Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in an urban estuary system: Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida

Estuarine environments in Florida provide important developmental habitat for sea turtles. We present the first systematic survey of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) inhabiting Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL), a heavily urbanized lagoon in Palm Beach County, Florida. We characterized the distribution, abundance, size class structure, diet, sex ratio, and genetic origin of green turtles in LWL using vessel-based visual transect surveys and captures over the period from 2005 to 2013. Data from 100 captured individuals showed the LWL population was comprised almost entirely of juveniles, with a mean straight standard carapace length of 40.4 centimeters. The distribution of green turtles in LWL coincides with areas where significant submersed aquatic vegetation is present. Dietary analysis from 31 individuals showed that seagrass species comprised 90% of the diet. We also quantified the prevalence and severity of fibropapillomatosis (FP) in the population, a disease associated with impaired water quality. The overall FP prevalence for the population was 48.7%, and both prevalence and severity of FP appear to be stable or slightly increasing over the period from 2005-2013. Long-term monitoring of this population may serve to provide an important barometer of overall lagoon health, and assess the progress of ongoing efforts in lagoon restoration.