Sea turtle nesting at Virgin Islands National Park and Buck Island Reef National Monument, 1980 and 1981
Small V. 1982. Sea turtle nesting at Virgin Islands National Park and Buck Island Reef National Monument, 1980 and 1981. Research/Resources management report ser-61. St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
The productivity of hawksbill, green and leatherback sea turtles nesting in the U. S. Virgin Islands has never been clear; written reports are few and were based on fragmentary records. The National Park Service began a project in 1980 to locate and map all sea turtle nesting activities within the Virgin Islands National Park and Buck Island Reef National Monunent. Data on species nesting, seasonal periods of nesting, nest predation, incubation/emergence periods, clutch sizes and nesting success are discussed for the 1980 and 1981 seasons. Information is given on threats, both natural and man-induced, to the nests and nest habitats and the means used to mitigate those threats.