Why are we in great need?

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, a department of the Jekyll Island Authority, is actively involved in rehabilitation of numerous sea turtles, many of which are new “cold-stunned” arrivals due to the prolonged cold weather along the Eastern seaboard. Thousands of turtles have been affected by cold-stunning in recent weeks and treatment facilities are scarce, so the GSTC is working with other agencies and organizations stretching from New England to Florida to treat new patients.

Ten cold-stunned green sea turtles arrived at the GSTC on January 7 for treatment. Eight of these, in addition to two previous cold-stunned turtles from North Carolina and a loggerhead, were released into warmer waters on January 13 after a six-hour drive to Fort Lauderdale, FL. On the same day, the GSTC picked up 12 new green turtles, all cold-stunned in Florida waters. Some of these new arrivals have begun eating and others are slowly adjusting to the new environment.

Currently the GSTC is treating 34 sea turtles, stretching its capacity in terms of space, resources, and personnel to meet the needs of endangered sea turtles and WE NEED YOUR HELP!  We are asking for a variety of donations from towels, to medical supplies, to monetary contributions. CLICK HERE to see a list of our much-needed items.

What is cold-stunning?

Cold stunning is similar to hypothermia in humans. As reptiles, sea turtles are ecothermic (cold-blooded) meaning they rely on their surroundings to generate heat. When the water temperatures fall, so do their body temperatures. As a turtle’s body temperature drops to 50 - 60 degrees F, its metabolism slows down and compromises its ability to swim, eat, and perform other necessary bodily functions. Some species, such as green sea turtles, are more susceptible than others to these changes, and the sudden drop in temperatures makes it more difficult for their systems to adjust. In this cold-induced lethargic state, its immune system is suppressed, making it susceptible to other short- and long-term problems such as dehydration, infection, diseases and pneumonia. Cold-stunned turtles become immobilized and float to the surface where they may become boat-strike victims or preyed upon, float in a debilitated state until they can’t survive, or wash up on shore and  exposed to colder air temperatures where their survival is jeopardized.

How are cold-stunned turtles treated?

Treatment is dependant upon how seriously the turtle is affected by the cold-stunning as well as other ailments. Turtles must be slowly re-warmed (4-5 degrees F per day), their blood work analyzed, rehydrated, treated as necessary for secondary problems with antibiotics or supplements, and monitored for additional problems that may arise over time. Of course, their diet must be controlled and other health factors examined periodically.

Can cold-stunned turtles be released?

Once sea turtles are healthy, it is preferable to return them to the ocean. They are wild animals, not pets, and will survive best if returned to their natural environment.  Release of turtles cannot occur until both the turtle is healthy and the water conditions are favorable (mid-60 degrees as a minimum). Favorable weather and water conditions may not occur for several months, depending upon the location of the turtle’s release.

Thank you for your assistance and support!

Sincerely,
Jim Squires, Ph.D.
General Manager

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

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

ADOPT-A-SEA TURTLE ($50)

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

GSTC MEMBERSHIP ($35-5,000)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

We would like to share some exciting news regarding the Georgia Sea Turtle Center Gift Shop!  Mark your calendar for November 26th, 2009… We are having a 10% discount* on all merchandise in the Gift Shop.  This discount will end on January 15, 2010.

Come by and make your selection and we will take care of the rest!  We offer a wide variety of gifts including, jewelry, hats & visors, travel mugs, assorted sweatshirts, and t-shirts.

We also have educational books for children and adults that will make a great gift.

And don’t forget those decorative pieces of art and pottery!

So come spend the day with us and, for a low admission price, visit our interactive Exhibit Gallery, listen to educational programs and see our patients in our Rehabilitation Pavilion, then stop by the Gift Shop and shop til you drop!  To make things even better, all proceeds help to offset operational costs of the GSTC including patient care, educational programming and research.

Thank you for supporting The Georgia Sea Turtle Center!
Peggy Van Buren
Gift Shop Coordinator
*This offer does not include online sales, admissions, adoptions, memberships or brick purchases.

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

We have read and listened to your comments & suggestions.  We have discussed our options.  Finally the GSTC is proud to announce, due to popular demand, that we now offer an admission discount to:

Active Duty Military Personnel

Students AND Teachers!

That’s right, you’ll all get $1 off admission price to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center when you present your respective ID.  So you’ll pay $5 instead of $6 when you visit our Center! Who can pass up a deal like that?!

Stroll through our amazing Exhibit Gallery and live the life of a sea turtle; watch our Veterinarian and/or his staff treat our patients through a viewing window looking into our treatment room;  listen to one of our daily programs, visit our patients in the hospital and learn all about why they are here!  Teachers can learn about the different programs the GSTC offers school groups, whether you bring your class here or we come to you! And did you know that all of our programs correspond to the Georgia Performance Standards?

There so much to see at the GSTC! Don’t delay, visit today!

Hope to see us soon!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

(All proceeds from admissions, special programs, gift shop/online store, Adopt-a-Sea Turtle, Memberships, and Brick sales are used to support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center)

Join us for turtle-inspired Halloween fun!

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center presents
3rd annual Turtleween

Saturday, October 24th from 12-4pm

The GSTC will host a variety of turtle-inspired crafts, games and activities on the Center’s front lawn.
Our special guest,
the Center for Wildlife Education at Georgia Southern, will be on hand with
snakes, creepy crawlers and birds of prey.

Sea you there!

Picking up where Darwin left off:

Studies on the Symbiotic Barnacles of Sea Turtles.

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

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

Monday October 26, 2009  7:00 p.m.

St. Simons Casino Room 114

530 Beachview Dr # A

St Simons Island, GA 31522

(912) 638-8234

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

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

TUNICATE

CATON

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

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

When: Friday, October 9, 2009

Time: 4pm

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

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

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

Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette

Marine Field Programs Coordinator

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