Meeting Abstract
Areas of the northern Gulf of Mexico associated with major river systems have historically been noted as important foraging and developmental habitat for Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. Recent research conducted in the Mississippi Sound and surrounding waters has supported this conclusion. In the current study, immature Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were obtained from hook and line captures by recreational fishermen from a variety of fishing piers along the MS coast. The turtles ranged in size from approximately 20 to 45 cm (straight-line carapace length), with an average of approximately 31 cm. After capture, all turtles were transported to the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) in Gulfport, MS, examined by an IMMS veterinarian, and rehabilitated until suitable for release. A blood sample was taken from each turtle prior to its release. Circulating testosterone levels were determined for each turtle using a radioimmunoassay. A total of 256 immature turtles were examined in the current study. The predicted sex of each turtle was based on previous studies of juvenile Kemp’s ridleys whose sex had been verified through laparoscopy. The results indicate a significant female bias (3.6F; 1.0M) in the immature portion of the Kemp’s ridley population in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The female bias is similar to that reported for Kemp’s ridley hatchlings produced on the primary nesting beach at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico. The occurrence of a significant female bias in the Kemp’s ridley population has implications for the ecology, evolution, and conservation of this Critically Endangered sea turtle.
