DOCSLIB.ORG

It Runs in the Blood

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
It Runs in the Blood By Diana Hackenburg stressful experiences and need a period of rest to recover, placing them in difficult situations.” IT RUNS IN THE BLOOD Increased vulnerability represented How sea turtles respond to interactions with fishermen just one of the threats to sea turtles that Williard and her team observed at fishing piers in North Carolina and Huffing and puffing, you pause a form of lactic acid, builds up in their Virginia. Their North Carolina Sea for air during a hard workout. Yet, you muscles, a similar process in humans Grant-funded study laid the groundwork continue on, knowing the discomfort will that we equate with “feeling the burn.” for assessing how recreational hook- end soon. Amanda Southwood Williard Lactic acid breaks down during and-line fisheries may affect sea observes a similar fatigue following periods of rest, but the ocean doesn’t turtles, and created an interstate prolonged exertion, not in the gym but have a sauna or couch for reptile collaboration interested in ensuring rather on the piers — in the blood of sea relaxation. As Williard, an animal captured turtles return to the turtles. physiologist at the University of North ocean in tip-top shape. When hooked or tangled in fishing Carolina Wilmington, hypothesizes, gear, sea turtles struggle to free them- these skirmishes make sea turtles RIDING THE WAVES selves and make it to the surface to more susceptible to boat strikes and Since the age breathe. In the absence of predators while they recuperate. of dinosaurs, oxygen, lactate, “How do you feel after exercising turtles have been really hard? Your ability to exercise swimming across more is compromised and the same the oceans, might be true for turtles,” expertly Williard explains. adapted to “They have these the marine Sea turtles accidentally captured by recreational hook-and-line fishermen face multiple threats, including injuries from hooks and gear, and deeper physiological changes, that can hamper their survival upon release. 20 coastwatch | summer 2016 | www.ncseagrant.org environment. Sea turtles breathe air — of miles regularly throughout their just like other reptiles, but can remain lives. Because of their watery ways, submerged for hours. They spend people know remarkably little about the majority of their time — Williard their behavior. estimates 75 to 90 percent depending What we did know about these on the species — under water. ancient wanderers contributed to a These excellent swimmers migrate sharp population decline worldwide: between feeding and nesting areas, Many cultures prized sea turtles for traveling hundreds — or even thousands their meat, eggs, oil and shells. On top of overharvesting, humans created many other fatal threats, including marine pollution, destruction of C o n t i n u e d Courtesy Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center coastwatch | summer 2016 | www.ncseagrant.org 21 nesting and feeding habitat, boat collisions and interactions with fishing gear — recreational and commercial alike. Of the seven sea turtle species worldwide, six are found in U.S. waters, with five species visiting the shores of North Carolina. The green, Kemp’s ridley and loggerhead are most common here, while the leatherback and hawksbill occur infrequently. The federal Endangered Species Act, or ESA, lists all sea turtles found in U.S. waters as either threatened or endangered. Under protection of Courtesy Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center the ESA, it is illegal to intentionally or unintentionally “take” — kill, harm or of — or damage caused even capture — any sea turtle without a by — recreational fishing permit. encounters in North For commercial and recreational Carolina. fishermen up and down the coast, “Sea Grant strives to fill this is a hot-button issue as sea turtles data gaps and this project frequently migrate through popular is a wonderful example fishing areas. When accidentally caught of that,” notes John Fear, in nets or on lines, the turtles cannot deputy director of Sea make it to the surface to breathe. Those Grant. “Beyond advancing that do not drown may later succumb our understanding of sea to injuries caused by lodged hooks or turtle-human interactions, entanglement in gear. Physiological Williard’s work also changes — what Williard observes links together different through her blood chemistry research — stakeholders interested in also may result in short- and long-term this issue.” consequences for the turtles. Matthew Godfrey, a sea turtle HOOK, LINE AND SINKER biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Originally from Lexing- Resources Commission, or WRC, notes ton, Kentucky, Williard grew that for the past few years reported up around lots of horses strandings have increased to more than but certainly not sea turtles. 750 a year on average in North Carolina. “My mom was hoping I Courtesy N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission “This includes all turtles, from alive and would be an equine veteri- injured, to dead and decomposing,” he narian,” she quips. TOP: Veterinary staff at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine stipulates, adding that an unusual cold In college, sea turtles Science Center remove a hook from a sea turtle. BOTTOM: snap in early 2016 led to over 2,000 combined her two favorite A drop net brings a captured turtle on to the pier to strandings of hypothermic sea turtles. things: herpetology and remove the hook before the animal is returned to the water. Despite the close attention paid animal physiology. Her to reducing bycatch by commercial research since has revolved around at UNCW, suggested she apply for funds fisheries, there is no mandated reporting how sea turtles function, specifically upon joining the university. She received or monitoring of sea turtle interactions “their diving physiology and behavior, support from the N.C. Fishery Resource for recreational hook-and-line fishermen. and how they adjust to changes in their Grant Program before applying for Lacking consistent reporting and regular environment,” she adds. a minigrant to evaluate the blood monitoring, management agencies and Williard became very familiar with biochemistry of sea turtles incidentally wildlife professionals like Godfrey do not Sea Grant after Martin Posey, now captured in recreational hook-and-line have a good handle on the frequency director of the Center for Marine Science fishing. 22 coastwatch | summer 2016 | www.ncseagrant.org posted informational signs, resulting in the later recovery of two Kemp’s ridley sea turtles for inclusion in the study. The relatively diminutive Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempii, lives primarily along the Atlantic coast from Mexico to Canada, preferring shallow waters where it can feed on crabs and other shellfish. They also have the unfortunate distinction of being the world’s most endangered sea turtle — and in some areas the species most commonly captured by recreational hook-and-line anglers. Courtesy Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center With just two data points collected from 75 hours of monitoring at the pier, catch a turtle on the Williard reached out to new partners to beach.” continue the study. She already had a Williard trained connection to the Virginia Aquarium & Ames to collect data Marine Science Center, known as VAQS, for the study by in Virginia Beach. Her doctoral student taking her to the N.C. Susan Barco coordinates its stranding Aquarium at Pine Knoll response program. Shores. They practiced Accurate testing requires obtaining handling the turtles blood samples as quickly as possible and taking blood, following a stranding report. “They could which Ames proudly get there in 30 minutes,” Williard notes. recalls getting on her Because juveniles move northward up first try. Throughout the coast, Williard also knew the turtles the summer of 2014, most likely pass through North Carolina Ames, along with waters on their way to Virginia, putting community volunteers, individuals at risk of being captured in regularly monitored the both states. pier at the Fort Fisher Also timely, VAQS had developed Courtesy Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Air Force Recreation a new strategy for getting pier owners Area, which straddles and fishermen more involved. “In the the Atlantic Ocean and summer of 2014, we started getting Cape Fear River, for regular reports of hooked turtles, but stranded turtles. we were not very effective at recovering In spite of not them,” Barco recalls. In response, they TOP: Injured turtles may require sedation, surgery and having consistent designed the Pier Partner Program, rehabilitation before they can be safely released. BOTTOM: data for recreational which Barco now oversees as research A radiograph reveals a deeply lodged hook. interactions, “we know coordinator for the Aquarium’s the Cape Fear has a Research and Conservation Division, to Ciera Ames, a biology and marine lot of turtles in it from other research,” provide targeted resources, including biology major at UNCW, aided Williard Godfrey shares. “The manager for the a workshop, outreach materials and with the latter study as part of her pier also works closely with the Pleasure response kits at six piers in Virginia. undergraduate honors project. Ames Island Sea Turtle Project, and therefore, Between the two states, the always had a love for amphibians and they are likely to call in hooked turtles.” research partners assessed 17 pier- reptiles but felt a special connection to Though the observers witnessed captured and four rehabilitated Kemp’s this work and to hooked sea turtles. On no turtle captures on the pier, they did ridley turtles between 2014 and 2015. a family vacation to the North Carolina make valuable connections with the The rehabilitated turtles, patients at the shore, she remembers, “I saw someone fishermen and the community, and C o n t i n u e d coastwatch | summer 2016 | www.ncseagrant.org 23 Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Topsail Island, served as a healthy comparison to the captured turtles. These juvenile turtles measured 23 to 48 centimeters, approximately the span from an adult’s elbow to his or her outstretched fingertips.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • La Terre Ne Nous Appartient Pas, Ce Sont Nos Enfants Qui Nous La Prêtent”
    Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Saint-Martin Le Journal “La terre ne nous appartient pas, ce sont nos enfants qui nous la prêtent” Trimestriel n°29 juillet 2017 Sommaire Megara 2017 : troisième édition: 4/5 Megara 2017: Mission #3 Un atelier en faveur des récifs et 6 A workshop In Support of Reefs des herbiers and Plant Beds Une thèse en faveur des herbiers 7 A Thesis About Plant Beds Un plan structuré contre la 8 A Solid Plan To Fight Hydrocarbon pollution aux hydrocarbures Pollution Des données conservées 9 Conserving Data Forever and Ever Des échasses clandestines 10 Clandestine Birds Nesting Sauvetage d’une tortue fléchée 11 Saving An Injured Turtle Un filet au Galion 12 Fishnet at Galion Saisie d’un filet de 300 mètres 12 300-meter Fishnet Seized Double saisie pour deux pêcheurs 13 Double Trouble For Two Fishermen Quads dans la Réserve 14 Quads in the Réserve: Poisson-lion et ciguatera 15 Lionfish and Ciguatera: Le centre équestre déménagera 16 Galion Equestrian Center To Move 17 bouées de mouillage à Tintamare 17 17 Buoys at Tintamare De nouveaux panneaux, interactifs 18 New Interactive Signage Bye bye Romain Renoux ! 19 Bye bye Romain Renoux! Toutes les réserves en Martinique 20/21 Nature Reserves Met In Martinique Cours de SVT à Pinel 22 Science Classes at Pinel Des régatiers et des baleines 23 Regattas VS Whales Un nouveau parc marin. Bravo Aruba ! 24/25 A New Marine Park. Bravo Aruba! Le Forum UE-PTOM à Aruba 26 UE-PTOM Forum in Aruba BEST : 2 beaux projets à Anguilla 27/30 BEST: 2 Winning Projects in Anguilla Réunion sur les baleines à bosse 31/32 Metting about Humpback Whales BEST : dernier appel à projets 32/33 BEST: Last Call For Projects 2 Edito à nos visiteurs des sites préservés, des plages propres, des eaux de baignade de qualité, ils ne viendront plus ! Le maintien de notre biodiversi- té et la préservation des différents écosystèmes marins et terrestres à Saint Martin sont une pri- orité.
    [Show full text]
  • Threats to Sea Turtles Artificial Lighting
    Threats to Sea Turtles Artificial Lighting Artificial lighting is a significant sea turtle conservation problem. Sea turtle hatchlings instinctively move towards the brightest light when they hatch – on a natural beach, this is the night sky over the ocean. The artificial lighting causes the hatchlings to become disoriented, and ultimately leads to their death. Below are two maps. The “Artificial Lighting” map is a satellite image of the lights that are visible at night in Florida from space. The “Florida County” map will be used for reference. You will also need your “Sea Turtle Nesting Data” from an earlier lesson. Directions: Using the data provided identify areas where artificial lighting has the greatest impact on sea turtle hatchlings. Artificial Lighting Map Lightly shaded areas (yellow) - Lights visible at night from space Compare the “Artificial Lighting” map with the blank county map below. Color in the counties which have the most visible night lights from space. County Map Compare this data with data you collected earlier of the nesting sites of Green, Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles. Green Nesting Map Leatherback Nesting Map Loggerhead Nesting Map Questions 1. Describe the relationship between the nesting data and the artificial lighting data. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • Turtle Tracks Miami-Dade County Marine Extension Service
    Turtle Tracks Miami-Dade County Marine Extension Service Florida Sea Grant Program DISTURBING A SEA TURTLE NEST IS A VIOLATION 4 OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS. 2 TURTLE TRACKS What To Do If You See A Turtle 1 3 SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY If you observe an adult sea turtle or hatchling sea turtles on the beach, please adhere to the following rules and guidelines: 1. It is normal for sea turtles to be crawling on the beach on summer nights. DO NOT report normal crawling or nesting (digging or laying eggs) to the Florida Marine Patrol unless the turtle is in a dangerous situation or has wandered off the beach. 1. Leatherback (on a road, in parking lot, etc.) 2. Stay away from crawling or nesting sea turtles. Although the 2. Kemp’s Ridley urge to observe closely will be great, please resist. Nesting is a 3. Green critical stage in the sea turtle’s life cycle. Please leave them 4. Loggerhead undisturbed. U.S. GOVERNMENTPRINTINGOFFICE: 1999-557-736 3. DO REPORT all stranded (dead or injured) turtles to the This information is a cooperative effort on behalf of the following organizations to Florida Marine Patrol. help residents of Miami-Dade County learn about sea turtle conservation efforts in 4. NEVER handle hatchling sea turtles. If you observe hatchlings this coastal region of the state. wandering away from the ocean or on the beach, call: NATIONAL Florida Marine Pat r ol 1-800- DIAL-FMP (3425-367) SAVE THE SEATURTLE FOUNDATION MIAMI-DADE COUNTY SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION PROGRAM 4419 West Tradewinds Avenue "To Protect Endangered or Threatened Marine Turtles for Fort Lauderdale, Floirda 33308 Future Generations" Phone: 954-351-9333 efore 1980, there was no documented sea Fax: 954-351-5530 Toll Free: 877-Turtle3 turtle activity in Mia m i - D ade County, due B mainly to the lack of an adequate beach-nesting Information has been drawn from “Sea Turtle Conservation Program“, a publication of the Broward County Department of Planning and Environmental Protection, habitat.
    [Show full text]
  • GREEN SEA TURTLE (Chelonia Mydas) MANAGEMENT PLAN for ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM
    GREEN SEA TURTLE (Chelonia mydas) MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM Prepared for Andersen Air Force Base 36 CES Environmental Flight 18001 Arc Light Boulevard Andersen AFB, GU 96929 and Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence HQ AFCEE/IWPH 25 E Street, Suite E-317 Hickam AFB, HI 96853-5330 Prepared by engineering-environmental Management, Inc. 9449 Balboa Avenue, Suite 111 San Diego, California 92123 Contract No.: F41624-03-D-8599, Task Order 0081 Project No.: AJJY 62-1849 e2M Project No.: 3100-081 May 2007 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 36 WG 36th Wing AFB Air Force Base AFCEE Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence oC degrees Celsius CNMI Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands DAWR Guam Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources DoD Department of Defense e²M engineering-environmental Management, Inc. EOD Exploded Ordinance Disposal FY Fiscal Year GNWR Guam National Wildlife Refuge INRMP Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan IUCN The World Conservation Union km Kilometers m Meters MPA Marine Preserve Area MOU Memo of Understanding NGO Non-Government Organization NMFS-PIRO National marine Fisheries Service-Pacific Islands Regional Office NOAA National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Plan Green Sea Turtle Management Plan STRP Sea Turtle Recovery Plan USAF United States Air Force USDA United States Department of Agriculture USGS United States Geological Society USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service VCO Volunteer Conservation Officer WPRFMC Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council Green Sea Turtle Management Plan Executive Summary Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) contracted engineering-environmental Management (e2M) to prepare a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Management Plan (Plan) for Andersen Air Force Base (AAFB), Guam.
    [Show full text]
  • Threats to Sea Turtles and Possible Solutions (.Pdf)
    Threats to Sea Turtles and Possible Solutions Introduction Sea turtles are one of the most ancient reptiles in the world dating back some 110 million years ago, surviving the extinction of the dinosaurs. Their complex life cycle, covering several developmental habitats and migrations of hundreds or thousands of miles between feeding zones and nesting beaches, exposes them to many threats to their survival, both natural as well as anthropogenic (human induced), over a broad geographical area. Today, their populations have been drastically reduced so that all seven species of sea turtles in the world are considered threatened or in danger of extinction. Below you will find a description of the main natural threats and human activities that negatively impact sea turtles while offering some solutions and conservation measures to take. Natural Threats Over their existence of millions of years, sea turtles have survived various catastrophic climatic and geological changes, which have resulted in drastic changes to their distinct habitats. Furthermore, sea turtles, their nests and hatchlings (neonates) are faced with many habitual threats. While in the nest, the eggs and hatchlings face many predators like ants, crabs and raccoons. After leaving the nest, hatchlings encounter crabs, birds and a vast number of predators in the ocean (for example, fish and sharks). Very few, perhaps only one out of every 1,000 turtles hatched, will survive to maturity. As adults, the number of natural threats decreases significantly and they have very few natural predators, among them sharks and jaguars. However, it is the increase in negative human impacts that have caused these species to teeter on the brink of extinction, by placing additional pressure on every stage of their life cycle, Coatis preying on a green turtle nest in from nesting areas to mortality in the open Tortuguero, Costa Rica.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Direction for Sea Turtle Conservation
    \\server05\productn\L\LCA\16-2\LCA205.txt unknown Seq: 1 3-JUN-10 9:17 COMMENTS HABITAT-BASED CONSERVATION LEGISLATION: A NEW DIRECTION FOR SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION By Tara Zuardo* This Comment explores various agreements designed to protect sea turtles at international and local levels as migratory species. Traditional approaches have been unsuccessful at addressing the myriad threats that face sea tur- tles. The effectiveness of international agreements could be greatly increased through government enforcement of national and local laws that protect spe- cies and through increased cooperation and coordination. This Comment concludes that regional legislation in the European Community mandating habitat protection for listed species and local involvement in sea turtle pro- tection offers direction for future agreements seeking to protect sea turtles. I. INTRODUCTION ......................................... 318 R II. PROTECTIONS NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION ............................... 322 R A. Unique Biological Cycles and Needed Protections ........ 322 R B. Threats from Over-Exploitation ......................... 324 R C. Threats from Environmental Degradation ............... 325 R D. Challenges to Traditional Approaches Used for Sea Turtle Conservation ................................... 327 R E. Protections Needed at the International Level ............ 328 R III. THE SHORTCOMINGS OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS RELEVANT TO SEA TURTLES ............ 329 R A. Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species ........ 330 R * Tara Zuardo 2010. The author obtained a Bachelors degree with High Honors from the University of California, Berkeley, and will obtain a J.D. and a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law with an emphasis in Animal Law from Lewis & Clark Law School in May 2010. Ms. Zuardo has had a lifelong concern for animal welfare, particularly for international protection of wildlife and animal testing issues.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecology of Marine Turtles Under Climate Change
    Ecology of Marine Turtles under Climate Change Submitted by Kimberley Laura Stokes to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences September 2014 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Kimberley L. Stokes Ecology of marine turtles under climate change Abstract Climate change threatens to disrupt biological systems around the globe, sparking debate over natural capacity for adaptation in a fragmented landscape. Marine turtles are evolutionarily ancient and have survived millions of years of prehistoric climate change, but are threatened by the rapidity of modern warming and a history of severe overexploitation that has left most populations depleted. This thesis explores a nesting aggregation of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in northern Cyprus, where a longitudinal programme of both intensive and extensive monitoring enables insight into individual and population level parameters and processes. Nesting on the two coastlines covered by this project is in the early stages of recovery, possibly in response to exhaustive nest protection efforts over the last twenty years. Saturation tagging at one key site allows us to confirm that recruitment of new breeders is an important driver of this trend, and that average clutch frequency has remained stable around three nests per female per year, validating nest-count derived abundance estimates at a regional scale.
    [Show full text]
  • 2017 Panama Annual Report
    Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles Panama Annual Report 2017 IAC Annual Report General Instructions Annex IV of the Convention text states that each Contracting Party shall hand in an Annual Report. To complete this Annual Report, Focal Points should consult with various stakeholders involved in sea turtle issues. If you have any questions regarding this Annual Report, please write to the PT Secretariat at [email protected] Please note that the date to submit this Annual Report is April 30, 2017. Part I (General Information) Please fill out the following tables. Add additional rows if necessary. a._ Focal Point Institution Ministry of Environment of Panama Name Lcdo. Ricardo de Ycaza Date Annual Report submitted b._ Agency or Institution responsible for preparing this report Name of Agency or Institution Ministry of Environment of Panama Name of the person responsible for Marino Eugenio Abrego completing this report Altos de Curundu, Edificio 500, Avenida Address Ascanio Villaláz, Ciudad de Panamá, República de Panamá. Telephone(s) +507 232-9630 / +507 6150-2101 Fax E-mail [email protected] Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles Panama Annual Report 2017 c._ Others who participated in the preparation of this report Name Agency or Institution E-mail Andrés Hidalgo Fundación Tortuguias [email protected] María Montenegro Fundación Tortuguias [email protected] Jacinto Rodríguez Fundación Agua y Tierra [email protected] [email protected] Wilfredo Poveda Ministerio de Ambiente/SINAP [email protected] María Cristina Sea Turtle Conservacncy y [email protected] Ordóñez Espinosa Fundación Panamá.
    [Show full text]
  • One in a Thousand: Those Amazing Sea Turtles
    One in a Thousand: Those Amazing Sea Turtles Contributing Authors: Maia McGuire, PhD Ruth Francis‐Floyd, DVM, MS, DACZM Mark Flint, BVSc, BSc (Hons), MApplSc, MPhil, PhD Jaylene Flint, BSc, Grad Dip Ed Words in bold throughout can be found in the glossary, and are suggested for use as Word Wall words while the book is being read. This project was funded by a grant awarded from the Sea Turtle Grants Program. The Sea Turtle Grants Program is funded from proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. Learn more at www.helpingseaturtles.org. This book and its accompanying lesson plans can be downloaded from http://stjohns.ifas.ufl.edu/sea/seaturtlecurriculum.html SGR 133 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Sea Turtle Biology .............................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2: How Do Scientists Identify Turtles? ........................................................................... 7 Leatherback Sea Turtles ............................................................................................. 9 Loggerhead Sea Turtles ............................................................................................ 10 Green Sea Turtles ..................................................................................................... 12 Hawksbill Sea Turtles ............................................................................................... 14 Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles .......................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Keeping Sea Turtles in the Dark
    Keeping Sea Turtles in the Dark Keeping Sea Turtles in the Dark This text is provided courtesy of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Sea turtle hatchlings Funding boosts efforts to cut light pollution along Florida's nesting beaches Selling darkness in the Sunshine State can be tough. Florida's beach communities sparkle at night with homes and condominiums decked out with beautiful lighting systems. Beachside resorts and businesses depend on artificial lighting to ensure safety and entertainment for guests and customers at night. Wherever people live, work and play, nighttime lights follow. For decades, steadily increasing illumination along Florida's coasts has wreaked havoc on sea turtles, which rely on subtle, nighttime lighting cues to deposit eggs on beaches and make it safely to sea as hatchlings. By the early 1990s, Floridians committed to turtle conservation understood how tenuous the situation had become. Suzi Fox, director of the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, remembers the bad days on her island community on the Gulf of Mexico just south of Tampa. "There wasn't one half-block area in 7 miles where you could release a hatchling and have it go to the ReadWorks.org © 2019 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. All Rights Reserved. Keeping Sea Turtles in the Dark sea," Fox said. "We didn't have any lighting ordinances back then, and people just didn't want to turn off their lights." Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Fox and her fellow turtle conservationists chipped away at light pollution in Florida, which hosts more than 90 percent of all sea turtle nesting in the continental United States.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation Status of Hawksbill Turtles in the Wider Caribbean, Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Regions
    Hawksbill Conservation Status Update 2014 Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles Published by the Secretariat Pro Tempore of the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles Cover Photo: Hawksbill turtle in the waters of Saint Barthelemy, French West Indies. © Franck Mazéas. Back Cover Photo: Hawksbill hatchlings on Crawl Cay in the Pearl Cays, Nicaragua. © Victor Huertas This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational and other non-profit purposes without special permission from the IAC Secretariat Pro Tempore, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. The IAC Secretariat Pro Tempore would appreciate to receive a copy of any publication that uses this report as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the IAC Secretariat Pro Tempore. Document citation Campbell, C.L. 2014. Conservation Status of Hawksbill Turtles in the Wider Caribbean, Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Regions. IAC Secretariat Pro Tempore, Virginia USA. 76p This publication is available electronically at: www.iacseaturtle.org and from: IAC Secretariat Pro Tempore 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 U.S.A Tel: + (703) 358 -1828 E-mail: [email protected] Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles Conservation Status of Hawksbill Turtles in the Wider Caribbean, Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Regions Prepared by Cathi L. Campbell, PhD September 2014 IAC Secretariat Pro Tempore • Virginia, USA Hawksbill Conservation Status Update 2014 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • An Atlas of Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat for the Wider Caribbean Region
    An Atlas of Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat for the Wider Caribbean Region Wendy Dow, Karen Eckert, Michael Palmer and Philip Kramer WIDECAST Technical Report No. 6 2007 For bibliographic purposes this document should be cited as: Dow, Wendy, Karen Eckert, Michael Palmer and Philip Kramer. 2007. An Atlas of Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat for the Wider Caribbean Region. The Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network and The Nature Conservancy. WIDECAST Technical Report No. 6. Beaufort, North Carolina. 267 pages, plus electronic Appendices. ISSN: 1930-3025 Cover photo: Kim Maison (Levera National Park, Grenada) Copies of this publication may be obtained from: Dr. Karen L. Eckert Executive Director Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) Nicholas School Marine Lab – Duke University 135 Duke Marine Lab Road Beaufort, North Carolina 28516 Tel: (252) 727-1600 / Fax: (252) 504-7648 [email protected] / www.widecast.org An Atlas of Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat for the Wider Caribbean Region Wendy Dow Karen Eckert Michael Palmer Philip Kramer 2007 Generously supported by: Dow et al. (2007) ~ Sea Turtle Nesting in the Wider Caribbean Region ~ WIDECAST Technical Report No. 6 Preface and Intent For more than 25 years the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), with Country Coordinators in more than 40 Caribbean nations and territories, has linked scien- tists, conservationists, natural resource users and managers, policy-makers, industry groups, educators, and other stakeholders together in a collective effort to develop a unified manage- ment framework, and to promote a region-wide capacity to design and implement scientifically sound sea turtle conservation programs. As a Partner Organization of the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme and its Regional Programme for Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW), WIDECAST is designed to ad- dress research and management priorities at national and regional levels, both for sea turtles and for the habitats upon which they depend.
    [Show full text]