Sea Turtle StrandingsSea Turtle Strandingsin Florida During 2011in Florida During 2011

Allen FoleyAllen FoleyFlorida Fish & Wildlife Conservation CommissionFlorida Fish & Wildlife Conservation CommissionFish & Wildlife Research InstituteFish & Wildlife Research Institute

Documents dead, sick, or injured sea turtles (i.e., sea turtle strandings) in Florida.

Includes about 200-300 regular STSSN participants in Florida.

Has documented and monitoredtrends in mortality and mortalityfactors since 1980 (consistenteffort since1986).

Florida Sea Turtle StrandingFlorida Sea Turtle Strandingand Salvage Networkand Salvage Network

What do Stranding Data What do Stranding Data Represent?Represent?Represent an index of some mortality and

represent some mortality factors.Likely to better represent sea turtles living

close to shore and near developed areas than those living farther offshore or close to shore but in remote, undeveloped areas.

Likely to better represent mortality factors operating close to shore and near developed areas than those operating farther offshore or close to shore but in remote, undeveloped areas.

What Might Increasing What Might Increasing Numbers of Stranded Sea Numbers of Stranded Sea

Turtles Indicate?Turtles Indicate?Indicate that the mortality rate has increased.Indicate that the chance of finding stranded

sea turtles has increased.Indicate that the number of sea turtles has

increased.Indicate a combination of one or more of the

preceding scenarios.

2,080 stranded sea turtles during 2011

Overall Sea Turtle Stranding Overall Sea Turtle Stranding TrendTrend

Florida, 1986-2011Florida, 1986-2011

Loggerhead Stranding TrendLoggerhead Stranding TrendFlorida, 1986-2011Florida, 1986-2011

842 stranded loggerheads during 2011

Green Turtle Stranding TrendGreen Turtle Stranding TrendFlorida, 1986-2011Florida, 1986-2011

954 stranded green turtles during 2011

Green Turtle and Loggerhead Green Turtle and Loggerhead Stranding TrendsStranding Trends

Florida, 1986-2011Florida, 1986-2011

Kemp’s Ridley Stranding TrendKemp’s Ridley Stranding TrendFlorida, 1986-2011Florida, 1986-2011

206 stranded Kemp’s ridleys during 2011

Hawksbill Stranding TrendHawksbill Stranding TrendFlorida, 1986-2011Florida, 1986-2011

27 stranded hawksbills during 2011

Leatherback Stranding TrendLeatherback Stranding TrendFlorida, 1986-2011Florida, 1986-2011

18 stranded leatherbacks during 2011

Preparing for the Next Preparing for the Next Cold-Stunning Event - Cold-Stunning Event -

ForecastingForecasting• Water Temperature Monitoring – Water

temperature monitoring stations in Mosquito Lagoon and St. Joseph Bay.

Preparing for the Next Preparing for the Next Cold-Stunning Event – Cold-Stunning Event –

MASH UnitsMASH Units• Four Mobile Aquatic Sea turtle Hospitals

(MASH units). Each has tent, heaters, and 3 Turtle Holding Systems (9 total tanks - capacity of 4,500 gallons).

Thanks to all the Thanks to all the participants in the Florida participants in the Florida

STSSN. Funding for the STSSN. Funding for the Florida STSSN provided by Florida STSSN provided by

Florida’s Sea Turtle Florida’s Sea Turtle License Plate, the National License Plate, the National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Fisheries Service,

and an ESA Section 7 and an ESA Section 7 grant. grant.