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Turtle distribution

Species distribution: Loggerhead Sea Turtle -Caretta caretta

Distribution and population estimates for the Loggerhead Sea Turtle -Caretta caretta

Distribution maps are included for the eight marine turtle species. The estimations for populations are based on figures extracted from the reference list shown below.

Distribution and population:

Rookeries:FAO
1. Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, USA
2. Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico and Columbia
3. Cuba
4. Brazil
5. Mediterranean:
  - Greece
  - Turkey
  - Syria
  - Libya
  - Tunisia
6. Masirah, Oman
7. Tongaland, South Africa
8. Ryukyu and Japan Archipelago
9. Western Australia:
  - Shark Bay and Barrow Island
10. Eastern Australia:
  - Queensland
  - Crab and Swain Reef Islands
  - Mon Repos-Bundaberg Island
  - Capricorn Island
  - Wreck Island
Range:(FAO)
- Widely distributed in coastal and subtropical waters.
- Wanders into temperate waters.
- One specimen captured in Barents sea.
Population:(Ripple)
- Masirah, Oman has 30,000 females
- According to the Website - Turtle Trax, a 1990 study showed that the S.E. of the US recorded 50-70,000 nests which they estimate is 30-40% of the world population of loggerehads.
- Decline in Australian rookeries (Limpus and Reimer 1994)
- Florida populations stable.
- South African doubled since early 1960s (Hughes 1989).

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References used in distribution maps and population estimations.

Agardy, T., Last Voyage of the Ancient Mariner p30-37, BBC Wildlife December 1992, Bjorndal, Karen A. (Editor), Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles - (Smithsonian) 1995. (ISBN 1-56098-619-0)
The FAO Species , Catalogue Vol.11. Sea Turtles of the World, 1990. (ISBN 92-5-102891-5)
Lutz , P. L. and Musick, J. A., The Biology of Sea Turtles - (Marine Science Series )1996. (ISBN 0-8493-8422-2)
National Research Council, Decline of the Sea Turtles , 1990. (ISBN 1-900455-005)
Proceedings of the 15th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 1995.
Proceedings of the 18th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 1998.
Ripples, Jeff Sea Turtles: (World Life Library) 1996. (ISBN 0-309-04247-X)

Caretta caretta: Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas