Raymond Carthy, Ph.D.
Dr. Carthy's research centers on ecology of endangered species. His research interests involve reproductive ecology and physiology of coastal and wetland herpetofauna, with current focus on marine and freshwater turtles. He is also involved in research on threatened upland species and in conservation management oriented studies.
Biography
Only Raymond's five most recent publications are shown here. For more information about Raymond, including a full publications list, visit his profile page on the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit web site.
Raymond also can be reached at his Florida State University email address: ngosi@ufl.edu
Education
- Ph D University of Florida 1996
- MS Slippery Rock University 1983
- BS Manhattan College 1980
Research Interests
Dr. Carthy's research centers on ecology of endangered species. His research interests involve reproductive ecology and physiology of coastal and wetland herpetofauna, with current focus on marine and freshwater turtles. He is also involved in research on threatened upland species and in conservation management oriented studies.
Teaching Interests
In addition to teaching herpetology classes centered on ecology and conservation of marine chelonids, Dr. Carthy has taught courses on bioethics and critical thinking. he is currently developing a graduate level course on coastal ecology.
Science and Products
Home ranges and movements of two diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota) in northwest Florida
The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a small estuarine turtle distributed along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the USA that is threatened by drowning in crab pots, road mortality, exploitation in the pet trade, and habitat loss. Little is known about the movement patterns and home ranges of these turtles, particularly along the U.S....
Lamont, Margaret; Johnson, Darren; Catizone, Daniel JPredicting multi-species foraging hotspots for marine turtles in the Gulf of Mexico
Quantifying the distribution of animals and identifying underlying characteristics that define suitable habitat are essential for effective conservation of free-ranging species. Prioritizing areas for conservation is important in managing a geographic extent that has a high level of disturbance and limited conservation resources. We examined the...
Fujisaki, Ikuko; Hart, Kristen; Bucklin, David N.; Iverson, Autumn R.; Rubio, Cynthia; Lamont, Margaret; Miron, Raul de Jesus G.D.; Burchfield, Patrick M.; Pena, Jaime; Shaver, Donna J.Growth rates for immature Kemp’s ridley sea turtles from a foraging area in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Examining vital rates helps clarify how environmental characteristics, biological resources and human activities affect population growth. Carapace lengths were gathered for 241 Kemp’s ridley Lepidochelys kempii sea turtles that were marked and recaptured (n = 23) between 2011 and 2019 at a foraging location in northwest Florida, USA....
Lamont, Margaret; Johnson, DarrenThe importance of the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico to foraging loggerhead sea turtles
Identification of high-use foraging sites where imperiled sea turtles are resident remains a globally-recognized conservation priority. In the biodiverse Gulf of Mexico (GoM), recent telemetry studies highlighted post-nesting foraging sites for federally threatened loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Our aim here was to discern loggerhead use of...
Hart, Kristen M.; Lamont, Margaret M.; Iverson, Autumn; Smith, BrianThe incubation environment of nests deposited by a genetically distinct group of loggerhead sea turtles in Northwest Florida
The warming climate presents a challenge to conservation of all threatened and endangered species but particularly to those that exhibit temperature-dependent sex determination such as sea turtles. Changes in temperature may result in changes in the sex ratio of the population which can directly affect reproductive rate, abundance and population...
Lamont, Margaret; Johnson, Darren; Carthy, RaymondMigration corridors and threats in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits for loggerhead sea turtles
Along migration corridors, animals can face natural and anthropogenic threats that differ from those in breeding and non-breeding residence areas. Satellite telemetry can aid in describing the timing and location of these migrations. We use this tool with switching state-space modeling and line kernel density estimates to identify migration...
Iverson, Autumn; Benscoter, Allison; Fujisaki, Ikuko; Lamont, Margaret; Hart, KristenSea turtle conservation: 10 ways you can help
Five species of sea turtle rely on Florida’s coastal and nearshore habitats for nesting during the summer months and foraging throughout the year (Figure 1). - Loggerhead turtles, named for their large, block-shaped heads with strong jaw muscles for crushing benthic invertebrates, are the most common sea turtle species on Florida’s nesting...
Swindall, Jessica E.; Ober, Holly K.; Lamont, Margaret; Carthy, Raymond R.Sea turtle conservation: Priorities for environmental education efforts
All five species of sea turtle that occur in Florida are in danger of extinction. Many of the reasons these turtles are declining are a result of people’s actions on beaches and in shallow waters. Environmental education is needed to increase awareness and appreciation for sea turtles, and to teach about the potential harmful impacts human...
Swindall, Jessica E.; Ober, Holly K.; Lamont, Margaret; Carthy, Raymond R.Informing sea turtle outreach efforts to maximize effectiveness
Most sea turtle (Cheloniidae) species worldwide are endangered or threatened, with threats causing harm to sea turtles predominantly human‐induced. Thus, prevention of further declines to these imperiled species will require alteration of human behaviors. Regulations, incentives, and environmental education are 3 strategies that could be used to...
Swindall, Jessica E.; Ober, Holly K.; Lamont, Margaret; Carthy, RaymondLoggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) diving changes with productivity, behavioral mode, and sea surface temperature
The relationship between dive behavior and oceanographic conditions is not well understood for marine predators, especially sea turtles. We tagged loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) with satellite-linked depth loggers in the Gulf of Mexico, where there is a minimal amount of dive data for this species. We tested for associations between four...
Iverson, Autumn; Fujisaki, Ikuko; Lamont, Margaret; Hart, KristenWest Florida shelf pipeline serves as sea turtle benthic habitat based on in-situ towed camera observations
The use of marine offshore benthic habitats by sea turtles is poorly characterized due to the difficulty of obtaining in situ data. Understanding benthic habitat use that is important to the species’ reproduction, foraging, and migrations is critical for guiding management decisions. A towed camera-based assessment survey system (C-BASS) equipped...
Broadbent, Heather A.; Grasty, Sarah E.; Hardy, Robert F.; Lamont, Margaret M.; Hart, Kristen M.; Lembke, Chad; Brizzolara, Jennifer L.; Murawski, Steven A.Sympatry or syntopy? Investigating drivers of distribution and co‐occurrence for two imperiled sea turtle species in Gulf of Mexico neritic waters
Animals co‐occurring in a region (sympatry) may use the same habitat (syntopy) within that region. A central aim in ecology is determining what factors drive species distributions (i.e., abiotic conditions, dispersal limitations, and/or biotic interactions). Assessing the degree of biotic interactions can be difficult for species with wide ranges...
Hart, Kristen M.; Iverson, Autumn R.; Fujisaki, Ikuko; Lamont, Margaret M.; Bucklin, David N.; Shaver, Donna J.