Epperly and Teas: Escape openings in turtle excluder devices 



471 



the species from endangered to threatened status (10,000 

 females nesting in a season) will be met early in this cen- 

 tury (TEW(!, 2000). There are five known subpopulations 

 of loggerhead turtles in the Western North Atlantic (Enca- 

 lada et al., 1998; Francisco Pearco, 2001; Francisco et al.. 



in press) but the status of only two could be addressed 

 by the TEWCl. Nesting levels of the South Florida sub- 

 population appear to be increasing, meeting one of the 

 recovery goals set for Florida loggerhead sea turtles. 

 The northern subpopulation, which nests from northern 



