MOVEMENTS AND SUBMERGENCE PATTERNS OF LOGGERHEAD TURTLES (CARETTA-CARETTA) IN THE GULF-OF-MEXICO DETERMINED THROUGH SATELLITE TELEMETRY

Four loggerhead sea turtles, ranging from 56 to 93 cm in straight cara pace length and from 28 to 98 kg in weight, were released in 18- to 78 -m water depths and tracked for periods of 5.0 to 10.5 months in the G ulf of Mexico. Home ranges extended from 954 to 28833 km(2) while core areas varied from 89.6 to 4,279 km(2). Core areas included several pe troleum and gas structures that may have been visited on a daily, week ly or monthly basis. Average submergence times of loggerheads ranged f rom 4.2 min in June to 171.7 min in January. The number of submergence s per day was inversely proportional to the duration of submergences p er day. Loggerheads spent, on the average, over 90% of their time unde r water in any given season. Bottom depth location of the loggerheads was significantly correlated to Galveston's mean air temperature (-0.5 6 < r < 0.28) and mean sea surface temperature (-0.72 < r < 0.25). Cor relation was higher (-0.58 < r < 0.60) when temperatures were regresse d against distance from shore. Mean swimming speeds of these loggerhea ds were from 0.4 to 1.4 km.h(-1), with over 95% of the values <5 km.h( -1).