2026/06/11 by Amber Lea D. Kincaid, Jake A. Lasala, Jessica L. Blackburn +2 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Medicine · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Turtle Biology and Conservation #Traumatic Ocular and Foreign Body Injuries #Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
paper · doi:10.3354/esr01523
openalex publication_date 2026/06/11 · openalex created_date 2026/06/12 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Vessel strikes account for 25% or more of sea turtle strandings in some regions and are the most common cause of traumatic injury among stranded sea turtles in many developed areas. Vessel strikes are predicted to increase along with human populations and vessel use. Understanding how vessel strikes affect different populations of sea turtles is essential to these species’ conservation. Mote Marine Laboratory’s Stranding Investigations Program responds to stranded sea turtles in southwest Florida and has records of stranded sea turtles dating back to 1987. Historical stranding data collected from 1987 to 2021 were reviewed, and 364 sea turtles with documented wounds consistent with vessel strikes were evaluated. Species studied included loggerhead Caretta caretta , green Chelonia mydas , and Kemp’s ridley Lepidochelys kempii turtles. Wounds were classified by anatomical zones that corresponded with underlying organ systems and other vital anatomy. Analyses examined injury location by species, sex, age, and size class, as well as the likelihood that the vessel strike contributed to the stranding. While there were some significant differences among these demographic categories, the predominant finding of this study is that sea turtles struck by vessels have an exceptionally low survival rate.