Grant: 09-043R
Project Title: Determining the Genetic Stock of Juvenile Green Turtles on Foraging Grounds off Central Brevard County
Project Manager: Karen Holloway-Adkins
Organization: East Coast Biologists, Inc. (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $4032.00
Completion Date:

Summary: The purpose of this research activity is to continue to characterize the population of marine turtles that utilize the nearshore hard bottom reefs in Brevard County, FL, including determining their genetic origin through the collaborative efforts with the University of Georgia (P.I., Brian Shamblin). Target species are green (Chelonia mydas) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles. Turtles are captured using tangle net, dip net or hand-capture methods. Marine turtles will be tagged (externally and internally), measured, weighed, and photographed each year. Foraging samples will be obtained from 35 juvenile green turtles using an esophageal flushing technique. A small biopsy or blood sample will taken from juvenile green turtles and use to determine their nesting beach origin. This is part of a larger collaborative study with other researchers currently collecting data from juvenile green turtles in coastal and estuarine waters off the east coast of Florida. Our study area is located in the intertidal and subtidal areas between PAFB (latitude 28o 13.8 N, longitude 80o 35.9 W) and Indialantic (latitude 28o 6.18 N, longitude 80o 34.06 W). None of the juvenile green turtles captured in the past 5 years (n=50) have displayed signs of fibropapillomatosis (FP).

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