During summer of 2001, venous blood gases were determined in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) captured by trawl (nϭ16) in coastal waters of South Carolina and Georgia (USA) as part of a sea turtle census program and captured in pound nets (nϭ6) in coastal North Carolina (USA) during a study of sea turtle population biology. Trawls were towed for 30 min, so turtles captured were forcibly submerged for Յ30 min. Pound nets are passive gear in which fish and sea turtles are funneled into a concentrated area and removed periodically. Sea turtles in pound nets are free to surface and to feed at will. Blood was obtained from the dorsal cervical sinus as quickly as possible after landing on the boat (range 2-10 min trawl, 1-2 min pound net) and at 30 min after landing just prior to release. Blood gases including pH, partial pressures of O 2 and CO 2 (pO 2 , pCO 2) , and lactate were measured within 10 min. Instrument measurements for pH, pO 2 , and pCO 2 made at 37 C were corrected to cloacal temperature and HCO 3 Ϫ was calculated from temperature-corrected pH and pCO 2 . Venous blood pH and bicarbonate were higher, and pO 2 and lactate were lower from pound net-captured turtles compared to trawl captured turtles at the initial sampling time. In pound net turtles, pH and bicarbonate declined and lactate increased during 30 min on deck. In trawled sea turtles, venous blood pH increased and pCO 2 and pO 2 decreased during the 30 min on deck. Both capture systems caused perturbations in blood gas, acid-base, and lactate status, though alterations were greater in trawl captured turtles.

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