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SEFSC Metadata Library > Marine Mammal and Turtle Division > SEFSC Marine Turtle > Galveston Historical Turtle Projects > Summary of sea turtle strandings documented by... >

2005 Texas Turtle Strandings File

Entity (ENT)  |  Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC)
GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:50405  |  Updated: October 3, 2024  |  Published / External 
Summary
Item Identification
Keywords
Entity Info
Data Attributes
Support Roles
Distribution Info
Catalog Details

Summary

Abstract

The NOAA Galveston Laboratory has been raising sea turtles continously in captivity since 1977. As the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network [STSSN] local represenatative for the upper Texas Gulf coast [coast is divided into 4 areas - upper, middle, Padre Island National Seashore and lower], we respond to sea turtle strandings, dead or alive. We document dead sea turtles, conduct a necropsy in an attempt to determine cause of death, collect biological samples if required, and dispose of the carcass. Live turtles are returned to the NOAA Galveston Laboratory where they are cared for in the sea turtle hospital. The NOAA Galveston Laboratory is not mandated to run a sea turtle hospital, but we do, because we have the capability to do so and there are no other local resources with the expertise to treat and house sick and injured sea turtles. Sea turtles receive medical attention from our attending veterinarians and The Houston Zoo, Inc., provides the bulk of those medical services free of charge. Once sea turtles are treated, recovered/rehabilitated and medically cleared, they are released either offshore or into Galveston Bay depending on the species, size and age of the turtle. We try to release sea turtles back into the wild where they would be normally found at that size and maturity. The Gulf of Mexico in Galveston seasonally supports healthy sea turtles from April to October. By November of each year, the coastal waters become too cold to support healthy sea turtles. Sea turtles that strand after October or that are still receiving treatment in October, are usually held over the winter and released the following spring. Occassionally, turtles that require holding over the winter are sent to The Houston Zoo, Inc., Moody Gardens, or Texas A&M University at Galveston for over-wintering.

Description

The database contains records pertaining to all sea turtles recovered by the NOAA Galveston Laboratory as the local representative of the Southeast Fisheries Science Centers Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network STSSN. The data includes morphometrics at the time of stranding, species and condition of the sea turtle at the time of stranding and documentation of tags present. It also contains information on the geographic location of the stranding.

Entity Information

Entity Type
Spreadsheet

Data Attribute / Type Description
DATE
Date 		Date when sea turtle was reported stranded
EVENT
CHARACTER 		Means by which sea turtle came ashore
STRANDING_CODE
CHARACTER 		Unique code formed by the first letter of the responders first name, first letter of the responders middle name, first letter of the responders last name followed by the year, month, day and then the consecutive number of turtles recovered by that responder on that given day
SPECIES
CHARACTER 		Two character species code of stranded sea turtle.
STRANDING_LOCATION
CHARACTER 		A description of the physical geographic location where the turtle was found
COUNTY
CHARACTER 		County or parrish in Texas in which sea turtle was recovered
LATITUDE_DEGREES_MINUTES
CHARACTER 		Geographic position in which the sea turtle was recovered, latitude in degrees and minutes. Hemisphere value of N is included rather than an absolute value provided
LONGITUDE_DEGREES_MINUTES
CHARACTER 		Geographic position in which the sea turtle was recovered, longitude in degrees and minutes. Hemisphere value of W is included rather than an absolute value provided
STRAIGHT_CARAPACE_LENGTH_CM
CHARACTER 		Usually the measurement of the sea turtles carapace length taken with calipers from the nuchal notch to the tip of the most posterior carapace scutes. It may also be curved carapace length. In cases where it is curved carapace length , CCL: will be part of the value in this field. A ~ character is also occasionally available as part of the Value
CONDITION
CHARACTER 		Health status at the time of recovery
SEA_TURTLE_STRANDING_AND_SALVAGE_NETWORK_CONDITION_CODE
Character 		A coded value from the Sea Turtle Stranding And Salvage Network ranking the state of decomposition or lack there of on a scale from 0-5.
ACTION
CHARACTER 		Response to report of sea turtle stranding
COMMENTS
CHARACTER 		A physical description of the external and internal examination of the sea turtle
PARTS_COLLECTED
Character 		Optional comment about the PartS collected

Distribution Information

Child Items

No Child Items for this record.

Contact Information

Point of Contact
Tim J Baumer
tim.baumer@noaa.gov
409-766-3784

Metadata Contact
Benjamin Higgins
ben.higgins@noaa.gov
409-766-3670

Item Identification

Title: 2005 Texas Turtle Strandings File
Status: Completed
Abstract:

The NOAA Galveston Laboratory has been raising sea turtles continously in captivity since 1977. As the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network [STSSN] local represenatative for the upper Texas Gulf coast [coast is divided into 4 areas - upper, middle, Padre Island National Seashore and lower], we respond to sea turtle strandings, dead or alive. We document dead sea turtles, conduct a necropsy in an attempt to determine cause of death, collect biological samples if required, and dispose of the carcass. Live turtles are returned to the NOAA Galveston Laboratory where they are cared for in the sea turtle hospital. The NOAA Galveston Laboratory is not mandated to run a sea turtle hospital, but we do, because we have the capability to do so and there are no other local resources with the expertise to treat and house sick and injured sea turtles. Sea turtles receive medical attention from our attending veterinarians and The Houston Zoo, Inc., provides the bulk of those medical services free of charge. Once sea turtles are treated, recovered/rehabilitated and medically cleared, they are released either offshore or into Galveston Bay depending on the species, size and age of the turtle. We try to release sea turtles back into the wild where they would be normally found at that size and maturity. The Gulf of Mexico in Galveston seasonally supports healthy sea turtles from April to October. By November of each year, the coastal waters become too cold to support healthy sea turtles. Sea turtles that strand after October or that are still receiving treatment in October, are usually held over the winter and released the following spring. Occassionally, turtles that require holding over the winter are sent to The Houston Zoo, Inc., Moody Gardens, or Texas A&M University at Galveston for over-wintering.
Purpose:

Record in real time sea turtle strandings on the upper Texas coast in 2005

Keywords

Theme Keywords

Thesaurus Keyword
UNCONTROLLED
None Caretta caretta
None Chelonia mydas
None Dermochelys coriacea
None Eretmochelys imbricata
None green turtle
None hawksbill
None Kemp's ridley
None leatherback
None Lepidochelys kempii
None loggerhead
None sea turtle
None sea turtle stranding and salvage network
None stranding
None stssn

Temporal Keywords

Thesaurus Keyword
UNCONTROLLED
None 2005

Spatial Keywords

Thesaurus Keyword
UNCONTROLLED
None Gulf of Mexico
None Texas

Entity Information

Entity Type: Spreadsheet
Active Version?: Yes
Description:

The database contains records pertaining to all sea turtles recovered by the NOAA Galveston Laboratory as the local representative of the Southeast Fisheries Science Centers Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network STSSN. The data includes morphometrics at the time of stranding, species and condition of the sea turtle at the time of stranding and documentation of tags present. It also contains information on the geographic location of the stranding.

Data Attributes

Attribute Summary

Rubric Score Primary Key? Name Type Description
100
 DATE Date Date when sea turtle was reported stranded
100
 EVENT CHARACTER Means by which sea turtle came ashore
100
 Primary Key STRANDING_CODE CHARACTER Unique code formed by the first letter of the responders first name, first letter of the responders middle name, first letter of the responders last name followed by the year, month, day and then the consecutive number of turtles recovered by that responder on that given day
100
 SPECIES CHARACTER Two character species code of stranded sea turtle.
100
 STRANDING_LOCATION CHARACTER A description of the physical geographic location where the turtle was found
100
 COUNTY CHARACTER County or parrish in Texas in which sea turtle was recovered
100
 LATITUDE_DEGREES_MINUTES CHARACTER Geographic position in which the sea turtle was recovered, latitude in degrees and minutes. Hemisphere value of N is included rather than an absolute value provided
100
 LONGITUDE_DEGREES_MINUTES CHARACTER Geographic position in which the sea turtle was recovered, longitude in degrees and minutes. Hemisphere value of W is included rather than an absolute value provided
100
 STRAIGHT_CARAPACE_LENGTH_CM CHARACTER Usually the measurement of the sea turtles carapace length taken with calipers from the nuchal notch to the tip of the most posterior carapace scutes. It may also be curved carapace length. In cases where it is curved carapace length , CCL: will be part of the value in this field. A ~ character is also occasionally available as part of the Value
100
 CONDITION CHARACTER Health status at the time of recovery
100
 SEA_TURTLE_STRANDING_AND_SALVAGE_NETWORK_CONDITION_CODE Character A coded value from the Sea Turtle Stranding And Salvage Network ranking the state of decomposition or lack there of on a scale from 0-5.
100
 ACTION CHARACTER Response to report of sea turtle stranding
100
 COMMENTS CHARACTER A physical description of the external and internal examination of the sea turtle
100
 PARTS_COLLECTED Character Optional comment about the PartS collected

Attribute Details

DATE

CC ID: 697317
Seq. Order: 10
Data Storage Type: Date
Max Length: 10
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Date when sea turtle was reported stranded
Format Mask: MM/DD/YYYY

EVENT

CC ID: 697318
Seq. Order: 20
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 18
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Means by which sea turtle came ashore

STRANDING_CODE

CC ID: 697324
Seq. Order: 30
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 12
Required: Yes
Primary Key: Yes
Status: Active
Description:

Unique code formed by the first letter of the responders first name, first letter of the responders middle name, first letter of the responders last name followed by the year, month, day and then the consecutive number of turtles recovered by that responder on that given day
Derivation:

fist letter of the responders first name, first letter of the responders middle name, first letter of the responders last name followed by the year, month, day and then the consecutive number of turtles recovered by that responder on that given day

SPECIES

CC ID: 697322
Seq. Order: 40
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 2
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Two character species code of stranded sea turtle.

Display Example: cc
Allowed Values: CC=Loggerhead CM=Green DC=Leatherback EI = Hawksbill LK = Kemp’s Ridley LO = Olive Ridley UN = Unidentified
Validation Rules:

For purposes of validation/species identification pay no attention to case when looking for allowed values and their meaning.

STRANDING_LOCATION

CC ID: 697325
Seq. Order: 50
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 100
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

A description of the physical geographic location where the turtle was found

COUNTY

CC ID: 697316
Seq. Order: 60
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 20
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

County or parrish in Texas in which sea turtle was recovered
Null Value: N/A
Null Value Meaning:

Not Applicable

LATITUDE_DEGREES_MINUTES

CC ID: 697319
Seq. Order: 70
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 16
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Geographic position in which the sea turtle was recovered, latitude in degrees and minutes. Hemisphere value of N is included rather than an absolute value provided

Unit of Measure: Degrees
Display Example: 29° 23.00' N
Format Mask: ##° ##.##' N
Validation Rules:

Degrees and minutes values should be a valid degrees and minutes value for latitude

LONGITUDE_DEGREES_MINUTES

CC ID: 697320
Seq. Order: 80
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 16
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Geographic position in which the sea turtle was recovered, longitude in degrees and minutes. Hemisphere value of W is included rather than an absolute value provided

Display Example: 97° 22.83' W
Format Mask: ##° ##.##' W#
Validation Rules:

Degrees and minutes values should be a valid degrees and minutes value for longitude

STRAIGHT_CARAPACE_LENGTH_CM

CC ID: 697323
Seq. Order: 110
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 10
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Usually the measurement of the sea turtles carapace length taken with calipers from the nuchal notch to the tip of the most posterior carapace scutes.

It may also be curved carapace length. In cases where it is curved carapace length , CCL: will be part of the value in this field. A ~ character is also occasionally available as part of the Value
Unit of Measure: CM
Display Example: CCL: 60.9 or 45.6
Format Mask: ###.#
Null Value: N/A
Null Value Meaning:

Not Available

CONDITION

CC ID: 697315
Seq. Order: 120
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 10
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Health status at the time of recovery
Allowed Values: Alive Dead Alive/Died
Validation Rules:

Must be one of the allowed values

SEA_TURTLE_STRANDING_AND_SALVAGE_NETWORK_CONDITION_CODE

CC ID: 697321
Seq. Order: 130
Data Storage Type: Character
Max Length: 3
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

A coded value from the Sea Turtle Stranding And Salvage Network ranking the state of decomposition or lack there of on a scale from 0-5.
Display Example: 0 , 0/1/
Format Mask: # or #/#
Allowed Values: 0 = Alive 1 = Fresh dead 2 = Moderately decomposed 3 = Severely decomposed 4 = Dried carcass 5 = Skeleton, bones only in addition there were a few cases where the value was difficult to determine so it was entered as #/# where each number is a possible value of above
Validation Rules:

Must be an allowed value or the concatenation of them

ACTION

CC ID: 697313
Seq. Order: 140
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 70
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Response to report of sea turtle stranding

COMMENTS

CC ID: 697314
Seq. Order: 150
Data Storage Type: CHARACTER
Max Length: 2000
Required: No
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

A physical description of the external and internal examination of the sea turtle

PARTS_COLLECTED

CC ID: 698237
Seq. Order: 160
Data Storage Type: Character
Max Length: 100
Required: No
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Optional comment about the PartS collected

Support Roles

Data Steward

CC ID: 697326
Date Effective From: 1989
Date Effective To:
Contact (Person): Higgins, Benjamin
Address: 4700 Avenue U
Galveston, TX 77551
Email Address: ben.higgins@noaa.gov
Phone: 409-766-3670
Contact Instructions:

Contact by email preferred.

Distributor

CC ID: 697327
Date Effective From: 2017-02
Date Effective To:
Contact (Organization): NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
Email Address: ncei.info@noaa.gov
URL: NCEI Contact Information

Metadata Contact

CC ID: 697328
Date Effective From: 1989
Date Effective To:
Contact (Person): Higgins, Benjamin
Address: 4700 Avenue U
Galveston, TX 77551
Email Address: ben.higgins@noaa.gov
Phone: 409-766-3670
Contact Instructions:

Contact by email preferred.

Point of Contact

CC ID: 697329
Date Effective From: 2016
Date Effective To:
Contact (Person): Baumer, Tim J
Address: 4700 Avenue U
Galveston, TX 77551
Email Address: tim.baumer@noaa.gov
Phone: 409-766-3784
Contact Instructions:

Contact by email preferred.

Distribution Information

Distribution 1

CC ID: 697330
Start Date: 2017
End Date: Present
Download URL: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0159757/1.1/data/0-data/26881/CSV/STRANDINGS2005/Renamed_Data_Table.csv
Distributor: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (2017-02 - Present)
File Name: Renamed_Data_Table.csv
Description:

Renamed 2005 Texas Turtle Strandings File
File Type (Deprecated): csv (comma-separated values)
Distribution Format: CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
Compression: Uncompressed

Catalog Details

Catalog Item ID: 50405
GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:50405
Metadata Record Created By: Lee M Weinberger
Metadata Record Created: 2017-11-28 01:06+0000
Metadata Record Last Modified By: SysAdmin InPortAdmin
Metadata Record Last Modified: 2024-10-03 18:16+0000
Metadata Record Published: 2021-04-29
Owner Org: SEFSC
Metadata Publication Status: Published Externally
Do Not Publish?: N
Metadata Last Review Date: 2021-04-29
Metadata Review Frequency: 1 Year
Metadata Next Review Date: 2022-04-29