Interactions between Sea Turtles and Commercial Fisheries

Three species of sea turtles, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and green, frequently encounter commercial fishing gear in North Carolina waters. To date, however, few efforts have been made to quantitatively describe the habitat of sea turtles and how this habitat overlaps with patterns of fishing effort. We are describing the estuarine habitat of sea turtles in North Carolina by monitoring the movements of animals via satellite telemetry. To date we have tagged and followed the movements of 70 individual turtles. We obtain the turtles by working co-operatively with biologists from NMFS and commercial fishermen in North Carolina . We analyze these data in conjunction with independent observations of fishing effort to provide a quantitative description of the overlap of sea turtle habitat and the distribution of commercial fisheries. Our findings are made available to fisheries mangers through the state's Sea Turtle Advisory Committee (STAC).

We are also following the movements of these turtles once they leave the sounds and estuaries of North Carolina . In the past it has been very difficult to obtain empirical observations of the movements and patterns of habitat use of juvenile sea turtles in pelagic waters due to the technological difficulties and expense of tracking them at sea. However, their distribution has significant implications to their risk of mortality, particularly in fisheries such as pelagic longline gear. We have tracked the movements of these juvenile turtles at sea for up to two years. Using remotely sensed data, together with observations from the tagged turtles, we are studying how their movements are influenced by meso- and fine-scale oceanographic features. These data will contribute to an improved understanding of these animal's life histories and help to conserve these animals in the pelagic ocean.

Supported by the North Carolina Sea Grant Fishery Resource Grant Program, New England Aquarium Consortium for Wildlife By-catch Reduction, Oak Foundation, Oceana and NMFS SEFSC.