discarded fishing gear, tar and other types of debris are real. 

 The use of satellite imagery may prove useful in defining areas 

 of convergence where weed lines may predictably be discovered. 

 Weed lines are an important habitat for hatchlings and small 

 turtles and also accumulate debris. Once areas of convergence 

 are identified, small vessels are adequate for ground truthing as 

 demonstrated by Bjorndal (K. Bjorndal, pers. comm.). Both the 

 abundance of debris and turtles may be quantified and a risk 

 model developed to examine the probability of impact of debris on 

 small turtles in weed lines as suggested by K. Bjorndal (pers. 

 comm. ) . 



Only through direct sampling whether fishery independent or 

 fishery dependent can the impacts of all the risks facing turtles 

 in the pelagic environment be both qualified and quantified. 

 Only when these results are available can turtles be completely 

 and adequately managed throughout their respective ranges. 



Acknowledgments 



For the presentation made during the WATS II meeting the 

 following persons loaned me the use of slides: Andrew Kemmerer, 

 Director, Pascagoula Laboratory, Southeast Fisheries Center; 

 Barbara Schroeder, Miami Laboratory, Southeast Fisheries Center; 

 Larry Ogren, Panama City Laboratory, Southeast Fisheries Center. 

 I am particularly grateful to John Mysing, NMFS/SEFC Bay St. 

 Louis Laboratory for the information on satellite and radio 

 tracking of turtles. I appreciate the opportunity that WATS II 

 and Frederick Berry afforded me by allowing me to present this 

 paper during the symposium. I am grateful for the continued 

 support of Walter Nelson, Laboratory Director, Miami Laboratory 

 of the NMFS/SEFC. 



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