Tracking Eastern
Pacific Green Sea Turtles in San Diego Bay
The green sea turtle (Chelonia
mydas) is the largest member of
the family Cheloniidae, with adults commonly exceeding 100
cm in carapace length and 100 kg in weight. Green sea turtles
are distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters
and prefer temperatures above 20°C. Adult green
sea turtles are herbivorous, feeding primarily
on seagrasses and algae. The most important nesting
and feeding grounds lie within the tropics. In U.S. Pacific
waters, green sea turtles are regularly found off the coasts
of southern California,
the Hawaiian Islands, American Samoa,
Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and several of the unincorporated
U.S. territories such as
Wake Island and Palmyra Atoll. Green sea turtles are classified
as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) throughout
their Pacific range; except for the population
that nests on the Pacific coast of Mexico, that is classified
as endangered. East
Pacific green sea turtles are recognized as a distinct population
segment by the NMFS and USFWS and are managed under a separate
recovery plan.
 The
northernmost resident population of green turtles in the eastern
North Pacific Ocean occurs in San Diego Bay. A small group
of 30 to 60 sea turtles are estimated to reside generally in
the discharge channel of the South Bay power plant.
A collaborative effort, involving the Navy, NOAA's Marine
Turtle Research Program, the Port
of San Diego, and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority,
is investigating the movements of green sea turtles in San
Diego Bay to determine spatial and temporal population
distributions, preferred habitat, as well as movement into
and out of San Diego Bay.
The Navy's objective is to determine
whether sea turtles are loafing or feeding on or adjacent
to shorefront facilities. This presence/absence determination
will help guide planning for Navy and Port operations and
construction as well as guide remediation studies. If sea turtles are determined
to be present in the vicinity
of Naval or Port facilities, further studies may be required
to support consultations under the ESA.
Capabilities (direct support):
- Ocean engineering expertise
- Acoustic tracking systems
- Autonomous monitoring and surveillance systems
Applications:
- ESA compliance resource
- NEPA planning resource
- Engineering design resource
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