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Fishery Bulletin 93(1), 1995 



small sample sizes, measurement errors, and short- 

 term recaptures. A number of treatments were ap- 

 plied to the growth data in an attempt to control for 

 measurement error. However, no single approach was 

 able to account for all the error. Consequently, growth 

 rates were calculated for 1) all data combined, 2) 

 those tag and recapture data recorded by the con- 

 tracted personnel, and 3) those data with recapture 

 intervals greater than 90 days. A mean growth rate 

 of 5.56 ± 23.91 cm/yr (range: -11.49 to 167.17 cm/yr) 

 was calculated for all loggerhead turtle recaptures. 

 Analysis of the loggerhead turtles tagged and recap- 

 tured by the contract personnel indicated a mean 

 growth rate of 1.00 ± 1.23 cm/yr (range: 0.00 to 4.01 

 cm/yr). Additionally, a mean growth rate of 2.98 ± 

 7.12 cm/yr (range: -5.96 to 38.44 cm/yr) was calcu- 

 lated for all loggerhead turtle recaptures greater than 

 90 days at large, 1.84 ± 1.76 cm/yr (range: -0.23 to 

 8.08 cm/yr) for all recaptures greater than 180 days at 

 large, and 1.77 ± 1.88 cm/yr (range: -0.23 to 8.08 cm/ 

 yr) for all recaptures greater than 360 days at large. 



The von Bertalanffy growth interval equation was 

 fitted to each of these data treatments. Estimates of 

 asymptotic length (a) for loggerhead turtles ranged 

 from 96.08 cm to 112.52 cm and estimates of intrin- 

 sic growth rate (K) ranged from 0.0365 to 0.0588 

 (Table 3). The growth model for captures and recap- 

 tures by the contract vessel had the lowest residual 

 mean square, a criterion commonly used to select the 



best fit growth model (Dunham, 1978). The estimated 

 parameters for this data treatment (a = 112.52 cm; 

 #=0.0365) are similar to Henwood's (1987b) esti- 

 mated parameters for nonlinear regression of the von 

 Bertalanffy equation (a=110.002 cm; #=0.0313). 



Kemp's ridley turtle, Lepidochelys kempi— One hun- 

 dred and thirteen Kemp's ridley turtle captures were 

 recorded on the Atlantic coast of Florida. Kemp's rid- 

 ley turtles ranged in size from 21.5 to 60.3 cm SSCL 

 (Fig. 5). Sixty-five percent (n=70) of these turtles were 

 early to mid-subadults (20-40 cm). With the excep- 

 tion of a single adult turtle, the Kemp's ridley turtles 

 caught on the east coast were classified as imma- 

 ture. Kemp's ridley turtles were captured year-round 

 in the Cape Canaveral area (Table 4). Their pres- 

 ence in the Cape Canaveral area appeared to be sea- 

 sonal; 61% (n=69) of the turtles were captured dur- 

 ing the winter months of December to March. How- 

 ever, a relatively large number of Kemp's ridley turtles 

 captured in January and February of 1987 and in 

 March of 1988 contributed significantly to this trend. 

 Captures of Kemp's ridley turtles during the following 

 years did not exhibit a pronounced seasonal pattern. 



Nineteen tagged Kemp's ridley turtles were recap- 

 tured or recovered. Eighty-nine percent (n=17) of the 

 turtles were recaptured by shrimp trawls, and 11% 

 (n=2) were recovered from beach strandings. With 

 the exception of a single turtle captured in the area 



