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WELCOME 45 th Space Wing Sea Turtle P rogram Patrick Air Force Base

WELCOME 45 th Space Wing Sea Turtle P rogram Patrick Air Force Base Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Air Force 45 th Space Wing CES/CEIE-C Environmental Conservation. 45 th Space Wing Mission: Deliver Assured Access To Space For The Nation.

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WELCOME 45 th Space Wing Sea Turtle P rogram Patrick Air Force Base

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  1. WELCOME 45th Space Wing Sea Turtle Program Patrick Air Force Base Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

  2. Air Force 45th Space Wing CES/CEIE-CEnvironmental Conservation 45th Space Wing Mission: Deliver Assured Access To Space For The Nation The primary objective of 45 SW natural resources program is to ensure that the natural environment supports and works in harmony with the wing mission.

  3. Local Species of Sea Turtles • Seven species of sea turtles worldwide • Five species of sea turtles are found in Florida waters LOGGERHEAD (Caretta caretta) Threatened LEATHERBACK (Dermochelys coriacea) Endangered GREEN TURTLE (Chelonia mydas) Threatened KEMP'S RIDLEY (Lepidochelys kempi) Endangered HAWKSBILL (Eretmochelys imbricata) Endangered

  4. Ideal Nesting Beach

  5. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Patrick Air Force Base • NW Atlantic Loggerhead population largest in the world • 90% of the nesting occurs in Florida • Participant in Florida’s Index & Statewide Nesting Survey Program • Data reflects trends, species recovery, regulatory needs • Longest running nesting survey program in DoD • T&E projects fund contracts with USFWS, UCF and CSU • Permitted thru Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

  6. Surveys Conducted April - October • Document number of nests & false crawls • Mark a representative sample of nests (~10%) • Document predation, wash over/wash out, hatching/emergence, disorientation, excavate for productivity

  7. Other Permitted Activities • Conduct Stranding & Salvage activities • Conduct Educational Turtle Walks for leadership • Community Outreach

  8. 45 SW Historic Sea Turtle Nesting Activity1986 - 2017

  9. 2017 Nesting Season – 45 SW

  10. Impacts To Sea Turtles There are many artificial & natural influences that can negatively impact sea turtles throughout their entire lifecycle: starting with the eggs in the nest, hatchlings, juveniles, sub-adults and adult sea turtles.

  11. Disorientation

  12. Hatchling Disorientation Before Light Management 45 SW High 7% After Light Management 45 SW Low < 2 %

  13. Hatchling Disorientation

  14. How Do We Minimize Disorientation? • Robust Exterior Lighting Management Program • Biological Opinion: 3% incidental take • Design reviews, light management plans • Space Wing Instruction • Annual reminder notices – nesting season • Biannual lighting workshops for tenants • Night time light surveys • Increased launch tempo will be challenging

  15. Minimize Sky Glow Unshielded Shielded

  16. Lighting Problems and Solutions Shielded Unshielded Shielded 17

  17. Peninsular Florida At Night

  18. Predation

  19. How Do We Minimize Predation? • Nuisance Wildlife Management Program • Project funds annual contract with USDA • Species specific (coyotes, hogs, raccoons)

  20. Trident Submarine Basin • Juvenile Green sea turtle population survey • Project funds contract with USFWS, UCF • Biannual survey for past 25 years • Unique population, unlike other ports in Florida • Data shows no effect from submarine activities

  21. Loggerhead Sea Turtle Tidbits • Sexual Maturity = 32-35 yrs • Average ~120 Eggs Per Clutch • Soft, Ping Pong Ball Sized • Pivotal Temp = 29 C (84.2 F) •  = Females •  = Males • Inter-nesting Interval = 12-15 days • Nests Per Season = 3-5 • Remigration Interval = 2.5-3.7 yrs • Life span = >57 yrs Loggerhead Sea Turtle Eggs

  22. 50-60 Days Later Ocean Once incubation is complete, the hatchlings emerge from the nest in a frenzy and head towards the ocean Hatchlings have enough energy to swim ~24 hours non-stop to reach Sargasso Sea Nest ~1 in a 1000 will reach sexual maturity (~30 years) (some experts believe 1 in 10,000)

  23. Kemp’s Ridley Sea TurtleRarest Sea Turtle in the World May 2015 – Two Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle nests at CCAFS – First time ever documented.

  24. Rescue • January 2010 Cold Stun Event • 45 SW Rescues >200 stunned sea turtles • from CCAFS & PAFB river shorelines • Multi-agency Effort • USFWS Regional Director’s Award given • to 45 SW Team

  25. Shrimping Industry - Success Story Turtle Excluder Device (TED)

  26. Weather Disease Erosion Fibropapilloma

  27. Coastal Development Loss of Nesting Beach Loss of Dunes, Light Pollution

  28. Over-Harvesting, Exploitation, Poaching

  29. Fishing Industries

  30. Oil Spills

  31. Trash & Debris on Nesting Beaches

  32. cm 0 1 2 Plastic Debris Ingestion

  33. Loggerhead Nest

  34. Green Turtle Nest

  35. Leatherback Nest

  36. QUESTIONS ?

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