HYANNIS – A recent study of sea turtle strandings over a thirteen-year period found troubling concentrations of collisions between marine vessels and Leatherback turtles in regional waters.
The study, published in the most recent edition of “Biological Conservation” and headed by researchers at Florida State University identified turtle injuries attributable to vessel strikes such as chop wounds indicative of contact with propellers and recorded them throughout the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Of 241 leatherback turtle strandings recorded in Massachusetts during that timeframe, 88, or 36.5% of those stranded bore visible signs of vessel strike injuries.
The vast majority of documented strikes sustained by leatherbacks were fatal.
The percentage of leatherback strikes attributable to vessel strikes in the Bay State was higher than that of northeast neighbors Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, as well as the total volume of leatherback strikes, which was higher than that of its neighbors combined.
Vessel strikes were particularly common in Barnstable and Dukes counties, which were identified as the sites of highly clustered strike events, the vast majority of which occurred between August and October.
The most likely cause of this high frequency, according to the study, is the overlap between leatherback foraging habitat and the region’s dense population and high watercraft use, and the report noted that leatherbacks in the region may have a high frequency of surfacing.
The year-by-year trends fortunately showed a decrease in the number of stranded leatherbacks with vessel related wounds since 2017, albeit with the caveat the proportion of strandings with signs of vessel injury has steadily risen over the thirteen-year sample.
The study noted that the vast space of the study area, and limits on human monitoring ability means the total number of injured turtles may be higher than those found stranded or floating at sea.
Strandings due to cold stunning, another regional hazard under increased scrutiny in recent years, were not considered as part of the research and represent an added obstacle for leatherback safety.
To view the report, click here.
About Matthew Tomlinson
