Phil, a juvenile Kemp’s Ridley turtle, swam out to deep water Friday, August 27, 2010. It was found with a fishing line wound around its neck. After a rehabilitative stay at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Phil was ready to be released. AmeriCorps members who will finish their work on the end of the month celebrated its swimming away.
Phil’s Release video (click here)
Stone Gossard, drummer of Pearl Jam, wrote an article in the S.W.O.T. (State of the World’s Turtles) report. He claimed that rock stars are like conservationists. Both types of people truly become their jobs…partly because their jobs require such dedication and introspection…partly because of the charisma of the individual. It’s interesting to ponder the idea that conservationists are rocks stars and role models of their field. Their two-part commitment can transform these individuals into more harmonious people.
Like musicians, not all conservationists are mainstream, by which I mean recognized on a national or global level. Notice, I did not add appreciated for quality of work in that definition. I speculated that maybe that is why the Grammy Awards occur. How would conservationists react if an equivalent award were to be created for them? Hmm.
Here’s a concept: mainstream musicians and conservationists are charged with the challenge of maintaining a positive role model presence for their peers and for, theoretically, the world. For those rock stars within their field, I have created the Roll Model Award as a means of honoring individuals who fit the criteria.
The Roll Model Award (Roll Model Award Crafter’s Guide) serves as a reminder of the responsibility of a metaphorical rock star. A positive role model is aware of the way in which he or she influences the behaviors or even emotions of other individuals. A skilled rock star can choose to control certain behaviors – possibly reactions – of others. This is achieved through experience and a genuine notion of humanity.
What I find truly intriguing is that both rocks stars and conservationists can seem super-human…intangible, different from everyday life. The irony I have witnessed and experienced is that pure humanity (qualities or characteristics that are distinctly human, like compassion for others) makes the conservationist a metaphorical rock star and certainly a role model. A conservationist redefines the term environmental stewardship, just as rock n’ roll tangibly changed music.
Here, at The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, we strive to make a difference.
Will you be a positive part of history?
The way you define yourself within your job helps others define you by your job.
Honestly,
Amanda Noble
Education Member 2009-2010
Thank you for reading and pondering!
To Those Wondering:
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center has seen some interesting patients in its three years of existence. We’re constantly treating cases such as boat strikes, shark bites, cold stunning, gastrointestinal issues, vision impairment, debilitated turtle syndrome, ingestion or entanglement of marine debris, ingestion of or entanglement in fishing gear, as well as the various “mystery turtles” that demand out-of-the-box thinking and much research on the part of our staff.
As of June 29th, 2010, we have ten patients in the hospital who arrived floating. Of course, each turtle is unique in some way: species, symptoms, and so on. We have to use our observational skills along with the scientific method to determine what we can do to help every animal in our care. Diagnosis begins with an overall exam, cleaning off of any epibionts (animals living on the turtle), a blood draw and analysis, and x-rays. The vet and rehab staff will compile a list of all symptoms a patient has. Then, they will begin to treat those symptoms. They are also required to piece together a story for the education staff, who need to know what happened in order to inform guests.
Some cases are obvious: a boat strike looks like a clean slicing wound, or a series of parallel prop wounds (equidistance from one another).
Some cases are not so apparent: a turtle who is floating who has no air its body cavity or gas in its GI tract.
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s current patients (as of June 28th, 2010) who arrived floating are Griffin, Al, Ghus, Bubbles, Erika, Carning, Caton, Ed, Frye, and Thalassia. Yes, these ten sea turtles were stuck at the water’s surface, but that does not mean “floating” has one specific cause. It’s really an observational diagnosis; there can be multiple maladies that lead to floating.
Here are some examples:
Griffin has suffered a brain injury similar to a human stroke. He may not remember how to dive on a regular basis. He regularly gets “dressed up for dinner” (technically breakfast) by wearing a neoprene suit on his carapace. We weight the suit and draw his towards the bottom of his tank by use of food prompts. He responds well to this physical therapy program.
Al was named for the algae on his shell and for his favorite food (algae). Al was floating from gas build-up in his intestines. We gave him Regulin and Cisapride, drugs for gut motility. Honestly, working with turtles can be a real gas.
Ghus (short for “esophagus”) ate plenty of mono-filament (recyclable) fishing line that was partially passing through the gastrointestinal tract. We removed the line during a day-long surgical procedure. That has nothing to do with his or her floating condition. It turns out that Ghus has a lung tear.
Bubbles had a fracture on the bottom shell (plastron) and was found because concerned citizens knew that a floating sea turtle is not healthy.
Erika has air trapped between tissue layers. We’ve aspirated air from her body cavity many times, and the air keeps replacing itself! We still do not understand why the air is trapped in such a way or why it continually comes back. We are currently trying to determine possible infectious causes of her illness.
Carning had air trapped in its body cavity, around the vital organs. We aspirated air, and that seemed to help. Carning is now one of our more active turtles.
Caton. Oh, dear. She’s an odd one. She arrived with intestinal blockage (impaction) that was causing gas build-up in her gastrointestinal tract. We gave her a drug called Cisapride, which was for gut motility. In an extremely abbreviated story: she defecated and dove. However, there is no short story in a hospital setting. Caton is our first turtle to refuse release…twice! We even removed her satellite tracking device. So disappointing. Maybe, she’ll “scute outta here” the next time we try to release her.
Ed is a female. We performed laparoscopic surgery to find out why this juvenile green sea turtle was stuck at the water’s surface. We found a hematoma (bruising between layers of tissue) causing the lung to curl, which may or may not have been why Ed was floating. Ed began diving on her own relatively soon after surgery.
Frye wears “goggles” and needs glasses. Okay, “goggles” is a metaphor for the nictitating membrane that protects Frye’s eyes from salt sting. The second statement refers to Frye’s vision impairment. Frye spends the majority of his or her time at the top of the water, bobbing like a buoy. We are trying to find a permanent captive home for our Soleil Moon Frye.
Thalassia eats where she lives and lives where she eats. She was aptly named for her home and food: a type of sea grass. Thalassia has what looks like old boat strike wounds that had healed in the wild. The propeller injury may have interrupted the gastrointestinal tract, causing leafy blockage and gas build-up. It also could be the reason Thalassia has trouble using her rear flippers to steer.
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center staff have treated other floater patients with torn lungs. If we calculate that in, then floating can be caused by a lung tear, a brain injury, gastrointestinal issues, or air trapped in the body for some other reason besides a lung tear.
Questions commonly asked of our Education staff include:
If you happen to see a sea turtle floating in the ocean, call 1-800-2-SAVE-ME (if you live in Georgia). To find other states’ sea turtle stranding networks, follow this link to the seaturtle.org stranding network locator.
Thank your for taking the time to read this BLOG and for doing your part to help these beautiful endangered species.
Honestly,
Amanda Noble
Education Member
Hey all,
My name is Mike and I am a new kid in turtle school!
Since graduating from Miami University with a degree in Zoology, I have started an eclectic collection of previous work experience. Last summer, I began to focus on a career in marine conservation.
This new career path has taken me from “Character Ambassadoring” with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to couch surfing through Washington, DC as I worked with Conservation International’s Sea Turtle Flagship Program. Most recently I have found myself on Jekyll Island and the fit is right. From sweet tea to sea turtles, I am excited for a fun-filled southern summer of learning and teaching guests to the GSTC about the 5 species of sea turtles that share our Georgia coast.
Check out this video PSA featuring Mr. Leatherback that I produced while Sea Turtle Interning at Conservation International reminding us all to use reusable bags when we shop:
Use Reusable Bags When You Shop!
Hope to see y’all at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center soon!
Mike D
Hey Everyone!
My name is Sarah and I’m also a new face here at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.
I’m attending Sewanee: The University of the South and I’m majoring in Ecology and Biodiversity and minoring in Business. I started my sea turtle journey almost three years ago during the GSTC’s opening season.
This will be my third summer working at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and I couldn’t be more excited! As a North Carolina native, I am right at home here on the Georgia Coast and ready to see where this summer takes me. While this will be my third summer working with sea turtles my other jobs have really run the gamut. Last summer I worked at a law firm doing paralegal work and I sold pies at a farmer’s market in New York City. This past year I worked in my alma mater, Emma Willard School’s business office conducting market research and writing a business plan for our school store.
So far at the center, I have been having a blast as a counselor at our Sea Turtle Camp! Parents & students: I urge you to look into this amazing opportunity for next summer!
Can’t wait to see you soon!
Sarah
This past week, 17 enthusiastic kids had the opportunity to become junior conservationists at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s Sea Turtle Camp! With a five days program, you may wonder what we were doing. We can’t let all of the hatchling’s secrets out of the nest all at the same time, but here are a few highlights.
Being so close to the coast, we took advantage of some time at the beach! Our junior conservationists created sea turtle kites made of recycled plastic grocery bags. Our only obstacle? – we flew them on a day without a breeze! Instead we combed the shoreline for critters. Horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, shells and sand dollars were among many treasures that the high tide had left for us to find. Of course, being the conservationists that we are, everything was left behind at the beach for the ocean to recapture!
We also spent a little time each day with our sea turtle patients. One new patient, a small Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, arrived just one day before camp began! Our conservationists were given the opportunity to name the little guy (or girl!). The little Kemp’s was found floating by a fisherman and brought to the Center for treatment. Our campers aptly chose the name ‘Bubbles,’ as he floats just like them!
This isn’t the only week of Sea Turtle Camp – there are four more to follow in 2010 so stay tuned for more sun, sand and sea turtles!
~Kelly Price
Education Specialist
The turtle patrol team awoke at 6am on May 3rd, to do their regularly scheduled dawn patrol of Jekyll’s beach. It was a beautiful day and we arrived at Driftwood at 7am. It felt like an ordinary Monday, but we soon found it was not so ordinary. We found a cold and lonely fawn whom needed a friend and a jacket. We quickly covered the cold fawn with a GSTC jacket and called JIA to help save the little fella from the clutches of cold weather.
We continued on our journey and headed south when suddenly a distant indentation in the sand caught our eyes. It was the first track of the season… and it belonged to a leatherback! We immediately stopped the vehicle to investigate. We followed the track beginning at the high tide line, went in a few circles, and eventually came to the nest near the Brice street beach access point. We were overcome with joy as we had found Georgia’s first nest of the season!
She had laid her nest in a poor location, along the rock wall, so it was necessary to relocate it in order to prevent it from being inundated and possibly washed out. We called our faithful leader, Ms. Stefanie Ouellette, and she immediately came down to assist. The patrol team relocated the nest to a more suitable location farther south to protect the (hopefully) soon-to-be hatchlings.
While that has been our only nest so far, we wish the nest a successful 70-90 day incubation period and are looking forward to the rest of the season.
Thanks for Reading,
The 2010 patrol team
Each year between the months of March and July thousands of female leatherback sea turtles come ashore to nest. Besides laying precious eggs during their brief time out of the water, these turtles give us the opportunity to observe nesting behaviors and to give us the opportunity to gain obtain valuable research data. Leatherback sea turtles are the largest sea turtle in the world measuring an average of seven feet in length and weighting about one thousand pounds. Adult male leatherbacks have been documented to weigh 2000 lbs or a ton! As giant as these creatures are, their diet depends entirely upon jellyfish. Known as the “Iron-man” of the sea turtles, leatherbacks dive the deepest and swim the greatest distances. Their range covers all of the worlds oceans; however, their populations are unstable and their survival is threatened by many conditions both environmental (loss of habitat, food sources, predators) and human impacts (beach development, pollution, fishing industry especially the longline fisheries). The Pacific leatherback is in greater trouble than the Atlantic and numbers have dwindled rapidly in the last decade and a half.
Here at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, we have begun our sea turtle patrol of Jekyll Island’s beaches; our first nest of the season…a leatherback! The GSTC has many affiliations and projects around the world for the conservation and protection of sea turtles. One such program is the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN) in St. Kitts and Nevis, a small island in the West Indies of the Caribbean. In conjunction with Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), the Georgia Sea Turtles sends staff and volunteers down each year to help with the Leatherback Sea Turtle Project, a monitoring program organized and run by Dr. Kimberly Stewart. The GSTC staff have also conducted several health related workshops in St. Kitts and provide scientific and veterinary expertise to the program.
This year, several volunteers and staff at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center have will traveled down to help out with this project. Alicia Marin, our Education Coordinator traveled down in April and was able to establish educational sea turtle programs at hotels and resorts on the island while Steven Nelson, our Veterinary Technician, traveled down this past week to help with night monitoring and blood collection and processing for the nesting turtles. Dr. Norton and Michelle Kaylor (Rehabilitation Coordinator) are assisting Ross University in the development of a small rehabilitation center.
Upon return from his trip to St. Kitts, Steven shared with us his experience.
“This past week has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life, I had never anticipated the feeling you get when you first see a one thousand pound sea turtle emerging from the water on a moonlit beach. Up close, these turtles are incredible, as if their size and strength isn’t enough, their artful instinct and behavior is amazing. How such as giant creature can gently manipulate delicate eggs is nothing short of impressive. Over eight turtles nested during the week of my trip, walking up and down the beach from 8pm-4am, it’s the adrenaline of finding a turtle that keeps you going. Every turtle we came across was examined, measured, tagged and a blood sample was obtained.” 
Unlike other sea turtle species, leatherbacks get flipper tags in their rear flippers, these tags enable us to track the turtle each time they nest during a season and years to come. Measurements of the turtle’s shell are taken to monitor growth rates. Blood samples are collected from their rear flippers and provide information as to their overall health. An assessment of their surroundings and location of the nests are noted. “Due to unsuitable habitat, 3 of the 8 leatherbacks we came across needed their eggs relocated in which we relocated to suitable habitat away from high tide and erosion sites.” After about 58 days of incubation in the sand, hatchlings will emerge and make their way to the ocean where very few (1:1000) make it to adulthood. The SKSTMN patrol team is there to help and excavates nests to save straggler hatchlings and assure that they all have a chance to at least make it to the sea without obstacles, environmental stresses or natural predation.
“Besides spending long nights on the beach, I was also able to take part in a unique St. Kitts event called Agriculture Day, an annual event in which the entire country’s school kids are able to attend a fair revolving around animals, plants and the environment. This was a unique opportunity because many of the students that were born and raised where leatherback sea turtles nest and frequent had no clue that they even existed. We also shared with them the importance of their survival and the many dangers they face in the wild.“
Even though they are endangered, the sale and consumption of sea turtle products is legal during certain months (open-season) in St. Kitts, which heavily impacts the sea turtle population. Education is the first step towards conservation; it is difficult to change tradition and culture in a society so dependent on this resource; however, many of the local fishermen on the island have since learned of the importance of sea turtles in the ecosystem and have either discontinued these practices or have even joined the conservation efforts of the patrol/monitoring team. Dr. Norton and Michelle Kaylor will be traveling to St. Kitts next October to place satellite transmitters on hawksbill sea turtles that would otherwise be eaten. The fishers normally killing the turtles will hopefully be engaged in the monitoring of the turtles after they are released. This is a pilot project that we hope will expand if preliminary results are successful.
“One of my most memorable moments of the trip was during our second night on the beach that week. We were watching at 6 foot long turtle dig a nest chamber when we saw in the distance behind the vegetation line a group of dark shadows slowly approaching us. In fear for personal safety we shined our flashlights towards the shadows and dozens of wild cattle were coming over to check out the commotion. They get within five feet of the nesting turtle and began to intently staring at her as she nesting. They were amazed and the look on their faces was priceless, it was one of the most unique interspecies experiences that I have ever witnessed.”
Visit the following link for more info on the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN). http://www.stkittsturtles.com/Welcome.html
-Steven Nelson, Veterinary Technician
April 24th marked the 6th annual Marine Science Center‘s Turtle Trot up on Tybee Island, GA and the second year in a row that the GSTC team was there to release some of our sea turtle patients back to the ocean. This year we were saying goodbye and good luck to Kera and Mr. Hyde. Both are sub-adult loggerheads who came to us from North Carolina as cold-stun patients (see April 20th blog for more information!). After a few months of care by the GSTC staff, Kera and Mr. Hyde were ready to go.
Mr. Hyde returning to his home
Before being released and in addition to flipper tags and a PIT tag, both Kera and Mr. Hyde had satellite transmitters placed on their carapace. This allows us to track their travels during the first few weeks of their return home. Check our website for more information if you would like to follow these turtles as well.
Kera ready to return home
The Turtle Trot race started off the day bright and early at 8:30am. The GSTC Education Staff was there with a booth about the center and some turtle specimens for participants and onlookers to enjoy. Scute, the GSTC mascot, made a guest appearance greeting the runners and families as they came off the beach. The turtles arrived on Tybee in the GSTC van around 9:30 am. As the race concluded, many of the runners and other participants gathered on the beach to see our turtles off. Mr. Hyde was released first, followed by Kera. In front of a large crowd, both turtles made their way into the water. As everyone watched, we could see them surface for air a few times while they swam further into the ocean.
Kelly and Elissa Educating the Public
It was exciting to see so many people come out for another successful release. Thank you to all who participated, and remember to check back for details on upcoming releases.
GSTC Staff at Tybee Turtle Trot Release
Sincerely,
Elissa Monahan and Heather McCarn
AmeriCorps Sea Turtle Night Patrol Members
PS Kera and Mr. Hyde will be eligible for adoption as Option #2 soon! Keep an eye on the website!
That’s right! Kera & Mr. Hyde, 2 juvenile loggerhead sea turtles afflicted by cold stunning during this past winter are going to be released!
KERA
MR. HYDE
First, a little background…..
Both Kera and Mr. Hyde (along with a 3rd turtle, Rostrum) were found in North Carolina. All three (along with many others) were diagnosed as ‘cold stunned’. What is cold stunned you ask? Since sea turtles are ectothermic (aka ‘cold blooded’), their body temperature adapts to their surrounding environment. If it gets too cold, their body shuts down. Eventually they cannot move their flippers, which means they can’t dive, which means they can’t eat. Essentially, they begin to freeze….think of it like a human who gets hypothermia. Kera and Mr. Hyde were originally treated at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail, N.C., but because they were overrun by all the cold-stunned turtles and had run out of space, they asked if we could take a few off their hands.
Once they arrived at the GSTC, we proceeded to give them an exam to determine treatment. Kera, short for ‘Keratin’, had a lot o keratin missing from her carapace (keratin makes up the scutes that cover her shell). Mr. Hyde, on the other hand, defecated a pink balloon! More proof that balloons and other trash pollution are harmful to sea turtles, as well as other marine life.
MR. HYDE
KERA
Both turtles received a final exam on Friday, April 16, 2010 and passed with flying colors! Both also received a PIT tag, flipper tags and a satellite transmitter. These transmitters (from Wildlife Computers) are different than the ones we typically use (from Telonics). They are smaller and lighter, more suitable for smaller turtles like Kera and Mr. Hyde. Battery power may not be as long, however. We’ll just have to see how they do!
Now that you’ve been briefed, let’s get to the details of the release:
When: Saturday, April 24, 2010
Where: Tybee Island, GA (CLICK HERE for directions)
Time: following the end of the 5K run/walk; approximately 10am
*Please note that all releases are tentative and subject to change (date, time and/or location) in the best interest of the turtle(s).
This release is occurring in collaboration with the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. Every year they host a 5K run/walk fundraiser called Turtle Trot. Funds raised benefit the Tybee Island Sea Turtle Project. Last year we released Blizzard, Snowball and Chilly Willy at this event, and it was a HUGE success!
We hope you will join us in saying goodbye to Kera and Mr. Hyde!
Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator
