Table 4 shows census data on hawksblll populations gathered 

 by various investigators around the Caribbean since 1983. These 

 data, combined with those presented in the national reports at 

 this conference, may allow us to refine further the estimates of 

 the size of hawksbill nesting populations in the region. An 

 important point to note in the following discussion is that 

 nearly all the data are reported as number of nests , rather than 

 number of nesting females, as in the previous tables. A rough 

 average of 3 nests per female can be used to convert these 

 figures, but this average is known to vary widely between sites. 



Antigua. A previously unknown hawksbill nesting site was 

 discovered on Long Island, off the east coast of Antigua, by John 

 Fuller and Jacques Fretey in the early 1980s. It has been under 

 study now for two consecutive seasons by Lynn Corliss, and Dr. 

 James Richardson. Surveillance did not begin until mid-season in 

 1986, after which 40-50 nests were recorded. One hundred and 

 three nests were recorded on approximately 1,000 feet of suitable 

 beach from the end of June to the end of November in 1987 (J. 

 Richardson and L. Corliss, pers. comm.). 



Belize . A survey of the marine turtle fauna of Belize made 

 by Donald Moll of the Department of Biology, Southwest Missouri 

 State University, in 1983 and 1984 revealed no nesting 

 concentrations of any species (Moll 1985) . Eight hawksbill nests 

 were encountered in aerial and ground surveys conducted 

 throughout the country; five of these were in extreme southern 

 Belize in the Sapodilla Keys. 



Costa Rica . The hawksbill population nesting at Tortuguero, 

 Costa Rica has been monitored since 1955 by Dr. Archie Carr and 

 associates. Only five miles of the 22-mile beach are surveyed on 

 a daily basis, and coverage is limited to the green turtle 

 nesting season, which is July through mid-September. Four nests 

 were recorded in 1986 and eleven in 1987. Numbers of nesting 

 females for the years beginning with 1983 are as follows: 7, 5, 

 6, 2 and 9 (K. Bjorndal, pers. comm.). 



French Guiana . According to provisional WATS II reports, 

 ground surveys conducted on several beaches in French Guiana 

 under the supervision of Jacques Fretey during the 1987 season 

 revealed only four hawksbill nests. This is consistent with 

 previous observations by Fretey that hawksbills are very rare 

 nesters in that country. 



Guyana . Aerial and ground surveys conducted in Guyana by 

 Peter Pritchard in 1984, 1985 and 1986 revealed very low levels 

 of nesting by hawksbills, primarily in the northwest district 

 near Waini Point (WATS II Report/Data Set) . 



Mexico. Intensive monitoring of the hawksbill nesting 

 population at Isla Aguada in Campeche was carried out in 1985 and 



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