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Feb 22

New Turtles in 2010

Teachers, turtles No Comments »

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 This is Crow at the bottom of his tank, eating some yummy greens!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 13th, 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

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Feb 06

EMMA’S DILEMMA

AmeriCorps, Education, How YOU can Help!, Research, Teachers, treatment, turtles 2 Comments »

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.

Emma's right shoulder is swollen, due to osteomylitis.

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.

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Feb 02

Take a Piece of Jekyll Island Home With You: (Read below to see how)

Advertisement, Gift Shop, How YOU can Help!, Sea Turtle, Uncategorized, turtles 2 Comments »

With Spring still a few months away,  wouldn’t it be nice to have a piece of Jekyll Island around to remind you of all the fun and exciting things you did while visiting here.  We have an array of decorative sculptures handcrafted by a local artist by the name of Tyler Dominey.  Look below to read all about him, his story is amazing and fascinating.

Single Turtle Wall Hanging
Single Turtle Wall Hanging
Double Turtle Wall Hanging
Double Turtle Wall Hanging
5 Turtles with Metal Background
5 Turtles with Metal Background
Mom and Babies Wall Hanging
Mom and Babies Wall Hanging

These are just a few samples of some of the sculptures we have in our Gift Shop.  Stop by to see our complete collection!

**(Prices starting at $14.95, selection subject to change)**

Sincerely,
Peggy Van Buren
Gift Shop Coordinator

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Dec 05

The Phantom of the GSTC

AmeriCorps, Education, Interns, Rehabilitation, Research, Sea Turtle, Teachers, turtles 1 Comment »

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

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Nov 20

Update on Griffin…

Collaboration, Griffin, Rehabilitation, Research, Sea Turtle, Uncategorized, treatment, turtles No Comments »

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

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Nov 09

2009 Nesting and Hatching Update

Interns, Nesting Program, Research, Sea Turtle, tagging program, turtles 1 Comment »
For those of you who are interested, here are some of the numbers from the 2009 Sea turtle Nesting Season. …
  • 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
As always,
Thank you for sharing your time with me!
~Amanda Noble~
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Oct 02

Tunicate and Caton to be released–OCTOBER 9, 2009

Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Program, Events, Rehabilitation, Releases, Research, Sea Turtle, epibionts, tagging program, turtles No Comments »

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

TUNICATE

CATON

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

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Oct 01

Pumpkin, Night Watch and Skidaway get RELEASED!

Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Program, Events, Rehabilitation, Releases, Research, Sea Turtle, turtles 1 Comment »

On September 20. 2009 at the end of Jekyll Island’s Annual Shrimp and Grits Festival, the GSTC successfully released 3 rehabilitated turtles back into the wild:

Pumpkin (loggerhead): Pumpkin received a satellite transmitter prior to her release.  CLICK HERE to follow her journey on seaturtle.org.  Soon you’ll also be able to adopt Pumpkin (as Option #2)!  Please visit our website for more information on our Adopt-A-Sea Turtle Program or to purchase and adoption!

Night Watch (loggerhead): Night Watch was too young/small to receive a satellite transmitter.  She still had a dorsal ridge down her carapace, and placing a transmitter would have been difficult, possibly not yield accurate data and potentially cause problems for Night Watch in regards to balance.  But she sure did let the crowd know her final thoughts as she made her way from the beach to the ocean!

and Skidaway (Kemp’s ridley): Skidaway was also too small to receive a satellite transmitter.  The transmitter would have been too big and heavy for such a small turtle!

We wish them all farewell and good luck!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

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Sep 09

Pumpkin, Night Watch and Skidaway…TO BE RELEASED!

Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Program, Advertisement, Collaboration, Education, Events, Rehabilitation, Releases, Research, Sea Turtle, Uncategorized, kemps, tagging program, treatment, turtles No Comments »

That’s right!  We are planning to release 3 turtles: Pumpkin, Night Watch and Skidaway on Sunday, September 20, 2009 during the last day of Jekyll Island’s Annual Shrimp and Grits Festival!

As most of you probably know, Pumpkin (LEFT), a sub-adult Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle, was supposed to be released on May 13, 2009 during our Annual Nest Fest event.   However, due to complications observed after the transmitter placement, we decided not to release Pumpkin, in his/her best interest.

Now that Pumpkin’s infections have cleared up and he/she has been taken off of antibiotics, has sunk to the bottom of her tank, and is eating normally, it’s time to let her go!  You’ll be able to track Pumpkin after his/her release on www.seaturtle.org (please be patient, it usually takes a few days for the tracking page to come up) and you’ll also be able to adopt Pumpkin as an Option #2 turtle through the GSTC’s Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Program! (*Option #2 adoptions help to offset additional costs attributed to the satellite transmitters after release. We have to pay for ’satellite time’ and data management for as long as the turtle transmits a signal!)

Night Watch (RIGHT), a young sub-adult Loggerhead sea turtle, is also ready for release.  She was found by the Georgia Bulldog (a sea turtle research vessel) and brought to the Center for care.  He/she has responded very well to treatment and is ready for release!

Night Watch will not be getting a satellite transmitter due to her size and prominent dorsal ridge that is still evident on her carapace (shell). This ridge is normal for loggerhead sea turtles of this size class, and with time, will eventually smooth out.  This ridge would require us to place the transmitter off-center and could yield in inaccurate data, not to mention potentially making the turtle feel ‘off balance’. Night Watch will still receive a final exam, flipper tags and a PIT tag.

And last, but not least, Skidaway.  Skidaway is a small, juvenile Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtle.  This is the rarest and most critically endangered species of sea turtle in the world!  Skidaway has been with us since June 2009 from the Tybee Marine Science Center.  Skidaway will also not be receiving a satellite transmitter due mostly to her size…the transmitter is too big and weighs too much for such a small turtle!  She will receive a PIT tag.

Details:

When: Sunday, September 20, 2009

Time: 3:00 pm

Location: North side of the Convention Center on Jekyll Island, GA

This event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, space is first come, first serve!  So come on out and say good-bye and good luck with us to 3 wonderful patients!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

*Please note that all releases are subject to change at any time (date, time, location, etc.) in the best interest of the turtle(s).

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Aug 28

Big Bertha’s a MOM!!!!

Nesting Program, Research, Sea Turtle, Uncategorized, tagging program, turtles 5 Comments »
A common question in people’s minds is, ‘why do you tag turtles?’ and ‘what information results from the tagging data?’, ‘why do you take DNA samples?’, and ‘how does this help with sea turtle conservation?’.  These are great questions and are wide open to a number of responses and explanations.  So to give you an idea of one way this data helps us with sea turtle conservation, I’d like to share with you some fascinating information, just in, from Brian Shamblin, a Ph.D. candidate at UGA who has been collecting samples and studying the genetics of nesting loggerhead sea turtles in Florida and Georgia.
Last season, 2008, we had a very large female nesting turtle on Jekyll Island, which the 2008 patrol interns fondly named ‘Big Bertha’  (pictured right).  She was very feisty and like to try to bite everyone!  Fortunately the interns were quick on their toes, so no one got bit.  She arrived on JI already having both flipper tags and a PIT tag, indicating to us that she was not new to nesting and had been seen before.  Looking back in our historical data as well as receiving some information from Peter Eliazer who maintains the Cooperative Marine Turtle Tagging Program (CMTTP) database, we were able to determine the following information about ‘Big Bertha’:
*She was originally seen and tagged in Georgia on July 1, 1994. She false crawled 2x and nested 1x this year.
*She was seen again in 1997, where she false crawled 3x and nested 3x on JI.
*She was seen on JI in 2006 and DNA sample was taken.
*She was seen again on JI in 2008, where she false crawled 3x and nested 3x.  She was also seen false crawling on another GA island this year.
Ok, so that’s Bertha’s history, which in an of itself is cool. But now on to even coolerinformation….
Due to the database Brian has of individual turtle DNA, and based on continued sampling ever year, he believes that ‘Big Bertha’ looks to be mom of  2 other turtles nesting in GA! One that nested in Blackbeard in 2005 and another turtle that nested on Jekyll in 2008! So if we factor in the latest research that loggerhead sea turtles reach sexual maturity at approximately 30-35 years of age, this means Bertha is at least 60 years old! HOW COOL IS THAT?!
I do not have any more information at this time regarding the turtles from Blackbeard, such as when she was first seen, but I can tell you that the turtle from JI (pictured Left) arrived with a PIT tag but no flipper tags.
Loggerhead sea turtles typically take 1-3 years off between nesting seasons, so we will look forward to hopefully seeing Bertha in another year or two!
Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator
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