Annual Occurrence and Winter Mortality of Marine Turtles in New York Waters

Cold-stunned sea turtles, both moribund and dead as a result of hypothermia, were collected along the shorelines of Long Island, New York, during three consecutive winters. A total of 130 juvenile Lepidochelys kempii, Caretta caretta, and Chelonia mydas was collected. Lepidochelys kempii represented 75% of all individuals encountered. The size distribution of L. kempii (straight-line carapace length 22.5 cm to 37.6 cm; x̄ = 29.4 cm, SD = 3.1) was unlike any other assemblage reported within the species' range. The regular occurrence of relatively small turtles suggests that New York waters are utilized on an annual basis by L. kempii during early developmental stages. The numbers observed in this study, coupled with historical records, indicate that New York represents an important portion of the range of L. kempii. There is a continuous distribution of this species from the Gulf of Mexico to New England waters.