Assessment of Sea Turtle Abundance in Six South Atlantic U.S. Channels.

• Main Authors: Dickerson, Dena D., Reine, Kevin J., Nelson, David A., Dickerson, Charles E., Jr
• Other Authors: ARMY ENGINEER WATERWAYS EXPERIMENT STATION VICKSBURG MS ENVIRONMENTAL LAB
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1995
• Subjects: Biology; Ecology; Civil Engineering; *ENDANGERED SPECIES; *DREDGING; *TURTLES; MILITARY FACILITIES; SHIPS; RISK; IMPACT; DESTRUCTION; POPULATION; MEAT; ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS; ENGINEERS; ARMY; HABITATS; CHANNELS; HARBORS; CHANNELS(WATERWAYS); SOUTH(DIRECTION); FLORIDA; FISHES; LEATHER; PORTS(FACILITIES); SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; *SEA TURTLES; LOGGERHEAD; CARETTA CARETTA; GREEN; CHELONIA MYDAS; KEMP'S RIDLEY; LEPIDOCHELYSKEMPL; South Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA301613; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA301613

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for maintaining the navigability of entrance channels to harbors, seaports, and some military facilities along the southeastern U.S. coast (Figure 1). Most of these channels are inhabited for at least part of the year by sea turtles classified as federally threatened or endangered; however, the highest concentrations of sea turtles are found along the Atlantic beaches of central and southern Florida (National Research Council 1990). The relative abundance and activities of sea turtles associated with ship channel habitats are virtually unknown. Sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered species because their population levels have declined severely throughout the world over the last 20 to 30 years (National Research Council 1990).