U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

A new study report, Abundance and Distribution of Sea Turtles off North Carolina, which investigated distribution, relative abundance, and movements of sea turtles in the Cape Hatteras area off North Carolina, has been released by the Minerals Management Service (MMS).

Study methodology included analysis of existing data and field work (methodical aerial overflight surveys and satellite tracking). This work defined the migration patterns, habitat usage, diving behavior, and approximate numbers of juvenile and adult turtles. This information is required to assess the possible effects of oil and gas exploration in the area, and is useful to academic institutions, State and Federal marine agencies, and organizations interested in the conservation of protected species.

The area chosen for detailed aerial overflights ranged from 34o55' to 35o55' N. latitude. Seasonal movements of satellite-tracked loggerhead and Kemp's ridley turtles are shown from Chesapeake Bay southward to Florida. The study area is a major migratory pathway for leatherback, loggerhead, and Kemp's ridley turtles, the latter two of which may take up residency in estuaries as juveniles. All species migrate hundreds of miles in response to seasonal temperature changes.

The principal investigators participating in the study, J.A. Keinath, J.A. Musick, and D.E. Bernard, conducted the work under a contract awarded to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science of the College of William and Mary.

For more information about the MMS Environmental Studies Program, contact the Environmental Studies Section (MS 5430), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, telephone (504) 736-2897, or visit our Internet website, http://www.mms.gov/omm/gomr/.

Copies of this report can be obtained from the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, at a charge of $7.00 by referencing OCS Study MMS 95-0024. This report will also be available from the National Technical Information Service in the near future. These addresses are provided below. Copies are also available for inspection at selected Federal Depository Libraries.