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:

1. Do sea turtles eat something in the wild to remedy their gas? (Great question!  We ourselves do not know.  Sounds likes a great research topic.)
2. Is gas common? (We don’t know.  We see only a small percentage of the entire sea turtle population.)
3. Are stroke-like events due to age? (Probably not.)
4. How do they get air in their bodies? (Sometimes a blunt force trauma like the hull of a boat or getting struck by another turtle can jostle the innards enough to subsequently pull a muscle away from the lung.  Other times, we simply don’t have an immediate answer.)
5. WHY IS FLOATING BAD FOR SEA TURTLES? They can not dive for food, nor can they avoid predators.  Other potential issues include: greater risk of boat strikes, or marine debris entanglement.

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

The turtle patrol team awoke at 6am on May 3^rd, 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

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!

Hello Turtle Enthusiasts!

Here at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, we think learning is important for kids of all ages.  One way we boost the visitors’ experience is by use of crafts.  Therefore, we established a program known as Turtle Tales. On Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m., we read a children’s book (about turtles) and create a related craft.  Then, they can take their craft home with them as a means of remembering one concept or fact they learned while here.

Let me give you an example.  The month of February included  Valentine’s Day.  Our craft was so popular, I couldn’t keep up with the demand. Supplies ran out, and I looked for a quick replacement.  Luckily, we had created a get well card as a kind gesture to give sick or injured staff and volunteers.

However, we are a sea turtle hospital.  I felt it was appropriate for patrons to make cards for our turtle patients.  Again, guests could bring these cards home as a way of remembering their favorite patients.  Many people left their cards on our wall, which created a heartfelt display honoring and highlighting some of our patients. These were some of my favorites!

Thank you for sharing!

Amanda Noble

AmeriCorps Education Member

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

With the a new beach lighting ordinance soon to be in effect (amended in August 2008, grace period ends May 1, 2010), many Jekyll Islands residents and beachfront business owners came out for the 2010 “Sea Turtles and Lights” workshop held at the Jekyll Island Convention Center on March 17, 2010. Many approved turtle-friendly lighting distributors were in attendance to display their approved products and spread the word about wildlife-friendly lighting.

After Eric Garvey, Senior Director of Marketing, welcomed the participants, Dr. Terry Norton, GSTC Director and Veterinarian, kicked off the workshop with a presentation about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center; what it is, what we are all about, and what we’ve accomplished in 3 very short years. Next Mark Dodd, GADNR Sea Turtle Program Coordinator, brought us up to speed on sea turtle natural history and the research conducted on the Sidney Lanier Bridge’s turtle-friendly lighting.  To wrap up the program, GSTC Marine Field Programs Coordinator, Stefanie Ouellette, gave a educational presentation on understanding lights,how lights effect sea turtles and answered the question: What is a turtle-friendly light?

After the presentations wrapped up and all questions were answered, manufacturers/vendors from Wildlife Lighting LLC, Electro Elf, Acclaim Lighting, The Coppersmith, and Justice Design Group displayed their state-of-the-art, approved turtle-friendly products in eye-catching exhibits for the participants.

A few other manufacturers/vendors (Turtle Safe Lighting, Starry Night Lights, the Lighting Science Group and Eco Smart)  were unable to attend in person, but they did send us some sample products prior to the workshop to display.

You can find LINKS to these companies on our website, as well as many other links that might be helpful or interesting to you!  You can also visit our BEACH LIGHTING page on our website to learn and understand more about sea turtles and lights.

As successful as this workshop was, we are sure we can make the next one even better! Stay tuned for information regarding our next workshop coming up this summer…..

Sincerely,

The 2010 Sea Turtle Patrol Team

This January there was a large cold stunning event in Florida during which approximately 5,000 turtles were stranded. Some of those turtles came here to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

(Photo courtesy of Florida Fish & Wildlife)

Among them were Fria, Titimela, and Boreous. All three were green sea turtles and their names mean ‘cold’ in foreign languages. Fria and Titimela were juveniles from Indian River Lagoon, FL and Boreous was a sub-adult from Eddy Creek,FL.

On an absolutely beautiful March 24^th day, part of the GSTC staff and AmeriCorps Members made the four hour drive down to Mosquito Lagoon on the Cape Canaveral National Seashore in Florida to release these three. The turtles were placed in foam-padded tubs and transported in the back of GSTC van.

Boreous on his way to the water.

Boreous, the first to go, was placed on the sand a few feet from the shore. He immediately made his way to the water and swam off.

Titimela taking a breath.

Titimela and Fria were placed in the water. Fria took off right away, while Titimela swam a few small circles before venturing off into deeper water. The team watched from the edge of the water, as the turtles each came up to breathe, until they were all out of sight.

Jessica carrying Fria to the water.

The day was complete and all three turtles had made it to the sea. It was an amazing event filled with lots of pictures and smiles. Although it was bittersweet to see them go, we know they are better off swimming in the open ocean where they are free to roam the waters. We wish them all the best in their travels.

(From L to R) Rachel, Steven, Jessica, Elissa, Chrissy, Renee, Lisa, Christina, Joseph

Keep checking back on our website and BLOG for information on upcoming releases!

Sincerely,

The GSTC Staff

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.

So far it has been an exciting year here at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. The arrival of the new year was followed by the arrival of several new patients! Over the past several weeks, we’ve added 22 new patients to the hospital resulting in a flurry of activity.

In the colder months of winter, it’s not uncommon to have an influx of patients that suffer from cold stunning.

Cold stunning is a condition where sea turtles suffer from hypothermia-like symptoms when water temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Excessive exposure to these cold temperatures can cause normal body functions to shut down. Sea turtles lose the ability to dive and are unable to forage, resulting in emaciation and dehydration. Many wash up on shore and become stranded.

Earlier this year, one Loggerhead Sea Turtle and four green sea turtles arrived from North Carolina with cold-stunning symptoms.

The loggerhead, aptly named ‘Lookout’is from Cape Lookout, NC. In addition to cold stunning, the turtle had a lot of epibiota, like barnacles and algae, on his carapace and plastron. Lookout also had a very strange puncture mark on his skin and plastron. We were unable to figure out what caused it, but the wound was healing nicely and he was released shortly after his arrival.

Jill, the little Kemps Ridley, arrived with small lesions on the plastron and skin, perhaps as a result of being tossed around in the surf. Jill was also skinny, but recovered quickly after a hefty diet of seafood.

Three greens, Carolina, Cape, and Crow, had secondary injuries that needed some atttention. Carolina has a large, but healing, abrasion on the top of her shell. Upon x-ray, Cape had a metal object that was detected in his GI tract. And Crow, with a boat strike injury to the carapace, has the most severe injuries. However, all the turtles are eating very well! When cold stunned turtles arrive at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, they are so sick that they often do not have the willingness to eat.  Their digestive system has been affected by the cold temperature. However, when a turtle is able to eat on their own, it could be an indication that their condition is improving.

Fortunately, the fourth and smallest of the new patients did not have any secondary injuries. Much like the fruit he resembles, this little turtle with a dark brown shell and green insides was named ‘Kiwi’.

As January pressed on, a huge cold stunning event took place along Florida’s coastline. Over 5000 turtles washed up along the east and west coasts, resulting in a massive stranding event and the need for facilities like the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to step in.

The first to arrive were 10 cold stunned green sea turtles from Mosquito Lagoon, Florida. After some good food and supportive care, we were able to release 10 of our new patients, including Lookout the Loggerhead. On January 13^th, Center staff drove south to warmer waters off the coast of Florida to release the rehabilitated turtles and returned with 12 new patients in critical need. With so many new patients, new names were needed in a hurry! The staff came together and each chose a name meaning “cold” in a different language, even adding some names from ancient mythologies. It was a fun way to bring the staff together by naming and helping our new sea turtle patients.

Since then, two more green sea turtles have arrived . Arthur is currently floating with his tail end up, due to a gas and fecal matter built up in his digestive tract. Surry is the victim of a boat strike. Both are receiving the best of care, even with so many other patients in house! As always, we’re keeping a watchful eye on all of our patients.

The start of the new year, new patients in need and witnessing the staff and volunteers coming together to help these turtles, it’s truly inspiring!

Renee Pascale

Americorps Education Member