Home Range and Habitat Use by Kemp's Ridley Turtles in West-Central Florida

The Kemp's ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) is an endangered species whose recovery depends in part on the identification and protection of required habitats. We used radio and sonic telemetry on subadult Kemp's ridley turtles to investigate home-range size and habitat use in the coastal waters of west-central Florida from 1994 to 1996. We tracked 9 turtles during May-August up to 70 days after release and found they occupied 5-30 km2foraging ranges. Compositional analyses indicated that turtles used rock outcroppings in their foraging ranges at a significantly higher proportion than expected, based on availability within the study area. Additionally, turtles used live bottom (e.g., sessile invertebrates) and green macroalgae habitats significantly more than seagrass habitat. Similar studies are needed throughout the Kemp's ridley turtles' range to investigate regional and stage-specific differences in habitat use, which can then be used to conserve important foraging areas.