ML20295A493
| ML20295A493 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Saint Lucie  |
| Issue date: | 10/20/2020 |
| From: | Weege S Inwater Research Group |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| Download: ML20295A493 (8) | |
Text
From: Steve Weege <sweege@inwater.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 2:55 PM To: Koperski, Meghan Cc: Ed Hollowell; Jodie_Gless@fpl.com; Ken_Frehafer@fpl.com; MTP@myfwc.com; Michael Bresette; EndangeredSpecies Resource; SCO@dep.state.fl.us; Vince Munne; Cody Mott; Jeff Guertin; Ryan Welsh; Eaton, Kristin; Jonathon Gorham; William.Nurnberger@fpl.com; audra.livergood@noaa.gov; Sciscente, Richard; Seth.Duston@fpl.com
Subject:
[External_Sender] September 2020 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report Attachments: September 2020 Marine Turtle Captures.pdf; Monthly Report Notes 2020.pdf; FPL St. Lucie Capture Summary 2020.pdf Mrs. Meghan Koperski Tequesta Field Laboratory 19100 SE Federal Highway Tequesta, FL 33469
Subject:
Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Summary September 2020
Dear Meghan,
Attached, please find the monthly summary of marine turtle removals for September 2020. This month we captured 14 Caretta caretta and 20 Chelonia mydas in the intake canal of the St. Lucie power plant on Hutchinson Island. Five turtles were sent for rehabilitation (4 non-causal and 1 causal) and there was one non-causal mortality during the month of September. As with all sea turtle strandings at the Saint Lucie Plant, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was consulted and a stranding form was filed with the state through the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network.
Four turtles were sent to rehabilitation facilities for non-causal injuries this month. On September 1st, a juvenile green turtle was recovered with extensive, but healed, damage to the left side of its face. The top left quadrant of the jaw was missing and the nasopharyngeal cavity was partially exposed. The turtle was otherwise healthy and active with a good body condition. After consultation with FWC, the turtle was transported to rehab as a precautionary measure. After a thorough health assessment by the staff veterinarian at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC), the turtle was cleared for release. The injury was likely due to a vessel strike (prop wound). On September 22nd, an emaciated and lethargic adult male loggerhead was taken to LMC for rehab. On September 23rd, an emaciated and lethargic subadult loggerhead with old boat strike injuries was also taken to LMC for rehab. This turtle was baring strange tags applied by the Brevard Zoo when it was released from rehab on August 1st of last year.
On September 26th, another subadult loggerhead was recovered with a boat strike injury to its carapace. The injury consisted of two deep prop wounds and a portion of the posterior carapace was missing. This forth turtle was taken to the Gumbo Limbo Nature
Center in Boca Raton for rehab. Because these injuries were unrelated to power plant activity they were classified as non-causal.
One turtle was taken to a rehabilitation facility for a causal injury this month. On September 5th, a juvenile green turtle was recovered with a severe fresh scrape. The anterior carapace was punctured, exposing the lungs. The injury was sustained in part due to embedded barnacles in this area of the carapace. Inwater Research Group (IRG) biologists transported this turtle to LMC for rehab. According to the veterinarian, the turtles prognosis is good and the animal is expected to make a full recovery.
There was one non-causal mortality this month. On September 22nd, an emaciated juvenile green turtle with severe papillomatosis was found floating at the surface of the primary barrier net. It had serious body wasting and severe muscle atrophy (deeply sunken plastron). The turtle was moderately decomposed (rigor mortis and foul smelling) and presumed to have been entrained postmortem.
The primary 5-inch barrier net encountered severe amounts of algae in September. In response, Underwater Engineering Services, Inc. (UESI) inspected the primary barrier net and removed accumulated algae and debris as needed. Furthermore, IRG biologists performed around-the-clock monitoring of the intake canal and barrier net system either as warranted by sufficiently high debris intrusion levels or whenever directed by FPL oversight personnel. Moreover, the primary barrier net has performed as designed and no turtles have been observed beyond the 5inch net.
The tag numbers and morphometric data for all turtles captured during the month have been included with this report (see attachments/addendums). Also included is a spreadsheet for all captures, mortalities, injuries, and causal events delineated by species and by month for 2020. In addition, this spreadsheet 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 Steve Weege Sr. Environmental Specialist Inwater Research Group, Inc.
4160 NE Hyline Dr.
Jensen Beach, FL 34957 sweege@inwater.org (772) 349-7252
Hearing Identifier: NRR_DRMA Email Number: 848 Mail Envelope Properties (CAOA4+RKPdCgJNRDypfrAvv48bzoR7Hbz61VXggtUBafCwY-L7A)
Subject:
[External_Sender] September 2020 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report Sent Date: 10/20/2020 2:54:52 PM Received Date: 10/20/2020 2:55:10 PM From: Steve Weege Created By: sweege@inwater.org Recipients:
"Ed Hollowell" <Ed.Hollowell@fpl.com>
Tracking Status: None "Jodie_Gless@fpl.com" <Jodie_Gless@fpl.com>
Tracking Status: None "Ken_Frehafer@fpl.com" <Ken_Frehafer@fpl.com>
Tracking Status: None "MTP@myfwc.com" <MTP@myfwc.com>
Tracking Status: None "Michael Bresette" <mbresette@inwater.org>
Tracking Status: None "EndangeredSpecies Resource" <EndangeredSpecies.Resource@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "SCO@dep.state.fl.us" <SCO@dep.state.fl.us>
Tracking Status: None "Vince Munne" <Vince.Munne@fpl.com>
Tracking Status: None "Cody Mott" <cmott@inwater.org>
Tracking Status: None "Jeff Guertin" <jguertin@gmail.com>
Tracking Status: None "Ryan Welsh" <rwelsh@inwater.org>
Tracking Status: None "Eaton, Kristin" <Kristin.Eaton@fpl.com>
Tracking Status: None "Jonathon Gorham" <jgorham@inwater.org>
Tracking Status: None "William.Nurnberger@fpl.com" <William.Nurnberger@fpl.com>
Tracking Status: None "audra.livergood@noaa.gov" <audra.livergood@noaa.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Sciscente, Richard" <Richard.Sciscente@fpl.com>
Tracking Status: None "Seth.Duston@fpl.com" <Seth.Duston@fpl.com>
Tracking Status: None "Koperski, Meghan" <Meghan.Koperski@myfwc.com>
Tracking Status: None Post Office: mail.gmail.com Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 4337 10/20/2020 2:55:10 PM
September 2020 Marine Turtle Captures.pdf 260692 Monthly Report Notes 2020.pdf 191605 FPL St. Lucie Capture Summary 2020.pdf 253725 Options Priority: Normal Return Notification: No Reply Requested: No Sensitivity: Normal Expiration Date:
MARINE TURTLE REMOVALS ST. LUCIE PLANT INTAKE CANAL SEPTEMBER 2020 Date Species Note Tag #'s SMCL SSCL CSCL CMCW SMCW SMPL Weight Method (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (kg) 9/1/2020 Chelonia mydas 1 JRG200901-01 45.8 46.8 50.0 41.1 35.5 39.3 12.2 South net 9/2/2020 Caretta caretta KKT338/KKT339 64.9 66.1 72.4 67.4 53.4 48.9 39.2 North net 9/5/2020 Chelonia mydas 2 RCW200905-01 39.7 40.2 42.3 36.5 31.5 32.3 8.0 Dip net 9/8/2020 Caretta caretta 3 KKT340/KKT341 79.6 82.3 89.4 78.2 63.0 61.2 71.3 North net 9/13/2020 Chelonia mydas KKT342/KKT343 82.7 83.1 88.5 80.4 65.9 71.2 90.9 North net 9/16/2020 Chelonia mydas 4 KKT077 69.5 69.8 74.7 64.2 54.6 57.1 41.4 North net 9/16/2020 Caretta caretta KKT344/KKT345 74.1 76.1 82.3 75.7 59.8 58.4 64.0 North net 9/20/2020 Caretta caretta 5 KKT330/KKT331 62.3 63.4 66.8 64.2 53.3 48.4 35.5 South net 9/20/2020 Chelonia mydas KKT346/KKT347 54.3 54.9 58.5 51.5 42.5 44.8 20.6 North net 9/22/2020 Caretta caretta 6 JRG200922-01 87.0 88.3 95.3 86.0 65.9 62.2 77.7 Barrier net 9/22/2020 Chelonia mydas 7 KKT128 41.9 42.1 44.2 37.3 32.5 34.7 9.5 Dip net 9/22/2020 Chelonia mydas KKT348/KKT349 33.7 34.4 37.2 32.8 27.5 27.7 5.4 Dip net 9/22/2020 Chelonia mydas 8 STW200922-01 35.8 36.3 37.5 33.7 29.1 29.8 4.2 Barrier net 9/23/2020 Caretta caretta 9 EET980/EET981 83.4 83.6 89.6 85.8 68.0 61.4 69.0 Barrier net 9/23/2020 Chelonia mydas IRG0078/IRG0079 28.5 28.8 30.2 26.4 23.4 23.8 3.4 Dip net
Date Species Note Tag #'s SMCL SSCL CSCL CMCW SMCW SMPL Weight Method (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (kg) 9/23/2020 Chelonia mydas IRG0080/IRG0081 27.3 27.4 29.7 25.6 23.9 23.1 3.2 Dip net 9/24/2020 Chelonia mydas IRG0082/IRG0083 27.9 28.4 29.5 25.7 23.8 24.0 3.0 Hand capture 9/24/2020 Chelonia mydas IRG0084/IRG0085 28.4 28.6 30.0 26.4 23.4 23.9 3.2 Dip net 9/24/2020 Chelonia mydas KKT350/KKT351 31.0 31.5 33.3 28.5 25.8 25.2 4.4 Dip net 9/24/2020 Chelonia mydas KKT352 29.6 29.9 31.5 27.0 24.8 25.3 3.9 Dip net 9/24/2020 Chelonia mydas KKT353 27.3 27.5 29.1 25.0 21.8 22.9 2.8 Dip net 9/25/2020 Chelonia mydas IRG0086/IRG0087 27.9 28.3 29.6 24.5 22.4 23.5 3.3 Dip net 9/25/2020 Caretta caretta 10 KKT049/KKT050 60.2 60.7 64.8 62.6 51.3 47.1 31.8 South net 9/25/2020 Chelonia mydas KKT354/KKT355 59.9 60.6 64.0 57.1 48.7 50.8 28.0 Dip net 9/25/2020 Chelonia mydas KKT356/KKT357 31.5 31.9 33.7 29.2 26.6 26.7 4.3 Dip net 9/25/2020 Chelonia mydas KKT358/KKT359 30.2 30.4 31.9 26.1 23.8 25.4 3.7 North net 9/25/2020 Caretta caretta KKT360/KKT361 69.1 70.1 75.5 72.0 55.6 53.3 47.4 Dip net 9/26/2020 Caretta caretta 11 CRM200926-01 56.4 61.5 66.6 68.5 51.6 48.9 35.6 North net 9/27/2020 Caretta caretta KKT362/KKT363 72.5 73.1 81.2 73.5 59.5 55.6 50.6 North net 9/27/2020 Caretta caretta KKT364/KKT365 58.7 59.9 64.7 65.7 50.7 47.6 33.3 South net 9/27/2020 Chelonia mydas KKT366/KKT367 44.3 44.5 46.9 36.7 32.2 36.0 9.7 North net 9/27/2020 Caretta caretta KKT368/KKT369 49.9 50.3 55.4 51.0 43.9 41.1 20.8 South net 9/28/2020 Caretta caretta KKT370/KKT371 66.3 68.3 71.5 66.5 54.0 51.4 44.7 North net 9/29/2020 Caretta caretta KKT372/KKT373 69.3 70.5 76.2 70.5 56.2 53.4 45.0 North net
NOTES
- 1. REHAB (NON-CAUSAL). Stranding# JRG200901-01. Juvenile green turtle recovered from the tangle nets with extensive, but healed, damage to the left side of the face. Top left quadrant of jaw missing and nasopharyngeal cavity partially exposed. Turtle otherwise in good body condition and active with typical epibiota. After consultation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the turtle was transported to rehab by Inwater Research Group (IRG) staff as a precautionary measure. After a thorough health assessment by the staff veterinarian at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC), the turtle was cleared for release. The injury was likely due to a vessel strike (prop wound).
- 2. REHAB (CAUSAL INJURY). Stranding# RCW200905-01. Juvenile green turtle dip-netted with a severe fresh scrape. Hole from fresh scrape punctured anterior carapace and exposed the lungs. Injury was sustained in part due to embedded barnacles in this area of the carapace. IRG biologists transported this turtle to the LMC in Juno Beach for rehab.
- 3. PAPILLOMAS (Balazs Tumor Score = 2 {moderate}, Total Tumor Score = 1). Large smooth tumor on left shoulder.
- 4. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 10/17/08, 11/26/11, 10/8/13, 10/25/17, 12/13/17, 1/21/18, 4/20/19, 12/6/19, 1/31/20, 9/16/20.
PAPILLOMAS (Balazs Tumor Score = 1 {light}, Total Tumor Score = 3).
- 5. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 8/27/18, 8/28/20, 9/20/20.
- 6. REHAB (NON-CAUSAL). Stranding# JRG200922-01. Emaciated and lethargic adult male loggerhead removed from atop the 5-inch barrier net. Debilitated Loggerhead Turtle Syndrome - IRG biologists transported the turtle to LMC for rehab.
- 7. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 4/19/18, 5/24/18, 11/5/18, 3/1/20, 7/27/20, 9/22/20.
- 8. DEAD (NON-CAUSAL MORTALITY). Stranding# STW200922-01. PAPILLOMAS (Balazs Tumor Score =
3 {heavy}, Total Tumor Score = 51). Emaciated juvenile green turtle recovered from atop the primary 5-inch barrier net with severe papillomatosis. Serious body wasting and severe muscle atrophy (deeply sunken plastron). Turtle was moderately decomposed (rigor mortis and foul smelling) and presumed to have been entrained postmortem.
- 9. REHAB (NON-CAUSAL). Stranding #CRM200923-01. STRANGE TAG (PIT & Inconel tags applied by Brevard Zoo when released from rehab on 8/1/19). Emaciated and lethargic subadult loggerhead recovered from atop the 5-inch barrier net. It had three old prop scars across its carapace and a healed laceration in the right front flipper. Heavy epibiont load. Turtle taken to LMC for rehab.
- 10. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 1/7/20 and 9/25/20.
- 11. REHAB (NON-CAUSAL). Stranding# CRM200926-01. Subadult loggerhead retrieved from the tangle nets with boat strike injury to posterior carapace. The injury consisted of two deep prop wounds and a portion of the posterior carapace missing with dead bone exposed. After consultation with FWC, the turtle was taken to the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton for rehab.
SMCL = Straight Minimum Carapace Length SMCL = Straight Standard Carapace Length CSCL = Curved Standard Carapace Length CMCW = Curved Maximum Carapace Width SMCW = Straight Maximum Carapace Width SMPL = Straight Midline Plastron Length
Loggerheads Green turtles Hawksbills Leatherbacks Kemp's ridley (Chelonia (Eretmochelys (Dermochelys (Lepidochelys (Caretta caretta) mydas) imbricata) coriacea) kempii) Overall Totals Year to Year to Year to Year to Year to Year to Sep-20 Date Sep-20 Date Sep-20 Date Sep-20 Date Sep-20 Date Sep-20 Date Captures 14 140 20 86 0 0 0 0 0 5 34 231 Causal Mortalities 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Noncausal Mortalities 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 Causal Injuries 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Sent to rehab 3 10 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 15 Fresh Year to Year to Year to Year to Year to Year to Scrapes Sep Date Sep Date Sep Date Sep Date Sep Date Sep Date None 2 15 2 13 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 30 Minor 12 118 16 71 0 0 0 0 0 3 28 192 Moderate 0 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 Severe 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Percent with mod/sev scrapes 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 2.3% N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.0% 5.9% 3.9%