In the summer of 2009 I worked with Dr. Terry Norton, Amy Hupp and Stefanie Ouellette to conduct a health assessment of two species of shark commonly found off the coast of Georgia and Florida. You may be familiar with these two species: the Atlantic Sharpnose and the Bonnethead. Anglers on the beaches of Georgia’s barrier islands commonly catch both. The Bonnethead is closely related to the Great Hammerheads. We know very little about either species: obtaining baseline health data may help us better understand the life history, habitat use, and population status of these two common sharks.

The project was a collaboration between the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, the Georgia Aquarium, the Georgia Marine Extension Services, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. I spent 3 weeks out with the crew of the Georgia Bulldog in July 2009. The Georgia Bulldog is a shrimp boat modified into a research vessel and was out trawling to catch none other than sea turtles! The TEDS (turtle excluder devices) had been removed from the nets of the GA Bulldog and the nets were trawled for 20 minutes many, many times a day. The goal: an in-the-water study of sea turtle abundance off the coast of Georgia and Florida.

So, where did the shark project fit into the catching of sea turtles? Sharks are often captured in the nets as bycatch and Sharpnose and Bonnetheads are the two most commonly caught sharks in the nets of the Georgia Bulldog. We decided to opportunistically sample from the sharks captured: a total of 17 Sharpnose and 16 Bonnethead were bled, measured, weighed, and given a complete physical exam. All sharks used in this study appeared healthy!

While we are still working to process our data, we discovered several very interesting and important things about the wild-caught sharks. We tested for antibiotic resistance in the bacteria that grow just inside the cloaca of the sharks. We found that antibiotic resistance is quite prevalent in sharks sampled, indicating that somehow antibiotics used by people and on farms are making their way into our marine ecosystems.

Another thing we discovered is that the Vitamin A and E levels in the wild sharks are much, much lower than those found in some captive sharks. Interestingly, some captive sharks develop spinal deformities while in captivity. The cause of this spinal deformity is currently unknown. This is where the Vitamin A and E levels play in: a captive shark with spinal deformity had over 100 times the levels of Vitamin A and E that we found in the wild Sharpnose and Bonnetheads! Vitamin A toxicity can cause many health issues in animals with boney vertebrae: most notably demineralization of the bone. (Vitamin A is important in the remodeling of bone.) Since sharks do not have boney vertebrae (they are cartilaginous!) we do not know what the specific mechanism of Vitamin A might be on the cartilage. This definitely warrants additional research!

The next step we will take is to increase our sample size of wild sharks, sample captive sharks, and (hopefully) get a few samples from sharks with spinal deformities. Then we will compare the vitamin and mineral levels between the three groups and if our data still indicate that captive sharks with spinal deformities have extremely high levels of Vitamin A, we will be able to advise aquaria on the nutritional requirements of their captive shark populations!

In closing, we should not overlook the importance of merely knowing the health status of the wild Sharpnose and Bonnethead. As top predators of the coastal marine ecosystem these two species of shark may serve as important indicators of the health of the ecosystem itself. Knowing their health status now will provide useful comparisons for future studies. Overall, we spent the summer conducting research that can and will be applied to monitor and manage the health of not only captive sharks, but also wild sharks and their marine ecosystems!

Sincerely,

Katie Haman

DVM Candidate 2012

University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine

EMMA’S DILEMMA

The ocean is the home to a little turtle I know.

I must warn you that her story contains some sorrow.

My little friend’s name is Emma, and she has a dilemma.

Sometimes, turtles get injured when they surface to breathe air.

A boat moving forward may bump into one there.

A propeller moves a boat forward; that is it’s purpose.

Emma and a boat collided at the ocean’s surface.

Injured Emma had washed ashore. We say, “She stranded.”

Don’t worry. She was not left abandoned.

Scientists picked her up and brought her here, fast.

The vet and rehab staff weren’t sure how long she’d last.

Her wound was severe; so she looked rather sickly.

We use honey to help heal Emma quickly.

A vacuum on her bandage at night helped Emma to sleep tight.

We wanted her shell to scar and be well.

Now, here is the issue.

She has infection in one type of tissue.

She is losing strength in her bones, which means she is fragile.

Wild sea turtles need to be strong and agile.

We worry for little Emma because of her dilemma.

We are still using honey on Emma’s shell.

We are also giving her antibiotics so that her infected bones won’t swell.

If you are saddened by Emma’s situation, you may feel compelled to make a donation.

We would appreciate any help we can get so that we will be less likely to fret.

If you live near, come and see our Emma, dear.

If you live far away, do not delay.  Read Emma’s story on this site, today.

~Amanda Noble, Education Member~

If you find a turtle on the beach that looks sick or injured, like Emma:

Call 1-800-2SAVE ME

For more tips, follow this link:

http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org/about-us/found-turtles

If you would like to know more about Emma, visit the GSTC or follow this link :

http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org/our-patients/sea-turtle-patients/current-patients

Thank you for your concern.

Marathon, Florida Keys

December 5 & 6, 2009

The Marathon Sea Turtle Hospital.

Each year, the Marathon Sea Turtle Hospital hosts an annual Sea Turtle Workshop at their facility in the Florida Keys. Sea turtle staffers and researchers, from all over the world, come together to discuss new data and interesting patient cases from the past year. As part of a small network of sea turtle hospitals, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center staff packed up and migrated south to join and share our experience and expertise with other facilities like ours!

Day one started off with formal presentations in true workshop style. The diversity of topics was unending: Leatherback blood mercury levels, neonate Australian Flatback behavior, 2009 nesting statistics, even future sea turtle facilities under construction. Of the 20 or so lectures, the GSTC staff had the highest Center representation with 5 presentations! There were so many changes at the Center to share since the 2008 conference: Dr. Terry Norton, Michelle Kaylor, Jeannie Miller, Stefanie Ouellette and Rachel Thomas spoke about the past, present and future of the GSTC, interesting patient cases, the start of the AmeriCorps program, sea turtle satellite tracking and the Adopt-a-Sea Turtle program at the GSTC.

Dr. Norton lecturing about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center at the Sea Turtle Workshop.

Day two of the workshop included a hands-on Necropsy (animal autopsy) lab. The brave GSTC folks had the opportunity to perform two necropsies: a sub adult Loggerhead entangled in fishing line and also ingested a two inch fishing hook with fishing line embedded into his intestine; the second, a Green who perished from the effects of fibropapillomatosis, a type of herpes virus. This virus is becoming an epidemic among sea turtle populations worldwide. Although sad and unfortunate, these turtle necropsies offered an unmatchable learning experience. We’ll be able to put that knowledge to use as we see more and more cases in the coming years.

Dr. Terry Norton, Simon Dilts, Michelle Kaylor and Jessica Self performing a necropsy on a Loggerhead sea turtle.

Overall, the short trip to Marathon was a great experience! I personally enjoyed learning about the other facilities and research, as well as meeting people who share the same interest and passion of sea turtle conservation. I also left feeling very grateful to be a part of the GSTC. This center has done so much for sea turtle conservation in a very small amount of time.

Thank you,

Jessica Self

GSTC Americorps Education Member

The release of Talbot yesterday (12/28/09) at the Cape Canaveral Sea Shore was successful!  With the support of the Georgia Aquarium, she was given a satellite transmitter prior to her release so we, and YOU, can follow his/her journey on seaturtle.org, just CLICK HERE!

Unfortunately Caton’s release yesterday was not successful. When placed on the sand, she did not take the initiative we expected to enter into the water. After giving her ample time to enter the sea on her own, we tried to assist her by bringing her a little farther out, however she became very lethargic and susceptible to the waves that kept pushing her back onshore. After 30 minutes of trying to release her, Dr. Norton did not feel comfortable with her behavior and decided to bring her back to the GSTC.

At this time, we are unsure as to why Caton reacted in this manner, nor do we know when we will try to release her once again, however it will unlikely be before the spring. We will continue to monitor her progress and, hopefully, get here released next spring/summer.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding!  On behalf of the GSTS Staff, we hope you have a safe and happy New Year!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

Hello Turtle and Opera Enthusiasts!

My name is Amanda Noble.  I was born in 1986.  That same year, Andrew Lloyd Webber debuted a musical entitled, “The Phantom of the Opera.”  The great opera composer had adapted a 1911 novel, Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, by French writer Gaston Leroux.  Well, the Opera was a hit!  It is the longest running Broadway, NY musicals in history!  (http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com, “The Show,” “Facts and Figures”)

On July 30, 2009, naturalists from Little Saint Simon’s Island brought us a 96 pound, sub-adult loggerhead sea turtle.  The turtle was later named, “Phantom,” because of its facial injury.  Here is why:

Phantom was missing half of its face and left eye; we were stunned by this patient’s injury.  When we performed a full-body X-ray on this particular turtle, we found a fishhook embedded in the throat!  Based off of past turtle patients, it was assumed that Phantom swallowed the fishhook in order to eat the bait, the line was reeled in, and the propeller of the boat may have sliced off most of the top beak and an eye of the turtle.*

The Phantom of the opera house had a severe facial injury, like our sea turtle.  However, one key difference (besides species) is that the opera’s Phantom wore a mask.  Our turtle patient is exposed for patrons of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to view.  Phantom, the sea turtle, helps us explain the necessity for responsible fishing and boating practices.  Phantom is an obvious reminder that our behaviors can greatly affect the creatures that live on this planet with us.

The fishhook, which was embedded in Phantom’s esophagus, was extracted surgically and sent to a lab for analysis.  We wanted to know what type of hook it was and potentially where it came from.  We JUST found out that the hook was from a recreational (’rec’) fishing line and that it appeared to have been stuck in the throat for quite some time.  The GSTC respects that fishing is a way of life and hopes people in such industries respect our worlds’ turtles.

While recovering in our hospital, Phantom was treated with 1. Metacam, a pain medicine.  2. Ceftazidime & Metronidizole, antibiotics.  3. Iron pills, to help treat anemia.  4. Cisapride, for gut motility.  5. Fluid therapy, for hydration.  Recently, Phantom has been able to (slowly) capture and consume live blue crab!

Now, may I present to you,

‘The Phantom of the GSTC!’

(APPLAUSE)
Eh-em.  Background music, please….

“Beneath the water’s surface, you’ll see it there.
It’s missing half it’s face!!  Please, be aware.
When we offered whole food, Phantom tried to bite.
The Phantom of the GSTC is fighting for life.”

Ba-da-bada-da-dah….

“Those who have seen it’s face exclaim, ‘Oh, Dear!
Will Phantom, the sea turtle, ever leave here?’
I learned it swallowed a large fishhook from a ‘rec’ line.
The Phantom of the GSTC has had a tough time!”

Ba-da-bada-da-dah….

Thank you for joining me!

~Amanda Noble, GSTC Education Member~

If you are unfamiliar with The Phantom of The Opera theme song, please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej1zMxbhOO0

Looking for a unique holiday gift idea? Looking to give something that gives back?  Well you’ve come to the right place!  Here are a few suggestions from your friends at the GSTC:

ADOPT-A-SEA TURTLE ($50)

The recipient of a sea turtle adoption will surely enjoy their gift!  They will receive a letter from ‘their’ turtle, a 5×7 photo, a certificate of adoption and access to ‘their’ turtle’s password protected webpage!  If their turtle receives a satellite transmitter, or you choose a turtle that has already been released with a transmitter, they’ll be able to follow their turtle’s journey!

GSTC MEMBERSHIP ($35-5,000)

Did your friends of family LOVE their visit to the GSTC?  Why not by them a GSTC Membership!  We offer 6 levels from Individual to Lifetime. The various levels come with a variety of benefits, however all Memberships including FREE admission to the GSTC for 1 whole year, 10% discount off merchandise in the GSTC Gift Shop, 50% discount on Turtle and Nest Walks, and access the password protected Member’s ONLY page on our website which includes a Member’s ONLY edition of the GSTC’s quarterly newsletter Caretta Chronicles! How can you beat that?!

PERSONALIZED BRICK on our Walkway to Wonder! ($100 or $500)

What could be more special than a personalized brick on the GSTC Walkway to Wonder?  Either surprise them with a personalized message for them or let them create their own message..either way you can’t beat this gift!  And the best part is, you can visit it over and over and over!

All three of these options can be purchased at the Center, by calling 912-635-4444, visiting out website, downloading the correct forms and mailing or faxing them to us, or through our online store!  But hurry, processing and deliver can take 2-4 weeks!

We also have a variety of merchandise available in our gift shop (and we are currently running a 10% off holiday discount on merchandise (in store only-see previous BLOG)) and on our online store!

So whether you are buying a gift for someone else or treating yourself, please know that for all purchases made, whether it’s an adoption, membership, brick or merchandise, ALL proceeds go towards offsetting the operation costs of the GSTC, includeing the rehabilitation of sea turtles, equipment, research, and educational programming to promote conservation and awareness.

On behalf of the entire GSTC staff, I would like to wish you all a happy and safe holiday season!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

Many of you are probably familiar with Griffin, an adult male loggerhead sea turtle who has been a patient here for the past 2 years (arrived on Nov. 16, 2007!). He has been a patient here longer than any other sea turtle and won the Patient of the Year award in 2008.

Griffin was originally stranded off Daytona Beach,FL and was taken to the Volusia County Marine Science Center. He was unable to dive and could not eat on his own. After several weeks, the staff at the Marine Science Center decided that they would like to transfer him here to see if ‘new eyes’ could help find the mystery problem. We received him, and after some initial x-rays, found that he had a lot of gas in his GI tract.  We also treated him for a bacterial infection. He finally began, and continues to, eat on his own but also continues to float and has difficulty diving.

Griffin was taken for multiple MRIs over the past 2 years in an effort to help determine the cause of his floating. The GSTC staff was unable to determine a specific cause from those results, however it appears that he suffered a vascular event, similar to a human stroke. For those of you who know about strokes in humans, often the person has to ‘re-learn’ everything from walking, to talking, to eating.  Well, this is the same situation Griffin appears to be in.

Griffin has been receiving physical therapy twice daily on his front flippers to assist in maintaining the muscle tone. The staff is also pushing him underwater when feeding to help encourage diving behavior.  However, none of these efforts seem to be improving Griffin’s condition.  If he can’t dive, hunt for food and eat on his own, he cannot be released into the wild.

The GSTC staff has made a few attempts to create a weight belt, much like SCUBA divers use, to assist in ‘re-training’ Griffin on how to dive.  There are many variables one needs to take into account when constructing a weight belt for a sea turtle, something that has never been done before so far as we know! It has to be well fitted, not constricting of flipper movement, or abrasive in any way to the turtle, etc.  Our attempts proved unsuccessful.  However, Dr. Norton was at a workshop and began a conversation with some engineers from Georgia Tech, Savannah Campus, who seemed very interested in Griffin’s situation and the challenge presented to them.

After a few months of work, the engineers finally had a creation to try out on Griffin…his first fitting!  So on Friday, November 13, 2009 they came to the GSTC and fitted Griffin with the weight belt they had designed.  Once secured on Griffin, he was placed back in his tank, with a few staff standing close by in the tank as well, to assist if/as need.  Unfortunately, all did not go as planned and Griffin had difficulty staying upright.  It appears the weight kept shifting and the neoprene straps we not secure enough once wet.

Don’t worry yet, this was only the first attempt!  The engineers removed Griffin’s custom weight belt and have a few ideas on how to modify it that may solve the problems we encountered on this first fitting.  So, stay tuned and we’ll update you as information becomes available!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

• Loggerhead : total nests = 71; total false crawls (Non-nesting emergences) = 140
• Leatherback total nests = 2; total false crawls = 0
• Total Emergences (Nests + False Crawls) = 213
• Completely depredated by a raccoon = 2 nests

Picking up where Darwin left off:

Studies on the Symbiotic Barnacles of Sea Turtles.

Two decades before he received international notoriety from the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’, Charles Darwin was recognized as the imminent authority on barnacles. A group of these calcium-shelled crustaceans particularly interested him and helped seed his interest in evolutionary theory. This group is now commonly referred to as ‘turtle barnacles’ and, relatively little has been learned of this interesting group of barnacles in the 125 years following the publication of Darwin’s barnacle monograph.

For the last twelve years Michael Frick has studied this highly symbiotic group of barnacles and has gained some interesting insights into their taxonomy and life history as sea turtle companions. The biology of turtle barnacles is intricately intertwined with the biology of their sea turtle hosts, and as a result, turtle barnacles have evolved some interesting means by which to stay attached to turtles - surprisingly with little or no effect to their hosts. The current focus presentation will examine the variety of turtle barnacles known to date, and what species of turtles they adhere to. It will also illustrate how these animals may help us to understand certain aspects about sea turtle natural history and biology.

Monday October 26, 2009  7:00 p.m.

St. Simons Casino Room 114

530 Beachview Dr # A

St Simons Island, GA 31522

(912) 638-8234

Miss the last turtle release because you ate too much Shrimp and Grits to get to the beach?  Well, have no fear!  We’re having another turtle release next week during the 7th Annual Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival will take place October 8th-12th on Jekyll Island and along the GA coast!

Who are we releasing you ask?  TUNICATE and CATON!!!  Both sub-adult loggerhead sea turtles will be released with satellite transmitters attached to their carapace so we can track their journey as they enter back into the wild blue yonder.  From this data, we hope to gain valuable information about sea turtle behavior, foraging grounds and migration patterns.  CLICK HERE to learn more about satellite tracking!

TUNICATE

CATON

Caton received her transmitter on Thursday, October 1, and all went well.  Tunicate will be receiving his transmitter on Monday, October 5. We’ll begin this procedure at approximately 11am, and will be viewable through our treatment room window in our Exhibit Gallery!  So come on down!

This will most likely be our last turtle release until next spring since the ocean temperatures are quickly falling.  So DON’T MISS OUT! Here are all the details:

When: Friday, October 9, 2009

Time: 4pm

Where: On the beach, north side of the Convention Center, Jekyll Island, GA

*All releases are subject to change at any time (date, time, location) as determined by the GSTC staff, in the best interest of the turtles.

Shortly after their release, Tunicate and Caton will be available as an Option #2 adoption.  These funds will offset costs of satellite time and data management for the duration of time they transmit a signal.  Check our website for more information on our Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Program!

Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette

Marine Field Programs Coordinator