species.
Research Organization:
Florida Atlantic Univ., Boca Raton, FL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0000319
OSTI ID:
1239251
Journal Information:
PLoS ONE, Journal Name: PLoS ONE Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 10; ISSN 1932-6203
Publisher:
Public Library of ScienceCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Florida
animal migration
habitats
marine conservation
sea water
spring
turtles
wildlife