ML11284A073

E-mail September 2011 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report

ML11284A073
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	10/06/2011
From:	Singewald D Inwater Research Group
To:	Koperski M Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, State of FL, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Balsam B
Shared Package
ML11284A070	List: ML11284A073 ML11284A077
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Download: ML11284A073 (2)

Text

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

Subject:

September 2011 FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Report Date: Thursday, October 06, 2011 11:04:45 AM Attachments: September 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 September 2011

Dear Meghan,

Attached, please find the monthly summary of marine turtle removals for September 2011.

This month, we captured fifteen (15) Caretta caretta and sixteen (16) 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 5 barrier net experienced negligible to severe loads of jellyfish that entered into the intake canal, whereas algae entrainment ranged from negligible to moderate in magnitude. There were two severe jellyfish intrusion events in the month of September. The first began on August 20th and subsided after the first week of September.

The second severe jellyfish event began on September 17th , and is ongoing as of October 4th .

UESI divers remained on site during both of these events to attend to the 5 barrier net.

Efforts ranged from four divers cleaning the net around the clock to one diver performing routine inspections and cleaning as needed during daylight hours. The divers also added three floats to the 5 net during times of light jellyfish intrusion. In addition to this effort, FPL and IRG personnel performed helicopter surveys to monitor the progression of the jellyfish event offshore (up to two miles out, between the Jupiter and Fort Pierce Inlets). Inwater Research Group (IRG) personnel increased canal monitoring efforts to include nights on September 8th . Then, from September 18th until the 30th , IRG monitored the intake canal 24 hour2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />s-a-day. To lessen the potential impact of this event on entrained sea turtles, IRG biologists proactively removed turtles whenever possible through the use of hand capture and dip nets.

Despite the heavy influx of jellyfish, the temporary barrier net has performed as designed and no turtles have been observed beyond the 5-inch net. A permanent fix for the primary net continues to remain in the design phase.

The tag numbers and morphometric data for all 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 Sr. Environmental Specialist Inwater Research Group, Inc.

4160 NE Hyline Dr.

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