Sea turtle strandings and captures from Galveston Bay

Date

1999 1998 Mar 26

Authors

Cannon AC

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Abstract

Since 1991, four of the five species of sea turtles found in the Gulf of Mexico (Kemp's ridley, loggerhead, green, and hawksbill) have been reported in Galveston Bay. All turtles that are reported to the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN) are documented. Dead turtles are recovered and necropsied, while live turtles are brought to the National Marine Fisheries Service Sea Turtle Research and Rehabilitation Facility for rehabilitation. Dead strandings make up the majority of the reports (85%). Due to the condition of the carcasses, a definitive cause of death is rarely determined. These carcasses are still important sources of life history data (sex ratios, food sources and feeding habits). Few of the reported turtles are alive (15%). Generally it is known why the turtle stranded alive (cold stunned, caught on power plant intake screen, injured post hatchlings, or caught by recreational hook-and-line); however, there are still unknown causes

Description

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Keywords

Death, Fisheries, Galveston Bay, Life history, Mortality causes, O 4090 Conservation and Environmental Protection, pollution effects, Q1 01423 Behaviour, Q5 01523 Conservation,wildlife management and recreation, Stranding, Turtle fisheries, USA

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