472 



Fishery Bulletin 100(3) 



Florida through North Carolina may now be stable but is 

 currently well below goals set for its recovery (return to 

 prelisting nesting levels). Mortality on at least the north- 

 ern subpopulation of loggerhead sea turtles needs to be 

 reduced throughout its range to ensure recovery. 



Although subpopulations of loggerhead turtles can be 

 easily distinguished by the geographic location of their 

 nesting beaches, the subpopulations comingle on the for- 

 aging grounds (Sears, 1994; Norrgard, 1995; Sears et al., 

 1995; Rankin-Baransky et al., 2001; Witzell et al., 2002; 

 Bass et al., in press). Genetic studies of foraging and 

 stranded animals indicate that the immature benthic ani- 

 mals of the northern subpopulation are distributed along 

 the Atlantic seaboard (Sears, 1994; Norrgard, 1995; Sears 

 et al., 1995; Rankin-Baransky et al, 2001; Witzell et al, 

 2002; Bass et al., in press), in Florida Bay (Bass et al.^), 

 and in the Gulf of Mexico (Bass et al.^). Non-nesting adult 

 females from the northern subpopulation appear to occur 

 exclusively along the east coast of the United States with 

 rare exception, and none have been reported from inter- 

 national waters (Bell and Richardson, 1978; Williams and 

 Frick, 2001;CMTTP6). 



* Bass, A. L., M. Clinton, and B. W. Bowen. 1998, Loggerhead 

 turtles iCaretta caretta i in Florida Bay: an assessment of origin 

 based on genetic markers. Unpubl. report to Florida Depart- 

 ment of Environmental Protection, 5 p. Department of Fish- 

 eries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 

 7922 NW 71»' St., Gainesville, FL 32653. 



5 Bass. A. L., S.-M. Chow, and B. W. Bowen. 1999. Final 

 report for project titled; genetic identities of loggerhead turtles 

 stranded in the Southeast United States. Unpubl. report to 

 National Marine Fisheries Service, order number 40AANF 

 809090, lip. Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 

 University of Florida, 7922 NW 71*' St., Gainesville, FL 32653. 



Eight nesting subpopulations were identified for green 

 turtles in the Atlantic Ocean (Encalada et al., 1996), but lat- 

 er were reduced to five regional population units (Bass and 

 Witzell, 2000). Like loggerheads, the subpopulations com- 

 ingle on the foraging grounds (Bass et al, 1998; Lahanas 

 et al., 1998; Bass and Witzell, 2000). The status of all these 

 subpopulations has not been evaluated, but it appears that 

 nesting levels are increasing on the east coast of Florida 

 (Meylan et al., 1995; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation 

 Commission" ) as well as at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, the larg- 

 est Western Atlantic rookery (Bjorndal et al., 1999). 



A large proportion of stranded loggerhead turtles and 

 a small proportion of stranded green turtles are too large 

 to pass through the required minimum-sizes for TED 

 openings. This finding is corroborated by analyses that 

 suggest that the size distribution of stranded loggerheads 

 is different (larger) than the size distribution of turtles in 

 the nearshore waters (TEWG, 2000). The relatively large 

 proportion of stranded loggerhead turtles with dimen- 

 sions greater than the minimum height required for TED 

 openings is cause for concern in light of the need to reduce 

 mortality on the northern subpopulation of loggerhead sea 



' CMTTP (Cooperative Marine Turtle Tagging Program). 2001. 

 Unpubl. data. The Cooperative Marine Turtle Tagging Pro- 

 gram was established by NMFS in 1980 to centralize the tagging 

 programs among sea turtle researchers, distribute tags, manage 

 tagging data, and facilitate exchange of tag information. Since 

 1999 the CMTTP has been managed by the Archie Carr Center 

 for Sea Turtle Research at the Universitv of Florida, PO Box 

 118525, Gainesville, FL 32511. 



Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 2001. 

 Unpubl. data. 100 Eighth Avenue S.E., St. Petersburg, FL 

 33701 



