title: Fishery gear interactions from stranded bottlenose dolphins, Florida manatees and sea turtles in Florida, U.S.A.
abstract: Documenting the extent of fishery gear interactions is critical to wildlife conservation efforts, especially for reducing entanglements and ingestion. This study summarizes fishery gear interactions involving common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus truncatus), Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and sea turtles: loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green turtle (Chelonia mydas), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) stranding in Florida waters during 1997-2009. Fishery gear interactions for all species combined were 75.3% hook and line, 18.2% trap pot gear, 4.8% fishing nets, and 1.7% in multiple gears. Total reported fishery gear cases increased over time for dolphins (p<0.05), manatees (p<0.01), loggerheads (p<0.05) and green sea turtles (p<0.05). The proportion of net interaction strandings relative to total strandings for loggerhead sea turtles increased (p<0.05). Additionally, life stage and sex patterns were examined, fishery gear interaction hotspots were identified and generalized linear regression modeling was conducted.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256, USA. Electronic address: nicole_adimey@fws.gov.
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Adimey
authors.affiliation: Right Whale Research Program, Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA. Electronic address: chudak@coastalstudies.org.
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hudak
authors.affiliation: NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA. Electronic address: Jessica.Powell@noaa.gov.
authors.forename: Jessica R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.affiliation: Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA. Electronic address: kbhull@mote.org.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bassos-Hull
authors.affiliation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Jacksonville Field Laboratory, Jacksonville, FL 32218, USA. Electronic address: Allen.Foley@myfwc.com.
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.affiliation: NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA. Electronic address: nick.farmer@noaa.gov.
authors.forename: Nicholas A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.affiliation: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Indian River Field Lab, 1220 Prospect Ave, Suite 285, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA. Electronic address: Karrie.Minch@myfwc.com.
authors.forename: Karrie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005398:Fisheries; D005431:Florida; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D020457:Trichechus manatus; D014426:Turtles; D014873:Water Pollutants
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants
keywords: Dolphins; Entanglement; Fishery gear; Ingestion; Manatees; Sea turtles