ML13291A030

September 2013 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report

ML13291A030
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	10/06/2013
From:	Weege S - No Known Affiliation
To:	Koperski M Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML13291A030 (9)

Text

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

Sent: Sunday, October 06, 2013 2:30 PM To: Meghan Koperski Cc: Dave Niebch; Mike Bresette; MTP@MyFWC.com; SCO@dep.state.fl.us; Vince Munne; Audra

- NOAA Federal; John Jones; Dave Clark; Ed Hollowell; Jodie Gless; Ken Frehafer; Shelley Norton; EndangeredSpecies Resource

Subject:

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

Subject:

Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Summary September 2013

Dear Meghan,

Attached, please find the monthly summary of marine turtle removals for September 2013. This month, we captured five (5) Caretta caretta and eighteen (18) Chelonia mydas in the intake canal of the St. Lucie power plant on Hutchinson Island. There were no mortalities or sea turtles sent for rehabilitation in September.

Throughout the month, the temporary 5-inch barrier net has experienced severe loads of both algae and jellyfish that entered into the intake canal system. Underwater Engineering Services has deployed divers, sometimes on a continuous 24-hour basis, to inspect and clean the 5-inch barrier net as needed. Since mid-August, Inwater Research Group biologists have also been monitoring the intake canal and temporary 5-inch barrier net around the clock with regular reporting to power plant personnel. In spite of the heavy influx of debris, 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.

On September 28th, there was a hatchling disorientation event that led to several turtles being recovered from the intake canal. The nest was located atop the dune near the power plant. Nine turtles disoriented towards the power plant from the adjacent beach and were subsequently captured in the intake canal and released back into the ocean. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was contacted/consulted by Inwater Research Group biologists and a disorientation report was filed with the agency (#MJB-130928-01-SLC).

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 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.

1

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 2

Hearing Identifier: NRR_PMDA Email Number: 873 Mail Envelope Properties (1381084207.89200.YahooMailNeo)

Subject:

September 2013 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report Sent Date: 10/6/2013 2:30:07 PM Received Date: 10/6/2013 2:30:28 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 "Audra - NOAA Federal" <audra.livergood@noaa.gov>

Tracking Status: None "John Jones" <John.Jones@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: web122601.mail.ne1.yahoo.com Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 2675 10/6/2013 2:30:28 PM September 2013 Marine Turtle Captures.rtf 85436 Monthly Report Notes 2013.xls 174656 FPL St. Lucie Capture Summary 2013.xls 186432 Power Plant Causal Turtles.xlsx 14161 Options Priority: Standard Return Notification: No

Reply Requested: No Sensitivity: Normal Expiration Date:

Recipients Received:

MARINE TURTLE REMOVALS ST. LUCIE PLANT INTAKE CANAL SEPTEMBER 2013 Date Species Note Tag #'s SMCL SSCL CSCL CMCW SMCW SMPL Weight Method (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (kg) 9/3/2013 Caretta caretta EEL987/EEL988 65.4 67.4 73.2 70.4 55.0 52.0 40.5 Hand capture 9/4/2013 Chelonia mydas 1 HB4059/HB4060 104.1 105.2 111.5 103.2 83.5 87.6 147.0 Hand capture 9/5/2013 Chelonia mydas 2 EEA171/EEL989 39.0 39.3 41.4 36.1 30.9 32.0 7.7 Hand capture 9/5/2013 Chelonia mydas 3 EEA394/EEL990 53.3 53.4 56.7 51.6 41.0 44.2 20.9 Hand capture 9/5/2013 Chelonia mydas 4 EEL991/EEL992 51.1 51.8 58.1 47.9 41.6 44.8 18.8 Hand capture 9/8/2013 Caretta caretta EEL993/EEL994 47.4 48.0 53.4 50.5 41.0 38.0 17.6 South net 9/8/2013 Caretta caretta EEL995/EEL996 68.0 68.4 74.5 72.2 56.7 54.2 48.4 North net 9/19/2013 Chelonia mydas 5 EEL997/EEL998 43.1 43.4 45.6 41.0 33.6 34.5 9.9 North net 9/20/2013 Chelonia mydas EEL999 50.1 50.6 53.2 45.2 39.9 40.9 15.1 South net 9/21/2013 Caretta caretta EEP302/EEP303 81.2 82.7 86.1 88.6 67.9 61.6 72.1 North net 9/21/2013 Chelonia mydas EEP304/EEP305 42.5 43.4 46.0 41.5 34.9 34.9 11.5 North net 9/23/2013 Chelonia mydas 4C3C5F6E55 28.2 29.1 30.8 26.5 23.6 24.0 3.0 Hand capture 9/25/2013 Chelonia mydas EEP307 31.8 32.4 33.7 28.3 25.5 26.4 4.2 North net 9/27/2013 Caretta caretta EEP308/EEP309 66.1 67.6 71.7 70.1 56.4 50.6 37.5 North net 9/28/2013 Chelonia mydas 6 Hand capture

Date Species Note Tag #'s SMCL SSCL CSCL CMCW SMCW SMPL Weight Method (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (kg) 9/28/2013 Chelonia mydas 7 Hand capture 9/28/2013 Chelonia mydas 8 Hand capture 9/28/2013 Chelonia mydas 9 Hand capture 9/28/2013 Chelonia mydas 10 Hand capture 9/28/2013 Chelonia mydas 11 Hand capture 9/28/2013 Chelonia mydas 12 Hand capture 9/28/2013 Chelonia mydas 13 Hand capture 9/28/2013 Chelonia mydas 14 Hand capture

NOTES

1. STRANGE TAG (Inconel tags HB4059 & HB4060). Tagging information sent to Peter Eliazar at the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research (UF). Adult female. Tail length = 305 mm.

2. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 1/10/13 and 9/5/13. New inconel tag #EEL989 inserted in right front flipper on this capture event.

3. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 11/13/04, 4/11/08, 5/5/08, 9/25/08, 10/12/08, 7/12/10, 12/6/10, 9/10/11, 11/1/11, 1/9/12, 5/10/13 and 9/5/13. New inconel tag #EEL990 inserted in left front flipper on this capture event.

4. PAPILLOMAS (Balazs Tumor Score = 2 {moderate}, Total Tumor Score = 16).

5. RECAPTURE. Turtle was removed from the intake canal, tagged and released at Hutchinson Island on 4/28/11 and 9/19/13.

6. thru 14. Hatchling disorientation from a nest located atop the dune near the power plant. Nine turtles disoriented towards the intake canal from the adjacent beach. The turtles were subsequently removed from the intake canal by Underwater Engineering Services divers near the temporary 5-inch barrier net. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was contacted/consulted by Inwater Research Group biologists and a disorientation report was filed with the agency (#MJB-130928-01-SLC). No tags were applied nor were morphometrics (measurements) recorded for the hatchlings.

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-13 Date Sep-13 Date Sep-13 Date Sep-13 Date Sep-13 Date Sep-13 Date Captures 5 263 18 138 0 2 0 2 0 0 23 405 Causal Mortalities 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Non-causal Mortalities 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Causal Injuries 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Sent to rehab 0 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 Fresh Year to Year to Year to Year to Year to Year to Scrapes Sep-13 Date Sep-13 Date Sep-13 Date Sep-13 Date Sep-13 Date Sep-13 Date None 0 52 12 29 0 1 0 0 0 0 12 82 Minor 4 189 5 93 0 0 0 2 0 0 9 284 Moderate 1 21 1 16 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 38 Severe 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Percent with mod/sev scrapes 20.0% 8.4% 5.6% 11.6% N/A 50.0% N/A 0.0% N/A N/A 8.7% 9.6%

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 270 341 538 623 484 419 227 420 260 295 302 232 263 4,674 Loggerhead Injuries 0 0 0 0 1 *3 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 8 Mortalities 1 0 0 1 0 *21 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 24 Total Captures 321 292 394 286 428 267 101 299 161 444 217 127 138 3,475 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 2 17 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 2 36 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 1 67 Total Captures per Year 600 636 944 914 917 692 330 725 424 751 521 362 405 8,221

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

• • 2013 is a partial year