Table 3. Duck kill and hunting pressure in the Mobile Delta (1972-83 

 seasons) (B. Johnson, Alabama Department of Conservation, Montgomery, 1984; 

 pers. comm.). 



beaches of nearby Florida are more likely nesting 

 beaches of Alabama. 



sites for turtles than the 



Four other species of sea turtles are believed to occur in coastal 

 Alabama waters. These include the green turtle ( Chelonia my das ) , the 

 Atlantic hawksbill ( Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata ) , tfie Atlantic ridley 

 ( Lepidochelys kempi ) , anc] th"e Atlantic reatherback ( Dermochelys coriacea ) . 

 Green, hawksbill, and ridley turtles are occasional visitors i~n Al abama 

 waters and are rarely encountered; however, leatherback turtles are not 

 uncommon. While coastal Alabama beaches may have been within the nesting 

 ranges of these four species at one time, they are not known to nest there 

 now. 



All five species of sea turtles found in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico 

 waters are protected by both Federal and state laws (Boschung 1976). 



GRASS BEDS 



The submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) found in the Mobile Bay estuarine 

 system are either freshwater, brackish-water, or marine species. In the 

 delta area, the freshwater species Val lisneria americana (tape grass) and 

 Myriophyl 1 urn spicatum (Eurasian mil foil ) are most common (Stout and Lelong 

 1981 ) . Val lisneria is a valuable waterfowl food and provides protection for 

 young fishes Tn spawning areas (Beashears 1979), but Myriophyl Turn is an im- 

 ported nuisance species. In the brackish-water areas, Ruppia maritima 



