28 



Fishery Bulletin 92(1), 1994 



Figure 1 



The waters from which Kemp's ridley sea turtles, Lepidochelys kempii, were obtained for this study can be di- 

 vided into four habitats: Long Island Sound, where most of the stranded turtles were recovered; the Atlantic Ocean, 

 which was the habitat of two turtles in the study; the southern bays, where one live capture and one boat-hit 

 turtle were recovered; and the Peconic Bay system, where most of the turtles for the fecal analysis and several 

 turtles for the digestive tract analysis wree recovered. 



turtles encountered in New York waters from 1985 

 through 1989. 



Nineteen fecal samples were obtained. Fourteen 

 were collected during 1989, three during 1988, and 

 two during 1987. Of these fecal samples, 17 were 

 obtained from live turtles captured during warmer 

 months (June to October) and two samples were 

 retrieved from revived, cold-stunned turtles in late 

 November. Captured turtles were obtained from lo- 

 cal commercial fishermen who were asked to retain 

 turtles caught incidentally in fishing gear (predomi- 

 nantly pound nets). After the fishermen docked, they 

 called a 24-hour number to reach a biologist, who 

 generally picked up the turtle while the fishermen 

 were still unloading their catch. All noncold-stunned 

 Kemp's ridleys received from commercial fisheries 

 in Long Island were alive and apparently healthy. 



All turtles were weighed and measured upon re- 

 turn to the laboratory. Each turtle was then allowed 

 to swim freely in an individual 2100-liter tank and 

 was offered either squid or clam meat. Most Kemp's 

 ridleys accepted the food offerings, but many fed 

 only after the food was dangled in front of them for 



as long as 2-3 hours. Feeding often induced defeca- 

 tion within a relatively short time. 



Tanks were checked at least three times a day for 

 the appearance of feces. Filter intakes in the tanks 

 were elevated and covered, except for small holes, 

 to insure against sample loss. When feces were ob- 

 served, they were immediately removed and placed 

 in individual sample jars. If a turtle did not defecate 

 within 24 hours of being placed in captivity, it was 

 given an enema of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate 

 (Disposaject brand, Pitman-Moore Inc.). If a fecal 

 sample was still not obtained after another 24 hours, 

 the turtle was released. 



The rate of food passage was examined during this 

 study to insure that samples were not polluted with 

 prey items eaten while the turtles were in the 

 fishermen's nets. Gut passage rates were deter- 

 mined for two Kemp's ridleys by feeding them 

 declawed lobsters (Homarus americanus). Lobster 

 was used as a tracer because it has never been re- 

 ported as a prey item and is consumed relatively 

 readily by the turtles. By monitoring fecal output, 

 the amount of time between ingestion of the lobster 



