(AN) 0.7%, all other methods of capture can be considered 

 incidental: gill nets (AG) 7.04%; shrimp trawlers (AC) 75.35%, 

 fish trawlers (AE) 4.25%; hook and line (AZ) 1%; beach seines 

 (CH) 0.7%; purse seines (RC) 0.7%. Cause of mortality or method 

 of capture cannot be determined for other categories such as 

 drifting dead turtles (MD) 7.04% and unknown (??) 0.7%. A small 

 percentage of animals with unknown capture method are included as 

 unknown (??) 0.7%. 



The geographical distribution as related to recapture is as 

 follows: 



To the north, along the coast of the U.S. 42.25% 

 To the south, in Mexico 57.74% 



This distribution is detailed in Fig. 3 where it can be seen that 

 Louisiana (LN = 26.76 %) , Campeche (CA = 17.61%) and Tamaulipas 

 (TM = 20.42%), have the highest percentage of catch, coinciding 

 with the states where shrimp trawlers in the Gulf of Mexico 

 concentrate. The remaining states include the following 

 percentages: Florida (FL = 2.11%); Alabama (AL = 2.82%); 

 Mississippi (MS = 2.82%), Texas (TX = 7.04%); Quintana Roo (QR = 

 0.7%); Tabasco (TB = 8.45%) and Veracruz (VR = 10.56%). The only 

 adult captured outside the Gulf of Mexico is from Colombia (CL = 

 0.7%). This record is very special. According to Chavez and 

 Kaufman (1974), this turtle was found nesting in the Province of 

 Magdalena. No detailed information was given, hence this animal 

 may well have been ill or physically weakened and may have 

 drifted to that beach in a current. 



Juveniles and pre-adults, as stated in the beginning, are 

 more frequently found outside the Gulf of Mexico. Along the 

 coast of the United States, records have been kept of turtles 

 that come ashore, dead or alive. Interestingly the frequency of 

 observations of this species has increased lately, especially in 

 the size class between 2 to 55 cm carapace length (Ogren 1985; 

 J. Rudloe, pers. comm.). One of the possible explanations for 

 this is that these turtles are coming from the beaches at Ranch© 

 Nuevo, since the great majority of them have not been tagged, in 

 contrast to the ones released after being headstarted at 

 Galveston. 



During the last ten years, as a result of the imprinting and 

 headstart project, as described by Klima and McVey (1982) and 

 Woody (1985), more than 15,000 turtles of about 9 months of age 

 have been released. The adaptation of these turtles after 

 release seems to have been successful, according to the results 

 from recaptures. The majority of these turtles have shown normal 

 growth and have been found within the natural distribution of the 

 species, including European waters (Brongersma 1972, 1973) and in 

 Morocco (Fontaine et al. 1985) . Besides the headstarted 

 hatchlings, a portion of the hatchlings from Rancho Nuevo (500) 



164 



