Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, South Florida/ Caribbean CESU

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The US Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Gainesville, Florida, in offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for the collection and analysis of aerial images for threatened and endangered sea turtles. Broad-scale information on sea turtle distribution and density is difficult to obtain; manned aerial surveys are currently the primary method used to gather these data. However, the number of observers utilized in manned aerial surveys is limited due to aircraft size and weight. Deployment of camera systems during aerial surveys allows multiple observers to view images after flights are complete which improves detections and allows for species identification. This survey methodology provides managers such as the National Marine Fisheries Service and Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management with ocean basin-wide estimates of distribution and density for these wide-ranging species. This work will be a collaborative effort between the USGS and a CESU partner agency the Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI).

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