ML11160A021

E-mail May 2011 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report

ML11160A021
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	06/05/2011
From:	Weege S Inwater Research Group
To:	Koperski M Florida Power & Light Co, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Balsam B
Shared Package
ML11160A038	List: ML11160A021 ML11160A028 ML11160A034 ML11160A037
References
Download: ML11160A021 (1)

Text

From: Stephen Weege To: Meghan Koperski Cc: Mike Bresette; Dave Clark; Ken Frehafer; Jodie Gless; Bob Hoffman; Ed Hollowell; RidsNrrDlr Resource; Vince Munne; Dave Niebch; Shelley Norton

Subject:

May 2011 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report Date: Sunday, June 05, 2011 4:01:38 PM Attachments: May 2011 Marine Turtle Captures.rtf Monthly Report Notes 2011.xls FPL St. Lucie Capture Summary 2011.xls Mrs. Meghan Koperski Tequesta Field Laboratory 19100 SE Federal Highway Tequesta, FL 33469

Subject:

Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Summary May 2011

Dear Meghan,

Attached, please find the monthly summary of marine turtle removals for May 2011. This month, we captured forty-three (43) Caretta caretta and fourteen (14) Chelonia mydas in the intake canal of the St. Lucie power plant on Hutchinson Island. The power plant outage ended shortly after the first week in May. During the month there was only one turtle taken to a rehabilitation facility.

On May 10th, a subadult loggerhead sea turtle was recovered in poor condition from the intake canal by Inwater Research Group (IRG) biologists. The turtle was hand captured at base of the temporary 5-inch barrier net. It was underweight and lethargic, with heavy epibiont coverage. Several marginal scutes were cracked and/or missing from the left posterior carapace and there was a 4cm gash in the plastron near the intergular scute. The turtle was transported to the Marinelife Center in Juno Beach by the FWC stranding coordinator for rehabilitation that same day. This incident was not considered causal to power plant operations.

Throughout the month of May, the 5 barrier net experienced light loads of algae and jellyfish that entered into the intake canal. This temporary barrier has effectively kept turtles from moving further down the canal. A permanent fix to the primary net continues to remain in the design phase.

The tag numbers and morphometric data for all the turtles are attached. Also included is a spreadsheet for all captures, mortalities, injuries, and causal events delineated by species and by month for 2011.

This spreadsheet also tracks fresh scrapes incurred on captured turtles for the current month, as well as the entire year.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely, Steve Weege Environmental Specialist Inwater Research Group, Inc.

4160 NE Hyline Dr.

Jensen Beach, FL 34957 sweege@inwater.org (772) 349-7252