Turtle Stranding

Citation:

Citation Information:

Originator: FWC-FMRI (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Florida Marine Research Institute)
Title: ETS_sea turtle_Florida sea turtle stranding and salvage network
Series Information:

Description:

Abstract:
Coordinated by the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI), the Florida STSSN is responsible for gathering standardized data on stranded marine turtles throughout the state. The Florida STSSN functions as a part of an eighteen state network led by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). In Florida, strandings are documented by FMRI staff biologists and by a network of permitted participants located around the state. Live strandings are rescued and transported to properly permitted rehabilitation facilities. Data from strandings are collected on a standardized reporting form and include date, species, location, carapace length and width, carcass condition, carcass disposition, and information on anomalies (e.g., entanglement, propeller damage, fibropapillomas). Additionally, certain carcasses are regularly collected by FMRI staff for gross or detailed necropsy. Each week, FMRI reports Florida strandings to NMFS as a part of a management plan that is intended to reduce the incidental take of turtles in the shrimp fishery. FMRI also generates monthly and yearly stranding summary reports to monitor mortality and to detect and describe any unusual stranding events. Stranding data collected through the Florida STSSN have been used extensively in the identification of mortality factors and in the development of recovery actions (e.g., Turtle Excluder Device --TED-- requirements, gill net regulations).
Purpose:
The purpose is to monitor marine turtle mortality and identify mortality factors in Florida by documenting stranded marine turtles.
Supplemental Information: A stranding is any dead sea turtle that is found floating or washed ashore. Strandings also include live turtles that are found with life-threatening problems (e.g., sick, injured, or entangled). The location of the stranding when first reported is the point location that appears in this database and may or may not be the location at the time of death. The following are not included in this database: strandings of sea turtles that were not identified to species, strandings where a latitude and longitude could not be determined, and strandings of captive-reared turtles. Turtles that are known to be captured incidental to some activity (i.e., commercial fisheries, research projects, power plant operations, etc.) are not included in this database. Stranding data are often used to monitor mortality rates and may sometimes be used as an indicator of the relative distributions and abundances of different species and sizes of sea turtles. However, there are several considerations to keep in mind when using stranding data for these purposes. 1. Not all turtles that die are discovered, reported, and documented by the STSSN. A majority of dead turtles probably do not wash ashore. Of those that do wash ashore, many may become hidden in mangroves or other vegetation, and some that strand on open, sandy beaches may still go unreported. Therefore, sea turtle stranding data represent only a subset of all dead turtles. 2. Decreases or increases in stranding numbers may not be due to decreases or increases in mortality rates. For example, mortality rates may remain unchanged but decreases or increases in local turtle populations may result in changes in the number of strandings. 3. Carcasses and debilitated turtles may drift hundreds of kilometers before being documented as a stranding. Turtles may strand on beaches adjacent to well-used in-water habitats, but they may also strand along areas where they do not normally occur.
Status:

Progress: In Work
Maintenance and Update Frequency: Continually

Spatial Domain:

Description of Geographic Extent: Statewide waters of Florida
Bounding Coordinates:

West Bounding Coordinate: -87.6312
East Bounding Coordinate: -79.0
North Bounding Coordinate: 31.0
South Bounding Coordinate: 24.0

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme Keyword Thesaurus: FMRItheme
Theme Keyword: turtles
Theme Keyword: strandings
Theme Keyword: threatened and endangered (turtles, whales, manatees, sturgeon)
Theme Keyword: mortality

Place:

Place Keyword Thesaurus: FMRIplace
Place Keyword: Florida

Stratum:

Stratum Keyword Thesaurus: FMRIstratum
Stratum Keyword: surface

Temporal:

Taxonomy:

Access Constraints: All data must be verified by Principle Investigator or Group Database Analyst prior to release
Use Constraints: All data must be credited to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Florida Marine Research Institute.
Point of Contact:

Contact Information:

Contact Person Primary:

Contact Person: Principal Investigator
Contact Organization: FWC-FMRI (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Florida Marine Research Institute)

Contact Position: Principal Investigator
Contact Address:

Address Type: mailing and physical address
Address: Florida Marine Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue Southeast
City: St. Petersburg
State or Province: FL
Postal Code: 33701-5095
Country: USA

Contact Electronic Mail Address: metadata@fwc.state.fl.us

Data Set Credit:
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission - Florida Marine Research Institute's Endangered & Threatened Species Marine Turtle Program; Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network; National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Species Management.
Security Information:

Security Classification System: None
Security Classification: Unclassified

Native Data Set Environment: dbase III+; ArcView 3.1
Analytical Tool: FL Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network AT1

Attribute Accuracy:

Attribute Accuracy Report:
All entities and attributes have been identified and documented.
Quantitative Attribute Accuracy Assessment:

Attribute Accuracy Value: 10
Attribute Accuracy Explanation: All attributes have been verified by FMRI staff

Logical Consistency Report:
Attribute Description: No efforts have been made to verify the logical consistency of this report.
Completeness Report:
Data collection is opportunistic.
Positional Accuracy:

Horizontal Positional Accuracy:

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report: This data set complies with National Map Accuracy Standards for mapping at a scale of 1/4 nautical mile accuracy.
Quantitative Horizontal Positional Accuracy Assessment:

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Value: 8.0
Horizontal Positional Accuracy Explanation: Majority of data were plotted from Nav Charts.Unknown = 1; Satellite = 2; VHF Radio = 3; Anecdotal = 4; Tape Measure = 5; Mapquest = 6; Street address = 7; Nav Chart = 8; GPS (non differential) = 9; Differential GPS = 10

Vertical Positional Accuracy:

Vertical Positional Accuracy Report: None

Lineage:

Methodology:

Methodology Type: Field
Methodology Description:
STSSN participants are continually trained and standardized data collection procedures are in place. STSSN reports are reviewed for inconsistencies and edited before they are computerized. Once computerized, a customized dBase program checks the data fields for over one hundred possible inconsistencies. Arc/View is also used to visualize computerized data to check again for possible mistakes. Strandings do not represent all marine turtle mortality in Florida. A majority of dead turtles probably do not wash ashore. Of those that do, at least some are never seen or reported. Increases or decreases in strandings may not be due to increases or decreases in mortality rates. For example, increases or decreases in local turtle populations may cause similar changes in stranding numbers if mortality rates remain constant. A mortality factor may go undetected if the subset of turtles that succumb to it are not documented or if the evidence of the mortality factor is sufficiently subtle.

Direct Spatial Reference Method: Point
Point and Vector Object Information:

SDTS Terms Description:

SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: Entity point
Point and Vector Object Count: 16000

Horizontal Coordinate System Definition:

Planar:

Map Projection:

Map Projection Name: Albers Conical Equal Area

Standard Parallel: 24.0
Standard Parallel: 31.5
Longitude of Central Meridian: -84.0
False Easting: 400000.0
False Northing: 0.0

Planar Coordinate Information:

Planar Coordinate Encoding Method: Coordinate Pair
Coordinate Representation:

Horizontal Datum Name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major Axis: 6378137.0
Denominator of Flattening Ratio: 298.257

Detailed Description:

Entity Type:

Attribute:

Attribute Label: cloc
Attribute Definition: Carapace length over curve
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Attribute:

Attribute Label: clsl
Attribute Definition: Carapace length straight line
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Attribute:

Attribute Label: cond
Attribute Definition: Condition of carcass
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 0
Range Domain Maximum: 5
Attribute Units of Measure:
Attribute Measurement Resolution: 0

Attribute:

Attribute Label: county
Attribute Definition: County where stranding occurs
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 01
Range Domain Maximum: 35
Attribute Units of Measure:
Attribute Measurement Resolution: 0

Attribute:

Attribute Label: cwoc
Attribute Definition: Carapace width over curve
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Attribute:

Attribute Label: cwsl
Attribute Definition: Carapace width straight line
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Attribute:

Attribute Label: day
Attribute Definition: Day of stranding
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 01
Range Domain Maximum: 31
Attribute Units of Measure:
Attribute Measurement Resolution: 0

Attribute:

Attribute Label: ddlat
Attribute Definition: Latitude of stranding in decimal degrees
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Attribute:

Attribute Label: ddlong
Attribute Definition: Longitude of stranding in decimal degrees
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Attribute:

Attribute Label: disp
Attribute Definition: Disposition of carcass
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 0
Range Domain Maximum: 9
Attribute Units of Measure:
Attribute Measurement Resolution: 0

Attribute:

Attribute Label: fdepno
Attribute Definition: Record number identifier
Attribute Definition Source: the authority of the definition.
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 1
Range Domain Maximum: none
Attribute Units of Measure:
Attribute Measurement Resolution: 0

Attribute Value Accuracy Information:

Attribute Value Accuracy Explanation: the definition of the Attribute Value Accuracy measure and units, and a description of how the estimate was derived.

Attribute Measurement Frequency: As needed

Attribute:

Attribute Label: headstart
Attribute Definition: Note for captive-reared or post-hatchling turtle
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: inoff
Attribute Definition: Whether stranding found in inshore
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: lat
Attribute Definition: Latitude of stranding
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Attribute:

Attribute Label: location
Attribute Definition: Descriptive location of stranding site
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: long
Attribute Definition: Longitude of stranding
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Attribute:

Attribute Label: memo
Attribute Definition: Notes on stranding
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: month
Attribute Definition: Month of stranding
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 01
Range Domain Maximum: 12
Attribute Units of Measure:
Attribute Measurement Resolution: 0

Attribute:

Attribute Label: no_by_day
Attribute Definition: Number of stranding by observer and day
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 01
Range Domain Maximum:
Attribute Units of Measure:
Attribute Measurement Resolution: 0

Attribute:

Attribute Label: note1
Attribute Definition: One Carcass anomaly
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: note2
Attribute Definition: One Carcass anomaly
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: note3
Attribute Definition: One Carcass anomaly
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: note4
Attribute Definition: One Carcass anomaly
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: note5
Attribute Definition: One Carcass anomaly
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: note6
Attribute Definition: One Carcass anomaly
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: note7
Attribute Definition: One Carcass anomaly
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: note8
Attribute Definition: One Carcass anomaly
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: notes
Attribute Definition: All Carcass anomalies
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: observer
Attribute Definition: Initials of data collector
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: pittag
Attribute Definition: Pit tag in carcass
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: region
Attribute Definition: Region where stranding occurs
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: rel
Attribute Definition: Reliability of species identification
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 1
Range Domain Maximum: 3
Attribute Units of Measure:
Attribute Measurement Resolution: 0

Attribute:

Attribute Label: sex
Attribute Definition: Sex of stranding
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: species
Attribute Definition: Species of stranding
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: state
Attribute Definition: State where stranding occurs
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: stssn_id
Attribute Definition: Unique record identifier
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: tag1
Attribute Definition: Tag on carcass
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: tag2
Attribute Definition: Tag on carcass
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: tag3
Attribute Definition: Tag on carcass
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: typerep
Attribute Definition: Classification of stranding
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN

Attribute:

Attribute Label: year
Attribute Definition: Year of stranding
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 1980
Range Domain Maximum:
Attribute Units of Measure:
Attribute Measurement Resolution: 0

Attribute:

Attribute Label: zone
Attribute Definition: Nmfs fishery zone where stranding occurs
Attribute Definition Source: STSSN
Attribute Domain Values:

Range Domain:

Range Domain Minimum: 01
Range Domain Maximum: 30
Attribute Units of Measure:
Attribute Measurement Resolution: 0

Distributor:

Contact Information:

Contact Person Primary:

Contact Person: Mosier, Andrea
Contact Organization: FWC-FMRI (Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission-Florida Marine Research Institute)

Contact Position:
Contact Address:

Address Type: mailing and physical address
Address: Florida Marine Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue Southeast
City: St. Petersburg
State or Province: FL
Postal Code: 33701-5095
Country: USA

Contact Voice Telephone: 727-896-8626
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 727-823-0166
Contact Electronic Mail Address: metadata@fwc.state.fl.us

Resource Description: Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Data

Metadata Date: 03/21/2000
Metadata Review Date: 09/30/2003
Metadata Contact:

Contact Information:

Contact Person Primary:

Contact Person: Mosier, Andrea
Contact Organization: FWC-FMRI (Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission-Florida Marine Research Institute)

Contact Address:

Address Type: mailing and physical address
Address: Florida Marine Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue Southeast
City: St. Petersburg
State or Province: FL
Postal Code: 33701-5095
Country: USA

Contact Voice Telephone: 727-896-8626
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 727-823-0166
Contact Electronic Mail Address: metadata@fwc.state.fl.us

Metadata Standard Name: FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata Standard Version: 1998
Metadata Time Convention: local time
Metadata Access Constraints: None
Metadata Use Constraints: None
Metadata Security Information:

Metadata Security Classification System: None
Metadata Security Classification: Available
Metadata Security Handling Description: None

User Defined List Value:

Label:
Value:

User Defined Memo:

Label:
Value: A stranding is any dead sea turtle that is found floating or washed ashore. Strandings also include live turtles that are found with life-threatening problems (e.g., sick, injured, or entangled). The location of the stranding when first reported is the point location that appears in this database and may or may not be the location at the time of death. The following are not included in this database: strandings of sea turtles that were not identified to species, strandings where a latitude and longitude could not be determined, and strandings of captive-reared turtles. Turtles that are known to be captured incidental to some activity (i.e., commercial fisheries, research projects, power plant operations, etc.) are not included in this database. Stranding data are often used to monitor mortality rates and may sometimes be used as an indicator of the relative distributions and abundances of different species and sizes of sea turtles. However, there are several considerations to keep in mind when using stranding data for these purposes. 1. Not all turtles that die are discovered, reported, and documented by the STSSN. A majority of dead turtles probably do not wash ashore. Of those that do wash ashore, many may become hidden in mangroves or other vegetation, and some that strand on open, sandy beaches may still go unreported. Therefore, sea turtle stranding data represent only a subset of all dead turtles. 2. Decreases or increases in stranding numbers may not be due to decreases or increases in mortality rates. For example, mortality rates may remain unchanged but decreases or increases in local turtle populations may result in changes in the number of strandings. 3. Carcasses and debilitated turtles may drift hundreds of kilometers before being documented as a stranding. Turtles may strand on beaches adjacent to well-used in-water habitats, but they may also strand along areas where they do not normally occur.