Alternative Text Description for Leatherback Sea Turtle (Endangered)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the geographic range boundaries for the Leatherback Sea Turtle, an endangered species, as designated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the State of Florida. The map shows where this species is understood to occur within Florida's coastal and marine environments. The distribution is represented as polygonal boundaries delineating the species' habitat range.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the state of Florida and portions of the northern Gulf of America coastline, extending from Pensacola in the northwest through the Florida Panhandle and down the entire peninsula. Major cities labeled on the map include Jacksonville on the northeast coast, Orlando in the central region, Tampa and St. Petersburg on the west coast, and Miami at the southern tip. The map extends westward to show portions of Alabama and Georgia, northward to include Dothan, Valdosta, Albany, and Savannah, and southward to include the Florida Keys and the Straits of Florida. Coastal cities such as Pensacola, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Palm Coast, Cape Coral, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie, and Coral Springs provide additional geographic reference points.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Leatherback Sea Turtle range is concentrated exclusively in Florida's marine and coastal waters, with no inland distribution shown. The species range extends along the entire Atlantic coastline from the Georgia border south through the Florida Keys, and along portions of the Gulf of America coast from the Panhandle through southwestern Florida. The most extensive range areas appear in southern Florida, particularly around the Florida Keys and the southern tip of the peninsula extending into the Straits of Florida. The distribution pattern clearly indicates this is a marine species with habitat concentrated in coastal and offshore waters rather than terrestrial or inland aquatic environments.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Leatherback Sea Turtle (Endangered) Range

This layer represents the designated geographic boundaries where the Leatherback Sea Turtle is understood to occur according to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Leatherback Sea Turtle Habitat Areas (pink crosshatch pattern)

Appearance:

Areas are depicted with a pink or light magenta crosshatch pattern consisting of intersecting diagonal lines creating a mesh or grid texture.

Distribution:

The habitat areas are distributed entirely along Florida's coastal zones, following both the Atlantic Ocean coastline and the Gulf of America coastline. The range extends continuously along the east coast from the Georgia-Florida border southward through the entire peninsula and into the Florida Keys.

Notable locations:

The most prominent concentration appears in the waters off the southern tip of Florida, including the area around the Florida Keys and extending into the Straits of Florida south of Miami. Additional substantial range areas are shown along the southwestern Gulf coast near Cape Coral and in waters off the Florida Keys extending westward. Smaller range delineations appear along the Atlantic coast near Jacksonville and along the Gulf coast in the Florida Panhandle near Pensacola.

Spatial patterns:

The distribution follows a linear coastal pattern, closely adhering to Florida's shoreline on both coasts. The range polygons represent offshore and nearshore marine waters rather than terrestrial areas. The southern Florida waters show the most extensive polygonal coverage, suggesting this region represents core habitat. The pattern indicates the species utilizes coastal migration corridors along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida, with particular concentration in the warmer southern waters.

Overlapping Patterns

No overlapping patterns with other thematic layers are present in this single-layer species range map.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents species range boundaries as understood and designated by federal wildlife authorities rather than individual sighting locations or population density information. The polygonal boundaries delineate areas where the species is known or expected to occur based on scientific understanding of habitat use and distribution patterns. The Leatherback Sea Turtle is classified as endangered, indicating federal protection status under the Endangered Species Act. The map focuses exclusively on Florida's jurisdiction and shows marine habitat only, reflecting the species' life history as a sea turtle dependent on coastal and offshore waters.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

United States Fish and Wildlife Service polygonal boundaries dataset for species occurring in the State of Florida. The data represents the authoritative federal designation of species range boundaries based on scientific understanding of habitat use and distribution.

Definition Query:

The map displays only records where the common name equals "LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE" from the broader USFWS species polygon dataset (CR_USFWS_POLY_JUN26COMNAME). This filters the full species dataset to show only the geographic range for this single endangered sea turtle species.

Scale Information:

The map scale shows the entire state of Florida with portions of neighboring states and waters, appropriate for displaying statewide species distribution patterns and regional habitat extent.

Coordinate System:

NAD 1983 HARN Florida GDL Albers (WKID 3087), a projected coordinate system optimized for accurate area representation across the state of Florida.

Limitations:

Species range boundaries represent areas where the species is understood to occur but do not indicate population density, seasonal use patterns, or critical habitat designations. The polygonal boundaries are generalized representations of habitat extent rather than precise boundaries of individual observations. Marine boundaries may extend beyond areas regularly surveyed or may not capture all areas of occasional use.

Map Coverage:

The map extent includes the entire state of Florida from approximately the Alabama-Florida border in the west to the Atlantic coast in the east, and from the Georgia-Florida border in the north to the Straits of Florida in the south. Portions of Alabama, Georgia, and the Gulf of America are shown for geographic context.

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