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361453-191001-021000
NA18OAR4170438
N/A
9/1/2018
2022-8-31 0:0:0
Active
$140,356.00
Coastal Science Research, Data Development, and Information Services (NRDA Turtle Project)
Cebrian
Just
MSU
Wang
Zhankun
MSU
Ecosystem Mgmt EM
OAR
Five turtle species live in the Gulf of Mexico, with one listed as threatened (loggerheads) and four as endangered (leatherback, green, Kemp’s Ridley, and hawksbill). The Gulf of Mexico Sea Turtle Early Restoration Project aims to restore sea turtle populations affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
To support that effort, researchers with the NOAA and Northern Gulf Institute are collaborating to better understand sea turtle strandings by developing, implementing, and testing a Sea Turtle Stranding Analysis System. The system includes two analytical and mapping tools covering the Gulf of Mexico coastline. One is the Backcasting Analysis and Mortality Mapping (BAMM) tool that provides a backcast prediction of the origin of strandings; the other is the Beaching Probability Index (Beaching Index) that evaluates the probability and location of strandings. A Sea Turtle Web Interface for these tools will be designed, implemented, and tested. This effort includes the automation of data receipt, ingest, quality control, and processing; development of documentation/user manuals; and daily monitoring and maintenance to improve the Sea Turtle Stranding Analysis System and user experience. Estimates of origin for stranded sea turtles and predictions of the influence of environmental conditions on animal drift and dispersal will provide valuable insight on turtle strandings and mortality for resource managers and facilitate better response and planning for sea turtle stranding emergencies. |