PIR Marine Turtle Strandings

Effective management of marine turtle data is essential to maximize their research value and enable timely population assessments and recovery monitoring. To provide such capabilities at the National Marine Fisheries Service, a comprehensive Turtle Data Processing System (TDPS, formally called Marine Turtle Data Management System) was created. The system was written in DBase III and Clipper and implemented on IBM/PC-compatible computers running under MS-DOS. As of 2017, TDPS was upgraded into Microsoft Access. The TDPS is modular, supporting data of various types. Cross-referencing and multiple-encounter analysis are enabled through a core database file of individual turtle identifications, based on uniquely-inscribed flipper tags and passive-integrative transponder tags.

The Turtle Data Processing System (TDPS) was designed to support marine turtle research at the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program (MTBAP). It provides for the systematic storage, retrieval, and summarization of data collected in three source categories, one being data pertaining to turtles found stranded on beaches or incidentally caught in nearshore fishing gear and reported to NMFS. In all categories, most turtles involved are uniquely identified through the application of flipper tags. Thus a key feature of the database is the ability to trace the history of encounters with individual turtles and cross-reference information among data sets. A central turtle ID file facilitates this.

Division: Protected Species

Division Director: Charles Littnan

Program: PSD Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment

Program Lead: T. Todd Jones

Authorities: Endangered Species Act

Ownership: PIFSC

Temporal Resolution: Date

Frequency of Collection: Opportunistic

Time of Collection: Throughout the year

Types of Data Collected: Turtle strandings

Collection Method: Collection form

Recording Media: Paper

Validation and QC Procedures: Available

QC Standards: Available

Storage Media: Paper Forms, Hard Disk Drive (HDD), External HDD / Access database

Storage Format: Access

Backups: Available

Update Schedule: Whenever new data are entered

Data Distribution Method: Email

1845 Wasp Boulevard

Building 176

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Data is collected opportunistically as the public reports the stranding to us if they think the turtle needs assistance or has washed ashore dead.

If the turtle is retrieved by us, then the data collected is as accurate as the staff member recording the data.

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Data is hand-written on a form and verified by the note-taker. Data is then entered into OTDPS by one staff member and then verified by another staff member to ensure that all data has been entered correctly.

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No repository has been determined yet

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Data is collected once a report is made to the Marine Animal Response Hotline. The information is then recorded on a data sheet. If the turtle is retrieved additional information is recorded then entered into the Turtle Data Processing System.