Examination of local movement and migratory behavior of sea turtles during spring and summer along the Atlantic Coast off the Southeastern United States : annual report.

Abstract

Loggerhead sea turtles inhabiting coastal waters along the southeastern United States represent the progeny of multiple rookeries. Tagging studies of nesting female loggerheads suggest that most return to the same beaches in successive breeding seasons and it is widely accepted that most females return to their natal regions to nest. The focus of the in-water survey was modified to intensively target one small trawling area to: (1) examine the effect of intensive trawling on recapture rates and (2) quickly obtain an adequate sample size of turtles to outfit with satellite transmitters. This annual report highlights the major findings for research activities primarily carried out during 2005