nest, and we will have taken a giant step in understanding the 

 management task that lies before us. If fishermen want to bring 

 live, tagged turtles to a local research center set up to gather 

 growth and distribution data, I say encourage them to do so. 

 Such an exercise may produce some very valuable research data and 

 could even be supported with research funds. 



Much is said about tagging hatchlings, but, if a couple of 

 hatchlings could later be recognized as 30 cm juvenile turtles, 

 then we will have taken another giant step forward toward 

 modeling and predicting population response and recovery rate. 

 One method being discussed for tagging hatchlings is the use of 

 implanted, coded chips called PITs, an acronym which stands for 

 passive integrated transponders. Years later, a unique 

 identification number can be read from the turtle by passing a 

 wand over the carapace or flipper containing the PIT. A tagging 

 project of this kind would be a major effort, requiring tens of 

 thousands of hatchlings, a commitment of time over many years by 

 resource management agencies and lots of money. Should such a 

 massive experiment succeed, the results for management would be 

 unbelieveably valuable. The whole idea is fascinating but needs 

 a great deal more debate and careful thought before action should 

 be taken. I am not sure we can afford such an effort, and I am 

 concerned that the disturbance associated with implanting the tag 

 will reduce survival potential of the hatchlings and compromise 

 the experiment. 



Population sex ratios of juvenile and adult sea turtles in 

 the wild represent another life cycle parameter about which we 

 know very little. The methodology is technical, requiring an 

 internal inspection of the gonads with a laparoscope. The value 

 of the exercise depends on how well the researcher has sampled 

 the population. That is to say, is he looking at a random sample 

 of a whole population or at a biased gathering of turtles drawn 

 non-randomly from the real population? I don't know anywhere in 

 the Caribbean where you can test this point. I suggest that sex 

 ratios are fascinating bits of information but not a management 

 research priority in the WATS area; we may have to depend on C. 

 Limpus' Australian work for our answers. I suggest that we 

 gather such data whenever and wherever they are available, such 

 as from slaughterhouses or indigenous take on beaches or from 

 animals killed by trawl nets. However, I do not think we can 

 afford to set sex ratio studies as a priority management need in 

 the Caribbean. 



Other avenues of investigation into the population biology 

 of sea turtles are fascinating, particularly the endocrine or 

 internal hormone system that drives sea turtle behavior and the 

 way in which the internal system of the turtle interacts with 

 physical parameters of the outside environment. This is very 

 exciting work, with much potential value for management needs. 

 However, in terms of a WATS priority, I think we should leave 



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