ML13130A117

NRR E-mail Capture - April 2013 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report

ML13130A117
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	05/05/2013
From:	Weege S Inwater Research Group
To:	Koperski M Tequesta Field Laboratory, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML13130A117 (11)

Text

NRR-PMDAPEm Resource From: Stephen Weege [steveweege@yahoo.com]

Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2013 3:40 PM To: Meghan Koperski Cc: Dave Niebch; Mike Bresette; MTP@MyFWC.com; SCO@dep.state.fl.us; Vince Munne; Dave Clark; Ed Hollowell; Jodie Gless; Ken Frehafer; Shelley Norton; EndangeredSpecies Resource

Subject:

April 2013 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report Attachments: April 2013 Marine Turtle Captures.rtf; Monthly Report Notes 2013.pdf; FPL St Lucie Capture Summary 2013.pdf; Power Plant Causal Turtles.pdf Mrs. Meghan Koperski Tequesta Field Laboratory 19100 SE Federal Highway Tequesta , FL 33469

Subject:

Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Summary April 2013

Dear Meghan,

Attached, please find the monthly summary of marine turtle removals for April 2013. This month, we captured thirty-five (35) Caretta caretta, eight (8) Chelonia mydas, one (1) Eretmochelys imbricata and one (1)

Dermochelys coriacea in the intake canal of the St. Lucie power plant on Hutchinson Island. There were no mortalities and only one sea turtle was sent for rehabilitation during the month of April.

On April 11th, a subadult loggerhead sea turtle was found floating at the surface of the temporary 5-inch barrier net. This animal was underweight and lethargic with a heavy epibiont load. There were no other wounds or abnormalities other than a poor body condition and minor healed flipper damage. After consultation with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, the turtle was held overnight and transported the next day by Inwater Research Group biologists to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. This incident was considered non-causal to power plant operations.

Throughout the month, the 5-inch barrier net experienced moderate loads of algae that entered into the intake canal system; whereas jellyfish entrainment ranged from light to severe. Overall, the temporary barrier net has performed as designed and no turtles have been observed beyond the 5-inch net. To date, Florida Power &

Light continues to work towards the installation of a permanent 5-inch barrier net.

The tag numbers and morphometric data for all turtles captured during the month have been included (see attachments/addendums). Also included is a spreadsheet for all captures, mortalities, injuries, and causal events delineated by species and by month for the year 2013. In addition, this spreadsheet also tracks fresh scrapes incurred on captured turtles for the current month, as well as the entire year. An additional Excel spreadsheet was added this year that tracks all causal injuries and mortalities incurred by sea turtles at the St. Lucie Plant since 2001.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely, Steve 1

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

4160 NE Hyline Dr.

Jensen Beach, FL 34957 sweege@inwater.org (772) 349-7252 2

Hearing Identifier: NRR_PMDA Email Number: 693 Mail Envelope Properties (1367782781.83760.YahooMailNeo)

Subject:

April 2013 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report Sent Date: 5/5/2013 3:39:41 PM Received Date: 5/5/2013 3:39:51 PM From: Stephen Weege Created By: steveweege@yahoo.com Recipients:

"Dave Niebch" <david_niebch@fpl.com>

Tracking Status: None "Mike Bresette" <mbresette@inwater.org>

Tracking Status: None "MTP@MyFWC.com" <MTP@MyFWC.com>

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 "Dave Clark" <dclark@inwater.org>

Tracking Status: None "Ed Hollowell" <Ed_Hollowell@FPL.com>

Tracking Status: None "Jodie Gless" <Jodie_Gless@FPL.com>

Tracking Status: None "Ken Frehafer" <Ken_Frehafer@FPL.com>

Tracking Status: None "Shelley Norton" <Shelley.Norton@NOAA.gov>

Tracking Status: None "EndangeredSpecies Resource" <EndangeredSpecies.Resource@nrc.gov>

Tracking Status: None "Meghan Koperski" <Meghan.Koperski@MyFWC.com>

Tracking Status: None Post Office: web122606.mail.ne1.yahoo.com Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 2541 5/5/2013 3:39:51 PM April 2013 Marine Turtle Captures.rtf 149350 Monthly Report Notes 2013.pdf 81064 FPL St Lucie Capture Summary 2013.pdf 113735 Power Plant Causal Turtles.pdf 108972 Options Priority: Standard Return Notification: No Reply Requested: No Sensitivity: Normal Expiration Date:

Recipients Received:

MARINE TURTLE REMOVALS ST. LUCIE PLANT INTAKE CANAL APRIL 2013 Date Species Note Tag #'s SMCL SSCL CSCL CMCW SMCW SMPL Weight Method (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (kg) 4/3/2013 Caretta caretta 1 BBP224/BBP225 60.1 61.2 64.6 59.3 50.2 48.4 31.6 Hand capture 4/3/2013 Chelonia mydas 2 BBP273/BBP274 46.4 46.6 49.0 44.1 37.9 38.4 12.9 Hand capture 4/3/2013 Caretta caretta EEA294/EEA295 54.5 55.3 59.5 57.2 48.3 45.5 26.3 Hand capture 4/3/2013 Chelonia mydas 3 UUB950 43.6 44.1 47.2 41.3 35.2 36.7 11.3 Hand capture 4/8/2013 Dermochelys 4 EEA296/EEA297 135.0 148.0 124.0 81.5 Hand capture coriacea 4/9/2013 Caretta caretta EEA298/EEA299 58.2 58.7 62.3 61.2 49.9 47.8 30.2 South net 4/9/2013 Caretta caretta 5 EEA300/EEA301 89.3 90.3 92.3 82.8 71.3 63.5 88.7 South net 4/11/2013 Chelonia mydas 6 BBR036/EEA304 46.4 46.7 50.8 44.5 36.9 39.4 13.8 North net 4/11/2013 Chelonia mydas 7 EEA302/EEA303 49.6 49.8 53.1 43.6 35.7 40.2 16.9 North net 4/11/2013 Caretta caretta 8 JRG130411-01 69.9 70.3 73.8 71.8 55.1 52.8 39.1 Barrier net 4/12/2013 Caretta caretta EEA305/EEA306 53.9 54.9 59.5 59.9 50.3 44.1 26.4 South net 4/12/2013 Chelonia mydas 9 YYR307 45.0 45.2 48.0 44.1 37.6 37.2 13.8 North net 4/13/2013 Caretta caretta EEA307/EEA308 65.9 66.9 72.3 70.0 53.7 53.0 41.4 North net 4/13/2013 Caretta caretta EEA309/EEA310 60.1 61.1 66.8 65.5 50.8 47.1 34.6 North net 4/14/2013 Chelonia mydas 10 BBP394/BBR499 53.9 54.2 57.2 50.1 40.3 44.1 21.5 North net

Date Species Note Tag #'s SMCL SSCL CSCL CMCW SMCW SMPL Weight Method (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (kg) 4/16/2013 Caretta caretta EEA311/EEA312 81.6 82.4 88.1 78.9 60.4 63.0 84.3 South net 4/16/2013 Caretta caretta EEA313/EEA314 62.3 64.0 68.0 66.0 57.4 51.0 39.3 South net 4/17/2013 Caretta caretta 11 EEA150 77.7 78.7 80.5 76.3 60.8 55.0 70.6 North net 4/17/2013 Caretta caretta EEA315/EEA316 57.5 58.3 63.2 61.2 50.7 45.5 29.1 North net 4/20/2013 Caretta caretta 12 BBP224/BBP225 60.1 61.3 66.2 61.5 50.4 48.4 33.0 North net 4/20/2013 Caretta caretta EEA317/EEA318 60.9 61.6 67.7 64.4 52.3 48.5 36.6 Dip net 4/20/2013 Caretta caretta EEA319/EEA320 54.8 55.5 61.3 59.6 48.6 42.6 25.4 North net 4/21/2013 Caretta caretta 13 BBR037/BBR038 64.3 65.4 70.2 64.1 51.7 47.6 32.7 North net 4/21/2013 Chelonia mydas 14 EEA321/EEA322 43.5 43.9 47.6 43.0 36.7 38.2 12.8 North net 4/22/2013 Caretta caretta 15 BBR401/BBR402 56.0 57.4 62.2 61.3 50.9 45.2 28.6 North net 4/23/2013 Caretta caretta EEA323/EEA324 80.9 82.1 87.6 76.8 60.8 63.7 72.7 South net 4/24/2013 Caretta caretta 16 UUH751 83.1 84.0 88.8 78.9 61.3 62.9 71.6 South net 4/25/2013 Caretta caretta 17 4327270833 83.2 84.6 90.5 81.1 65.6 64.1 82.6 North net 4/25/2013 Caretta caretta EEA325/EEA326 65.2 65.7 72.1 66.0 55.7 51.3 40.7 North net 4/25/2013 Caretta caretta EEA327/EEA328 60.3 61.2 66.0 61.5 52.1 48.3 32.6 North net 4/26/2013 Caretta caretta 18 EEA329/EEA330 84.4 85.3 92.0 82.6 65.9 62.2 85.5 North net 4/26/2013 Caretta caretta EEA331/EEA332 70.2 70.9 76.7 75.8 60.1 54.4 49.9 North net 4/27/2013 Chelonia mydas 19 BBR217/EEA333 45.9 46.0 49.2 43.0 35.5 37.6 13.1 South net 4/27/2013 Caretta caretta 20 EEA334/EEA335 91.6 93.0 100.4 93.9 73.9 70.0 117.9 North net 4/27/2013 Caretta caretta EEA336/EEA337 78.7 79.2 83.9 77.1 61.4 58.7 65.9 South net

Date Species Note Tag #'s SMCL SSCL CSCL CMCW SMCW SMPL Weight Method (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (kg) 4/28/2013 Caretta caretta 21 EEA338/EEA339 83.2 86.2 93.5 85.0 68.1 62.9 87.9 North net 4/28/2013 Caretta caretta EEA340/EEA341 62.5 64.1 69.1 65.7 53.4 49.9 37.5 South net 4/29/2013 Caretta caretta 22 EEA342/EEA343 94.8 95.7 102.8 92.6 70.2 74.6 137.3 North net 4/29/2013 Caretta caretta 23 EEA344/EEA345 91.1 94.1 98.0 89.3 70.6 65.6 114.8 North net 4/29/2013 Caretta caretta EEA346/EEA347 69.9 71.0 77.1 69.6 56.3 53.8 44.7 North net 4/29/2013 Caretta caretta EEA348/EEA349 70.4 71.5 72.4 72.8 60.7 55.1 51.1 South net 4/29/2013 Caretta caretta EEA350/EEA351 71.3 73.0 78.2 75.5 58.9 54.4 47.2 North net 4/30/2013 Caretta caretta EEA352/EEA353 70.6 71.5 76.8 75.3 58.1 54.3 44.7 Barrier net 4/30/2013 Eretmochelys 24 EEA354/EEA355 86.8 90.8 97.0 91.1 68.6 66.5 95.2 South net imbricata 4/30/2013 Caretta caretta EEA356/EEA357 66.4 67.3 74.2 73.5 57.8 50.1 37.6 Dip net

NOTES

1. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 10/9/11, 1/8/12, 2/5/12, 5/24/12, 7/5/12 and 4/3/13.

2. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 10/4/07, 10/20/11, 7/21/12, 12/12/12, 1/6/13 and 4/3/13.

3. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 2/9/10 and 4/3/13. Remaining inconel tag in right front flipper.

4. Adult female. Weight estimated by crane operator at 800 lbs. (+/-20lbs based on crane's scale). Turtle missing 30% of left front flipper and 5% of right front flipper (flipper damage still healing).

5. Adult male. Tail length = 445 mm. Skull exposed from moderate fresh scrape behind right eye.

6. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 2/6/06, 4/3/09, 7/28/09, 12/3/09, 2/11/10, 9/3/10, 5/18/11, 1/9/12, 10/31/12 and 4/11/13.

7. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 5/29/09, 7/24/09, 11/18/11 and 4/11/13. PAPILLOMAS (Balazs Score=1 {light}, Total Tumor Score=1).

New inconel tags applied on this capture event.

8. REHAB (NON-CAUSAL). Stranding# JRG130411-01. Turtle found floating at the surface of the temporary 5-inch barrier net. Underweight and lethargic with heavy epibiont load. Minor healed flipper damage.

Inwater Research Group staff transported turtle to Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach the next day per FWC request. This incident was NOT considered causal to power plant operations.

9. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 9/6/08, 12/6/11 and 4/12/13. Upper tomium cracked (moderate fresh scrape from entrainment).

10. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 11/23/04, 6/21/06, 7/28/06, 9/1/07, 7/8/08, 9/7/08, 10/22/08, 6/15/09, 9/9/10, 11/23/11, 12/7/12 and 4/14/13.

11. Adult male. Tail length = 445 mm. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 5/30/89, 9/6/90, 10/11/90, 10/15/90, 2/23/91, 8/10/92, 8/27/92, 9/21/92, 1/6/93, 6/8/93, 12/29/93, 3/22/94, 10/31/94, 3/17/95, 4/20/95, 2/7/96, 4/7/96, 7/11/96, 7/23/96, 7/29/96, 9/22/96, 10/9/96, 6/13/97, 5/15/98, 4/15/00, 6/13/00, 9/8/00, 11/19/00, 11/15/01, 9/16/02, 4/30/03, 11/24/03, 3/31/04, 9/15/04, 10/25/04, 8/10/05, 8/16/06, 4/30/08, 9/26/08, 8/19/09, 12/28/12 and 4/17/13.

Soft plastron. Sex determination based on tail length.

12. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 10/9/11, 1/18/12, 2/5/12, 5/24/12, 7/5/12, 4/3/13 and 4/20/13. Skull exposed from moderate fresh scrape to head.

13. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 1/13/12, 9/12/12 and 4/21/13.

14. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 10/30/11 and 4/21/13. New inconel tags inserted on this capture event. Scar tissue apparent in left shoulder (possibly an old hooking wound).

15. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 9/10/12 and 4/22/13.

16. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 7/29/10 and 4/24/13. Sex determination based on tail length.

17. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 6/11/97, 7/21/99, 8/10/00, 11/3/00, 8/22/01, 3/21/02, 6/24/03, 11/2/04, 7/15/05, 8/6/06, 9/21/06, 9/16/08 and 4/25/13. Multiple tag scars in both front flippers.

18. Adult male. Tail length = 430 mm. Lower tomium completely bifurcated (healed); possibly an old injury or congenital deformity.

19. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 5/31/12 and 4/27/13. One new flipper tag inserted on this capture event (inconel tag #EEA333).

20. Adult female. Tail length = 234 mm.

21. Adult female. Tail length = 179 mm.

22. Adult female. Tail length = 261 mm.

23. Adult male. Tail length = 506 mm.

24. Adult female. Tail length = 214 mm. Moderate fresh scrape just behind nares (bone exposed). Possible Cc/Ei hybrid. Cream colored plastron like a loggerhead. Scute patterning like a hawksbill (4 costal scutes, 11 marginals and 4 inframarginals). Head narrow and posterior scutes slightly imbricated. Biopsy taken for genetic analysis.

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 Apr-13 Date Apr-13 Date Apr-13 Date Apr-13 Date Apr-13 Date Apr-13 Date Captures 35 83 8 61 1 1 1 1 0 0 45 146 Causal Mortalities 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Non-causal Mortalities 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Causal Injuries 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sent to rehab 1 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 Fresh Year to Year to Year to Year to Year to Year to Scrapes Apr-13 Date Apr-13 Date Apr-13 Date Apr-13 Date Apr-13 Date Apr-13 Date None 6 14 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 22 Minor 27 66 7 47 0 0 1 1 0 0 35 114 Moderate 2 3 1 6 1 1 0 0 0 0 4 10 Severe 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Percent with mod/sev scrapes 5.7% 3.6% 12.5% 9.8% 100.0% 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% N/A N/A 8.9% 6.8%

Injury / Mortality St Lucie Power Plant Causal Turtles 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 **2013 Totals by Species Total Captures 270 341 538 623 484 419 227 420 260 295 302 232 83 4,494 Loggerhead Injuries 0 0 0 0 1 *3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 7 Mortalities 1 0 0 1 0 *21 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 24 Total Captures 321 292 394 286 428 267 101 299 161 444 217 127 61 3,398 Green Injuries 0 0 1 0 3 7 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 16 Mortalities 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 3 1 2 0 19 Total Captures 2 0 4 2 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 2 1 16 Leatherback Injuries 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mortalities 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total Captures 1 0 2 1 3 3 0 2 0 7 0 0 0 19 Kemp's Ridley Injuries 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mortalities 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total Captures 6 3 6 2 2 2 1 4 2 3 2 1 1 35 Hawksbill Injuries 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mortalities 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Injury / Mortality Yearly Totals 5 2 2 2 5 32 1 5 3 5 1 3 0 66 Total Captures per Year 600 636 944 914 917 692 330 725 424 751 521 362 146 7,962

• The loggerhead causal injuries and mortalities in 2006 were all hatchlings.

• • 2013 is a partial year