Sea Turtles
Sea Turtles
Six sea turtle species – all protected by the Endangered Species Act – call U.S. waters home. With study sites in the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys, and the Caribbean (namely, the U.S. Virgin Islands), much of WARC’s sea turtle research in the southeast focuses on four species: Greens, Hawksbills, Kemp's Ridleys, and Loggerheads.
Filter Total Items: 9
Beach Compaction and the Impacts of Tilling on Nesting Sea Turtles and Foraging Shorebirds
Researchers are investigating beach compaction, the incubation environment for turtle nests, and shorebird nest abundance at beaches throughout the southeastern United States to better understand the impacts of beach compaction to nesting turtles and foraging seabirds.
Fine-Scale Dive Profiles and Activity Patterns of Sea Turtles in the Gulf of Mexico
Researchers are developing acceleration data logger pop-off packages that can be affixed to sea turtles to collect behavioral patterns of diving, surfacing, and general activity levels.
Hotspot and Risk Analysis for Sea Turtles in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Researchers will collect location data that will be used to identify areas of high-use for resident sea turtles in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Sea Turtle Movement and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) uses trawling to capture and relocate live sea turtles away from dredging locations to minimize the risk of turtle entrainment. These incidental turtle captures provide a unique opportunity to fill critical data gaps for difficult to capture life-stages of marine turtles.
Distribution and Density of Sea Turtles in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM): Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS)
The over-arching goal of GoMMAPPS is to collect broad-scale survey data for seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles to determine distribution and abundance in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sea turtle nesting on Eglin Air Force Base property, Cape San Blas, Florida
The Northwestern Atlantic population of loggerhead sea turtles is one of the largest in the world. Genetic studies have divided this population into 5 management units including a genetically distinct group that nests throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM).
Benthic Habitat Characterization and Habitat Use of Endangered Sea Turtles in Marine Protected Areas of the Greater Everglades
USGS assesses how federally endangered sea turtles use the habitat in and around a no-take area in the Dry Tortugas National Park.
Predicting Vulnerability of Southeastern Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches to Climate Change
Climate change may reduce the suitability of nesting and foraging habitat used by federally threatened and endangered species, like the Loggerhead sea turtle.
Sea Turtle Habitat Use at Buck Island Reef National Monument, U.S. Virgin Islands
USGS researchers tag and track endangered and threatened sea turtles to inform adaptive management strategies in marine protected areas.