A Sea Turtle Population Assessment for Florida's Big Bend, Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

Coastal waters of Florida’s Big Bend, Gulf Mexico (GOM) once supported one the largest sea turtle fisheries in United States. To fill an information gap this region on abundance and distribution turtles, we used vessel—based distance sampling active capture methods to characterize current foraging aggregations near St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve. Over 10 periods between 2012—2018, completed 513 km transects recorded 819 turtles among 4 species—green (Chelonia mydas, n = 624), Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii, 147), loggerhead (Caretta caretta, 47), a single hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata). Turtle densities study plots within 200 km2 site ranged from 57—221 immature green turtles/km2, 16—56 ridleys/km2, 1—14 juvenile—to—adult loggerheads/km2. Of captured, 67.5% showed skin tumors consistent with fibropapillomatosis, frequency similar that urbanized estuaries east coast. The (> 60 cm straight standard carapace length), abundant southern portion our area, are note because size class is uncommonly US territorial waters. Analyses mtDNA haplotypes found contributions rookeries western GOM, Mexican Caribbean, Costa Rica. Although Bend protected areas were principally designed conserve marine coastal habitats, these regulatory zones have also effectively encompassed hotspot for turtles.