Alternative Text Description for Sea Turtle Strandings

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays sea turtle stranding locations documented by the Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN) throughout Florida's coastal areas. The map shows the geographic distribution of stranding events where sea turtles were found either alive or deceased along Florida's coastlines. The data reveals patterns of where sea turtles strand along Florida's extensive shoreline, including both Gulf and Atlantic coasts. This information is used to monitor sea turtle mortality, identify threats, and support conservation and recovery efforts.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida and its surrounding coastal waters. Major cities labeled include Miami and Coral Springs in the southeast, West Palm Beach along the central east coast, Orlando in the central interior, Gainesville in the north-central region, Jacksonville in the northeast, Tallahassee in the panhandle, and Tampa on the west coast. Additional labeled cities include Lakeland, Valdosta to the north, Albany and Dothan in the far northern extent, and Havana to the south. The map extends from the Florida panhandle in the northwest through the peninsula to the Florida Keys and Straits of Florida in the south. The Gulf of America borders Florida's west coast, while the Atlantic Ocean borders the east coast. Neighboring regions of southern Georgia and Alabama are visible in the northern portion of the map.

KEY INSIGHTS

Sea turtle strandings show a strong coastal distribution pattern, closely following Florida's entire shoreline. Strandings are heavily concentrated along both the Atlantic coast from Jacksonville south through Miami and the Keys, and along the Gulf of America coast from the panhandle through Tampa and down to the southern tip. The highest densities of stranding events appear in several key areas: the Atlantic coast around Jacksonville, the entire east coast corridor from Palm Beach through Miami, the southwestern Gulf coast around Tampa and south, and the Florida Keys region where strandings are extremely concentrated. The panhandle region shows a linear distribution following the northern Gulf shoreline. Very few strandings occur in Florida's interior, confirming that stranding events are almost exclusively a coastal phenomenon. The Atlantic coast appears to have more continuous coverage of stranding events compared to some sections of the Gulf coast.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Sea Turtle Strandings

This layer represents documented locations where sea turtles have stranded along Florida's coastlines, including both live and dead individuals found by the Florida STSSN network.

Sea Turtle Stranding Locations (magenta circles with black centers)

Appearance:

Each stranding location is represented by a bright magenta or pink circular symbol with a black center dot, creating a distinctive target-like appearance.

Distribution:

Stranding locations form dense linear patterns along Florida's entire coastline, following the Atlantic Ocean shoreline along the east coast, the Gulf of America shoreline along the west and northwest coasts, and surrounding the Florida Keys archipelago.

Notable locations:

Major concentrations of strandings occur in the Jacksonville area on the northeast coast, along the entire southeast Atlantic coast from West Palm Beach through Miami, throughout the Florida Keys, along the southwestern Gulf coast near Tampa and south to the Everglades region, and along the panhandle Gulf coast. The Tampa Bay area shows particularly dense clustering, as does the Miami metropolitan coastal area and the Keys.

Spatial patterns:

Strandings follow a distinctly linear pattern that traces Florida's complex coastline, with individual points densely packed along shorelines and very sparse or absent in inland areas. Some areas show multiple overlapping points suggesting either repeated strandings at specific locations or clusters of strandings in small geographic areas. The distribution suggests that strandings occur wherever Florida's coastline meets open water, with no major coastal segments showing complete absence of stranding events.

Overlapping Patterns

In many coastal areas, particularly around major urban centers like Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, and throughout the Keys, stranding points overlap extensively, creating thick bands of magenta symbols. These overlapping areas likely indicate either high-use sea turtle habitats adjacent to these coastlines, areas with higher reporting rates due to population density and observer presence, or locations where oceanographic or geographic conditions make strandings more likely.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents cumulative stranding data collected through Florida's participation in the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network coordinated by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. The data includes strandings documented by both Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) staff biologists and a network of permitted participants throughout the state. Live stranded turtles are rescued and transported to permitted rehabilitation facilities, while certain carcasses undergo necropsy to determine cause of death. The stranding locations shown include incidents involving all sea turtle species found in Florida waters. The data is used to monitor mortality events, detect unusual stranding patterns, identify threats such as boat strikes or fishing gear entanglement, and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation measures including Turtle Excluder Device requirements and gillnet regulations. The map shows stranding locations at a statewide scale; individual stranding events may not be distinguishable in areas with high densities of overlapping points.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data originates from the Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN), coordinated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) as part of an eighteen-state network led by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. Strandings are documented by FWRI staff biologists and permitted participants located throughout Florida who collect standardized data including date, species, location, measurements, carcass condition, and information on injuries or anomalies. Data source layer name: SEA_TURTLE_STRND_JUL22.

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was specified for this map view.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a statewide scale showing all of Florida and surrounding areas, appropriate for understanding broad distribution patterns of sea turtle strandings across the entire state. Individual stranding points are visible, though in areas of high density, overlapping symbols may obscure individual events.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087).

Time Period of Content:

The dataset identifier indicates data through July 2022, though the specific time range of stranding events included is not specified in the provided information.

Limitations:

The map shows stranding locations but does not indicate species, date, condition (alive or dead), or cause of stranding. Areas with higher human population density may show increased reporting rates due to greater observer presence, which may not necessarily reflect higher actual stranding rates. Strandings in remote areas may be underreported. The map represents documented strandings only and does not account for stranded turtles that were not discovered or reported.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the entire state of Florida including the panhandle, peninsula, and Florida Keys, extending into adjacent waters and showing portions of southern Georgia and Alabama for geographic context. The western boundary includes portions of the Gulf of America, and the eastern extent includes Atlantic coastal waters.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.