SEA TURTLE STRANDINGS IN FLORIDA 1986 - 2017

Metadata:


Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Publication_Date: 20170531
Title:
SEA TURTLE STRANDINGS IN FLORIDA 1986 - 2017
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: St. Petersburg, FL
Publisher: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Other_Citation_Details:
State of Florida
Online_Linkage: http://geodata.myfwc.com/datasets/sea-turtle-strandings-florida
Description:
Abstract:
This dataset contains Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN) data for the years 1986-2017. The STSSN is responsible for gathering standardized data on stranded marine turtles throughout the state this effort is coordinated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). The Florida STSSN functions as a part of an eighteen state network led by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). In Florida, strandings are documented by FWRI staff biologists and by a network of permitted participants located around the state. Live strandings are rescued and transported to properly permitted rehabilitation facilities. Data from strandings are collected on a standardized reporting form and include date, species, location, carapace length and width, carcass condition, carcass disposition, and information on anomalies (e.g., entanglement, propeller damage, fibropapillomas). Additionally, certain carcasses are regularly collected by FWRI staff for gross or detailed necropsy. Each week, FWRI reports Florida strandings to NMFS as a part of a management plan that is intended to reduce the incidental take of turtles in the shrimp fishery. FWRI also generates monthly and yearly stranding summary reports to monitor mortality and to detect and describe any unusual stranding events. Stranding data collected through the Florida STSSN have been used extensively in the identification of mortality factors and in the development of recovery actions (e.g., Turtle Excluder Device (TED) requirements, gill net regulations).
Purpose:
The data was created to serve as base information for use in GIS systems for
a variety of planning and analytical purposes.
Supplemental_Information:
All sea turtles that occur in U.S. waters are listed as either threatened or 
endangered under the Endangered Species Act. To advance the conservation and
recovery of listed sea turtles, each sea turtle recovery plan developed jointly by 
NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identifies and highlights the 
need to maintain an active stranding network. As a result, the Sea Turtle Stranding 
and Salvage Network was formally established by NOAA Fisheries in 1980 to 
document strandings of sea turtles along the coastal areas from Maine to Texas 
and in portions of the U.S. Caribbean.
Source: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/sea-turtle-stranding-and-salvage-network


A stranding is any dead sea turtle that is found floating or washed ashore. 
Strandings also include live turtles that are found with life-threatening problems 
(e.g., sick, injured, or entangled). The location of the stranding when first reported is
the point location that appears in this database and may or may not be the location 
at the time of death. The following are not included in this database: strandings of 
sea turtles that were not identified to species, strandings where a latitude and 
longitude could not be determined, and strandings of captive-reared turtles. Turtles 
that are known to be captured incidental to some activity (i.e., commercial fisheries, 
research projects, power plant operations, etc.) are not included in this database. 
Stranding data are often used to monitor mortality rates and may sometimes be used 
as an indicator of the relative distributions and abundances of different species and 
sizes of sea turtles. However, there are several considerations to keep in mind 
when using stranding data for these purposes. 1) Not all turtles that die are 
discovered, reported, and documented by the STSSN. A majority of dead turtles 
probably do not wash ashore. Of those that do wash ashore, many may become 
hidden in mangroves or other vegetation, and some that strand on open, sandy 
beaches may still go unreported. Therefore, sea turtle stranding data represent only 
a subset of all dead turtles. 2) Decreases or increases in stranding numbers may not
be due to decreases or increases in mortality rates. For example, mortality rates may 
remain unchanged but decreases or increases in local turtle populations may result 
in changes in the number of strandings. 3) Carcasses and debilitated turtles may drift
hundreds of kilometers before being documented as a stranding. Turtles may strand 
on beaches adjacent to well-used in-water habitats, but they may also strand along 
areas where they do not normally occur.
Source: FWC
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 19860101
Ending_Date: 20170531
Currentness_Reference:
publication date
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -87.429040
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -79.872251
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 30.983191
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 24.492815
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: NONE
Theme_Keyword: turtles
Theme_Keyword: mortality
Theme_Keyword: threatened and endangered sea turtles
Theme_Keyword: strandings
Theme_Keyword: sea turtles
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: biota
Theme_Keyword: environment
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: NONE
Place_Keyword: Florida
Temporal:
Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: NONE
Temporal_Keyword: 2017
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
Access_Constraints:  All data must be verified by Principle Investigator or Group 
Database Analyst prior to release Use_Constraints:  All data must be credited to 
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Fish and Wildlife Research 
Institute.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Contact_Person: Allen M. Foley, Ph D.
Contact_Position: Wildlife Biologist, FL STSSN coordinator
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address:
370 Zoo Parkway
City: Jacksonville
State_or_Province: FL
Postal_Code: 32218
Country: US
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 904-696-5904
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 904-696-5903
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: allen.foley@myfwc.com
Hours_of_Service: 0800 - 1700 (ET), Monday - Friday
Contact Instructions:
FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline: 
1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922)
Data_Set_Credit:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 
and the Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN).
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
Microsoft Windows Vista Version 6.1 (Build 7601) Service Pack 1; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.3.1.4000
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Other_Citation_Details:
FWC GIS & Mapping Data Downloads http://geodata.myfwc.com/ Sea Turtle Strandings Florida http://geodata.myfwc.com/datasets/sea-turtle-strandings-florida NOAA - Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/sea-turtle-stranding-and-salvage-network NOAA - State Coordinators for the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/state-coordinators-sea-turtle-stranding-and-salvage-network NOAA - Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Reports https://grunt.sefsc.noaa.gov/stssnrep/ Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (FLSTSSN) https://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/mortality/stranding-salvage-network/
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Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
GeoPlan relied on the integrity of the attribute information within
the original data.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
This data is provided 'as is'. GeoPlan relied on the integrity
of the original data layer's topology
Completeness_Report:
This data is provided 'as is' by GeoPlan and is complete to our
knowledge.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
This data is provided 'as is' and its horizontal positional accuracy
has not been verified by GeoPlan
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
This data is provided 'as is' and its vertical positional accuracy
has not been verified by GeoPlan
Lineage:
Source_Information:
Source_Scale_Denominator: Varies
Type_of_Source_Media: online
Source_Citation_Abbreviation:
FFWCC-FWRI
Source_Contribution:
Spatial and Attribute Information
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Dataset created by STSSN 1986-2014
Point and Vector Object Count: 34076
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation:
FFWCC-FWRI-STSSN
Process_Date: 20170214
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The GeoPlan Center downloaded the Sea Turtle Strandings Florida
dataset on November 18th, 2019 from the FWC Data Portal:

FWC GIS & Mapping Data Downloads
http://geodata.myfwc.com/

Sea Turtle Strandings Florida
http://geodata.myfwc.com/datasets/sea-turtle-strandings-florida

Sea_Turtle_Strandings_Florida.zip
Sea_Turtle_Strandings_Florida.shp

Contained 1986-2014 Stranding Data with 34,805 Records.
The data was in the WGS84 projection.

GeoPlan reprojected the dataset to Albers Conical Equal Area [Florida Geographic Data Library]
Using the following Transformation:
WGS_1984_(ITRF00)_To_NAD_1983 + NAD_1983_To_HARN_Florida

GeoPlan emailed Robert Hardy <Robert.Hardy@MyFWC.com> 
to see if more years  worth of data was available.
Robert sent via email 2015-2017 data in the same tabular format 
as was available via the FWC Data Portal.
Zipped data was received on 11/27/2019.

flstssn2015-2017_20191127.zip
flstssn2015-2017.shp
The data was in the NAD83 projection.
The dataset's projection was reprojected to FGDL Albers.

Next the two datasets were combined (1986-2014 + 2015-2017) to create one dataset.

During the QA/QC process the following tasks were undertaken:
- Deleted the OBJECTID field.
- Uppercased all records in the table.
- Added MGRS information.
- A DESCRIPT field was added based on COMMONNAME and STSSN_ID.
- A FGDLAQDATE field was added based on date downloaded from source.
- Renamed file to SEA_TURTLE_STRND_MAY17.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation:
GeoPlan
Process_Date: 20191202
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Dataset copied.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation:
Server=wopr.fla-etat.org; Service=5151; User=etat; Version=SDE.DEFAULT
Process_Date: 20191218
Process_Time: 11124700
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Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Entity point
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 34076
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Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Planar:
Map_Projection:
Map_Projection_Name: Albers Conical Equal Area
Albers_Conical_Equal_Area:
Standard_Parallel: 24.000000
Standard_Parallel: 31.500000
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -84.000000
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 24.000000
False_Easting: 400000.000000
False_Northing: 0.000000
Planar_Coordinate_Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair
Coordinate_Representation:
Abscissa_Resolution: 0.002048
Ordinate_Resolution: 0.002048
Planar_Distance_Units: meters
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: D_North_American_1983_HARN
Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222
Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Altitude_System_Definition:
Altitude_Resolution: 1.000000
Altitude_Encoding_Method: Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates
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Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: SEA_TURTLE_STRND_MAY17
Entity_Type_Definition:
SEA_TURTLE_STRND_MAY17.DBF
Entity_Type_Definition_Source:
FWC
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: OBJECTID
Attribute_Definition:
Internal feature number.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
ESRI
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain:
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Shape
Attribute_Definition:
Feature geometry.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
ESRI
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain:
Coordinates defining the features.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: STSSN_ID
Attribute_Definition:
Unique record identifier for each stranding event in the STSSN database.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: YEAR_
Attribute_Definition:
Year of the stranding event.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: MONTH_
Attribute_Definition:
Month of the stranding event
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: DAY_
Attribute_Definition:
Day of the stranding event.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: COMMONNAME
Attribute_Definition:
Common name of the stranded species.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: COUNTYNAME
Attribute_Definition:
Name of the county in which the stranding event occurred.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: CONDITION
Attribute_Definition:
Condition of the stranded carcass upon discovery.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: CLSL
Attribute_Definition:
Carapace length, straight line (cm).
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: CWSL
Attribute_Definition:
Carapace width, straight line (cm).
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: CLOC
Attribute_Definition:
Carapace length, over curve (cm)
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: CWOC
Attribute_Definition:
Carapace width, over curve (cm).
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: DDLAT
Attribute_Definition:
Latitude of the stranding event in decimal degrees (DD.dddd).
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: DDLONG
Attribute_Definition:
Longitude of the stranding event in decimal degrees (DD.dddd).
Attribute_Definition_Source:
STSSN
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: MGRS
Attribute_Definition:
Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) Coordinate of the Facility. The MGRS is the geocoordinate standard used by NATO militaries for locating points on the earth. The MGRS provides a means to represent any location on the surface of the Earth using an alphanumeric string. Hierarchical references are based on the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system. The MGRS is used for the entire earth. http://mgrs-data.org
Attribute_Definition_Source:
GeoPlan
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: GOOGLEMAP
Attribute_Definition:
Webpage hyperlink to location in Google Maps.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
GeoPlan
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: DESCRIPT
Attribute_Definition:
Field added by FGDL based on COMMONNAME and STSSN_ID.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
GeoPlan
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: FGDLAQDATE
Attribute_Definition:
The date FGDL acquired the data from the Source.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
GeoPlan
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: AUTOID
Attribute_Definition:
Unique ID added by GeoPlan
Attribute_Definition_Source:
GeoPlan
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Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Florida Geographic Data Library (FGDL)
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing address
Address:
431 Architecture PO Box 115706
City: Gainesville
State_or_Province: Florida
Postal_Code: 32611-5706
Country: United States
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Web site: http://www.fgdl.org
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Technical Support: http://www.fgdl.org/fgdlfeed.html
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: For FGDL Software: http://www.fgdl.org/software.html
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: FGDL Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.fgdl.org/fgdlfaq.html
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Mailing list for FGDL: http://www.fgdl.org/fgdl-l.html
Resource_Description: DOWNLOADABLE DATA
Distribution_Liability:
The Florida Geographic Data Library is a collection of Geospatial Data
compiled by the University of Florida GeoPlan Center with support from
the Florida Department of Transportation. GIS data available in FGDL is
collected from various state, federal, and other agencies (data sources)
who are data stewards, producers, or publishers. The data available in
FGDL may not be the most current version of the data offered by the
data source. University of Florida GeoPlan Center makes no guarantees
about the currentness of the data and suggests that data users check
with the data source to see if more recent versions of the data exist.

Furthermore, the GIS data available in the FGDL are provided 'as is'.
The University of Florida GeoPlan Center makes no warranties, guaranties
or representations as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the data
provided by the data sources. The University of Florida GeoPlan Center
makes no representations or warranties about the quality or suitability
of the materials, either expressly or implied, including but not limited
to any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular
purpose, or non-infringement. The University of Florida GeoPlan Center
shall not be liable for any damages suffered as a result of using,
modifying, contributing or distributing the materials.

A note about data scale: 

Scale is an important factor in data usage.  Certain scale datasets
are not suitable for some project, analysis, or modeling purposes.
Please be sure you are using the best available data. 

1:24000 scale datasets are recommended for projects that are at the
county level.
1:24000 data should NOT be used for high accuracy base mapping such
as property parcel boundaries.
1:100000 scale datasets are recommended for projects that are at the
multi-county or regional level.
1:125000 scale datasets are recommended for projects that are at the
regional or state level or larger.

Vector datasets with no defined scale or accuracy should be
considered suspect. Make sure you are familiar with your data
before using it for projects or analysis. Every effort has been
made to supply the user with data documentation. For additional
information, see the References section and the Data Source Contact
section of this documentation. For more information regarding
scale and accuracy, see our webpage at:
http://geoplan.ufl.edu/education.html
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Transfer_Size: 1.026
Technical_Prerequisites:
This data is intended for use with a Geographic Information Systems or Remote Sensing software package.
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Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20191203
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Marine Turtle Program
Contact_Person: Robert Hardy
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address:
100 Eighth Avenue Southeast
City: St. Petersburg
State_or_Province: Florida
Postal_Code: 33701
Country: Pinellas
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (727)896-8626
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Robert.Hardy@MyFWC.com
Hours_of_Service: 0800 - 1700 (ET), Monday - Friday
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Time_Convention: local time
Metadata_Extensions:
Online_Linkage: http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html
Profile_Name: ESRI Metadata Profile
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