Now that the 2010 nesting season has come to an end on Jekyll Island, we would like to give everyone a quick recap of our busy summer. Georgia beaches have a total of 1,738 sea turtle nests so far this season! Jekyll has had 140 nests, leaving us just six nests shy of doubling the season total from 2009. Our first nest of the season was a leatherback nest and the other 139 were all loggerheads. It was a very productive year for us. We had an activity, be it a false crawl or a nesting female, just about every night. On one particular night we saw eight turtles and had six nests! It was our busiest night of the season.

Patrol Members "working up" a Nesting Female

We had many interesting encounters this season as well. There was one particular turtle who we encountered 14 times throughout the season! She must really like Jekyll Island. Another turtle who we saw quite a few times was affectionately named Stumpy, as she is missing almost all of her left rear flipper, leaving just a little stump. Poor Stumpy. On multiple occasions we spent over an hour with her helping her dig the left side of her chamber, and once we thought she was satisfied with it, she would leave! But our time with Stumpy paid off one night when we finally got to see her drop some eggs.

We had a few turtles who impressed us with their climbing skills by crawling up to the top of some very high dunes to nest. Some of those nests were even hard for us to climb up to! And another turtle surprised us by crawling right underneath Glory Dock and nesting on the other side. One turtle even decided to nest at 2:00 in the afternoon!

A Nesting Female Returns to the Water

With all of the nests this summer, we are now seeing lots of little hatchlings. It was exciting to see that this year, unlike last year, our leatherback nest hatched! When it was excavated we found two straggler hatchlings that we were able to watch, as they made their way down to the ocean and swam away. Now that we are nearing the end of the summer, it seems as though we are finding tiny turtle tracks on our beach just about every morning.

Hatchlings Heading Down the Beach

Overall, this was a very productive and exciting summer filled with nesting mother sea turtles, baby sea turtles, new friends, and a lot of fun. We have been very busy on the beach, working hard and learning a lot, and enjoying our time here at the GSTC. Before we all part ways at the end of the month, we wanted to say a quick thank you to all of our volunteers who gave so much of their time this summer to help us out on our patrols. Thank you! Be sure to check back on our blog for more updates at the end of hatchling season.

Sincerely,

The 2010 AmeriCorps Night 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 24^th marked the 6^th 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 20^th 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

You may have heard a lot in the news recently about sea turtles.  From the cold stunning event in Florida to the push to get loggerheads on the endangered species list.  But what is happening with the population on our local beaches?  Join us Thursday, April 8th for a discussion on the nesting females of Jekyll Island!  Georgia Sea Turtle Center Research Coordinator Stefanie Ouellette will discuss the Jekyll population and all of the exciting research being done right here in Georgia!

What: Lecture Series - Jekyll Island’s Nesting Females

Who: Georgia Sea Turtle Center Research Coordinator Stefanie Ouellette

Where: Brunswick/Glynn County Library

When: Thursday April 8, 2010  7:00 p.m.

Hello,

We are the 2010 GSTC Night Patrol Team. Before the season kicks off we would like to let you know a little more about each of us. Below we’ve each briefly described our backgrounds and why we are excited to be part of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center AmeriCorps Night Patrol Team!

(L to R: Joe, Elissa, Kim, Chrissy, Renee, Heather, Christina, Rachel, Adam)

Chrissy Bissett

I graduated in July 2009 from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with my Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology. Before I graduated, I did an independent study with one of my professors when I monitored Figure Eight Island for sea turtle nests. I also interned at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. My fondness for sea turtles started in college, and has become closer to an obsession. I’m very glad to be here, and I hope to learn a whole lot more about these wonderful creatures.

Adam Dispenza

Raised on Sanibel Island, FL, I went to school at the University of West Florida in Pensacola where I received a BA degree in Communication Arts. Even though I’m not a science major, I hope to use that degree to create conservation films and write Children’s books to educate kids about endangered species. Before attending UWF, I was a volunteer at the JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island where I taught visitors about the local mangrove ecology. I also volunteered at CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) for over a decade where I often worked closely with Gopher Tortoises and other turtles. My sea turtle experience began at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation where I assisted in morning sea turtle patrols. Besides volunteering at various wildlife organizations, I have acquired the majority of my knowledge at home by keeping and breeding numerous reptiles and amphibians.

Christina Martin

I am a recent graduate from the University of Florida where I received my degree in Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, as well as a minor in Chemistry. I was a member and secretary of the Wildlife Society UF Chapter as well as a member of the UF chemistry club during my Junior and Senior years. Last summer I interned at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission where I worked with manatees conducting field necropsies, photo identification, and radio tracking. During that same summer, I worked with Loggerhead turtles by conducting morning walks and excavations in Jupiter, Florida. I have also traveled to Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras to do amphibian and reptile research, and am very excited to now be a part of the turtle research program here on Jekyll Island.

Heather McCarn

Aloha! I graduated in May 2009 from the University of Hawaii at Hilo with a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Science as well as Psychology. While pursuing my degree, I volunteered as a member of the Hilo Marine Mammal Response Network in connection with NOAA. Our main focus was protecting the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal as well as any whales, dolphins, and turtles that needed help. I am originally from Oregon (Go Beavers!!) and grew up visiting the Oregon Coast and searching through the tide pools and watching the whales. I have always had a fascination for creatures in the ocean and I am super excited to begin Turtle Patrols in May and enjoy my experience at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

Elissa Monahan

I graduated from the University of Colorado- Boulder with a degree in Environmental Science and minors in Biology and Geography. I also have a certificate in Hydrology and Water Resources. While at CU I completed an Earth Education internship program. I have volunteered in Panama with a Leatherback and Manatee conservation project in San San Wetland Reserve. I am very excited to be part of GSTC patrol team this summer and look forward to learning more about Sea Turtles and Sea Turtle conservation efforts.

Renee Roesler

Hello! I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in May 2009 with a BS in Marine Biology. My love for marine life started when I lived in Maine for two years when I was younger but it wasn’t until college that my love for sea turtles began. Prior to being here at GSTC I did an internship last fall at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, FL. My work was with the Sea Turtle Rehab Department but I also got to work with their cow nose stingrays and nurse sharks. I love sea turtles and I hope working with sea turtles becomes my career one day. I’m glad to be here at GSTC and I can’t wait for patrolling to start in May. I think sea turtles are amazing animals and I hope to learn more about what’s being done to conserve these beautiful creatures of the sea.

Joseph Scarola

Hailing from Laguna Niguel, California, Joseph Scarola spent his younger years at Dana Hills High School where his interest in the ocean sparked from a Marine Biology class taught by Mr. Marv Sherrill. A year-long class followed by a ten day expedition to Bahia de Los Animas in Baja California. He went on to graduate with a degree in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and has continued his passion for the ocean by earning his Advanced SUBA Certification. Just back from a six month sea turtle conservation project in Cape Verde, Africa from June till December 2009, he is one of nine new AmeriCorps members at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. He is looking forward to a great season and learning new things at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Peace. SOS Tartarugas.

Rachel Sommer

I graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and minors in Biology and Interdisciplinary Studies. Prior to my graduation I completed an internship through the Coastal Watershed Institute where I worked with oysters and oyster reef restoration in South West Florida. Upon graduation I worked part-time for Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in the Fisheries program under Dr. Aaron Adams, where I was responsible for monitoring fish populations in mangrove creeks of Southwest Florida. I also spent time working with Mote Marine’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program doing morning patrols. I most recently began volunteering at Clearwater Marine Aquarium working with Bottlenose dolphins, North America River Otters, and Sea Turtles. I am so excited to be a part of the Night Patrol here at GSTC and can’t wait to learn more about these amazing creatures!

Kimberly Tomczak

I graduated from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln with a degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Fisheries and Wildlife. While at UNL, I became interested in marine biology. After obtaining my Bachelors Degree, I volunteered in Costa Rica with a marine research organization. I took part in night patrols monitoring the Olive Ridley sea turtle. I am excited to be a member of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and look forward to working with Georgia’s sea turtles.

The Patrol Team Leader will be joining the team April 1, 2010.   Some of you might remember her fromt the 2008 Patrol Team…Please welcome back Emily Walker!

Thank you for your time. Please check back with us soon as we’ll be blogging throughout the season about our experiences here at Jekyll Island and presenting at the July Lecture Series (held every 2nd Thursday of the month at the Brunswick Library, 7pm)

Sincerely,

The 2010 Patrol Team

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

Caton

Caton and Talbot, 2 loggerhead sea turtles, will be released on Monday December 28, 2009 from the Cape Canaveral National Sea Shore. The water temperatures are too cold in Georgia for a release this time of year; however, in the coastal waters of Cape Canaveral the temperatures are still safe and suitable for a release. The release site will occur around 12pm on a beach on the north end of Cape Canaveral Sea Seashore, on the south end of the Volusia side. Both turtles are doing great and ready to go to their ocean home.

Talbot

There have been 200 sea turtles that have stranded along the New England coast since Mid-October and 60 turtles are being housed in just a few facilities. These were all cold-stunned cases. Over the past 2 weeks North Carolina has seen numerous cold-stunned turtles and all of their facilities are filled to capacity. Releasing Caton and Talbot will free up some much needed space at the GSTC to make room for 4 green turtles, a kemps and a loggerhead, which will arrive on Tues of next week.

We apologize for the short notice and tricky timing within the holiday season. As will all releases, this release is open to the public and we hope to see you there! Thank you for your understanding and support with this situation.

~Terry M. Norton, DVM, Director and Veterinarian

• 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

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