Population Structure and Genetic Origin of Hawksbill Turtles in the Key West National Wildlife Refuge

Refuge Boundary 502 km 2 Our Study Site In KWNWR

Observational Studies Answer questions like: Are hawksbills present in the refuge? How many are there? Where in the refuge do they occur? What kinds of habitats are they using?

Hawksbill sighting locations in the Northeastern KWNWR OPUE = 0.19 observations per transect kilometer

Hawksbill sighting locations in the central KWNWR OPUE = 0.02 observations per transect kilometer

Hawksbill sighting locations in the western KWNWR OPUE = 0.06 observations per transect kilometer

Capture Studies Answer questions like: What is the size class distribution? What is the growth rate? Where are these turtles coming from? Where are these turtles going?

Size class distribution of hawksbill turtles in the KWNWR (N=82) Juveniles = 20-50cm SCL Subadults = 50-70cm SCL Adults = 70+cm SCL

Hawksbill growth rates in KWNWR Mean juvenile growth rate = 9.24cm/yr (N-11) Mean subadult growth rate = 3.66cm/yr (n=4)

Natal Beach Origin of KWNWR Hawksbills (N=50)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS And to our volunteers, who make it all happen: Shigetomo Hirama, Meghan Koperski, Dawn Witherington, Chris Koeppel, Karrie Minch, Wanda Bresette, Karen Holloway-Adkins, Boyd Lyon and many more And to our volunteers, who make it all happen: Shigetomo Hirama, Meghan Koperski, Dawn Witherington, Chris Koeppel, Karrie Minch, Wanda Bresette, Karen Holloway-Adkins, Boyd Lyon and many more Special thanks to Tom Wilmers and Anne Morkill (USFWS) and the KWNWR for their unrelenting support of our work in the Refuge Thanks to the Garrison Bight City Marina in Key West