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

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.

This past winter was very busy at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.  One of the coldest winters in history followed by mass amount of cold stunned (hypothermic) sea turtles to strand throughout the southeastern United States.  Back in January, GSTC sent four staff members Dr. Terry Norton, DVM, Dipl. AZVM, Steven Nelson, CVT, Ashley Raybould and Simon Dilts, to the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton to assist in laser and electrocautery surgeries being conducted to remove fibropapilloma tumors from 30 (thirty) green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). The sea turtles were all affected by the mass cold stunning event in southeastern Florida where approximately 4,000-5000 animals were affected by the cold weather and low temperatures. Although not all of the cold stunned turtles presented with tumors when stranded, hundreds did and a majority of the stable patients underwent surgery.

Green Sea Turtle with eye tumors

Fibropapilloma is thought to be caused by a herpes virus and possibly involves some other environmental factor(s) such as pollution and climate change that appear to be causing the turtle’s immune system to be compromised. It affects almost all of the sea turtle species but is considered to be an epidemic in many green sea turtle populations. The problem is rarely seen north of Cape Canaveral, Florida and only a few cases have been documented in coastal Georgia. The affected turtles develop tumor like masses that can eventually cover the entire body if not excisedremoved. Even the eyes are subject to tumors; these tumors are the most concerning because they compromise the turtle’s vision and they eventually die of starvation. The most severe cases develop tumors in internal organs-these cases have a very guarded prognosis and usually require humane euthanasia. Techniques have been developed to use laser surgery to remove the tumors.  Laser surgery minimizes bleeding during and after surgery. Tumors can be removed from the eyelids and portions of the eye to improve vision. Tumor removal seems to stimulate the immune system and in many cases the tumors do not return. Recent studies have documented natural tumor regression in some turtles.

Dr. Norton performing laser surgery

The goal for all of these turtles was to removed the largest most compromising tumors under anesthesia, recover them, and rehabilitate them to the point where they are likely to do well in the wild. The turtles will be released near where they were found so there are not concerns about transmitting the virus to unexposed turtles. Four surgery tables were set up in a basement facility at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, FL. Four lasers and anesthesia machines were borrowed for the procedures. Several surgeons and ophthalmologists including Dr. Norton performed the 30 surgeries that day. Steven Nelson was one of the many certified veterinary technicians that performed general anesthesia on the turtles. Two of our AmeriCorps husbandry members, Ashley and Simon, monitored and successfully recovered all of the turtles. The team left for Florida on a Monday evening after work for the 6 hour drive, stayed in a hotel that night, worked for 8 hours on the turtles and then drove all the way back to the GSTC and arrived at 2 am. All participants were back to work at 8 am the next day taking care of the 35+ patients that are currently housed at the GSTC. This was a collaborative effort with numerous organizations including Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Shedd Aquarium, Pittsburg Zoo and Aquarium, local veterinarians and ophthalmologists, veterinary technicians, biologists, rehabilitators and volunteers. It was truly an amazing effort and great to be a part of the team.  In the future, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center hopes to expand their veterinary care facilities to include isolation and quarantine areas for fibropapilloma cases as well as to purchase or gain a donation of a laser unit to remove such tumors. There are currently only three rehabilitation centers that have the appropriate facilities and equipment to treat this condition in sea turtles.

-Steven Nelson, Hospital Technician

Hey Readers,

The staff at the GSTC is working on redesigning a weight belt for Griffin and we are looking for donations of dive weights to help him out. Our ultimate goal is to have a Velcro compatible covering on Griffin where we can attach weights at various points upon his shell. With this type of design, we will have more versatility in placing weights where they will be most beneficial in helping Griffin dive.

Griffin’s current weight belt is not as stable as we’d like (it shifts from side to side) and is limited on the amount of weight it can hold. So we’d like to ask for your help by donating any extra 2lb, 3lb, 4lb or 5lb dive weights you may have! They can be any color, but we’d like them to be the standard 4×4 shape. If you are able to help, the weights can be brought to the center at any time, attention Amy.

Photo courtesy of:http://www.diversdirect.com/scuba-diving/lead-2-lb-weight/

Amy
Rehabilitation Technician I

Artificial lighting can have negative impacts on all nocturnal wildlife, including sea turtles.  Both the nesting females and the hatchlings can be affected by improper artificial lighting.  Nesting females will not nest in brightly lit areas and hatchlings can easily get mis- or dis-oriented (LEFT).  What can you do?  Glad you asked!  Believe it or not, there are ways to have lights where you need them AND be turtle-friendly…all at the same time!

We are happy to say that Jekyll Island amended its Beach Lighting Ordinance in 2008, which requires all properties along the beach, and in view of the beach, to become turtle-friendly with their lights.  How do you do this?  What are turtle friendly lights? Can you still have some lights?  Which ones?

These questions and more will be answered at the upcoming ‘SEA TURTLES AND LIGHTS‘ workshop, hosted by the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Jekyll Island Authority.

While there are many problems with lights all along Georgia’s coastline, this workshop will concentrate on Jekyll Island specifically, including the Jekyll Island Authority staff,  Jekyll Island residents, hotels and businesses.  We will have presentations by sea turtle experts,  some lighting vendors with examples of turtle-friendly approved (FWC & FWS) fixtures, bulbs and/or shields, and lots of take-home information so YOU can make your lights turtle-friendly!

We hope to get everyone compliant with the lighting ordinance before sea turtle nesting season begins on May 1. Please see the flyer above for workshop information.   CLICK HERE for a PDF version of the flyer.

Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

Lecture Series - February

With nearly three-quarters of our planet hidden beneath the sea, a whole new world waits to be discovered. Stunning seascapes, sunken shipwrecks, psychedelically colored fish, and unseen animal behaviors rest just below the surface.  This presentation will offer an overview of the challenges and rewards of underwater photography, and an intimate glimpse of some of the ocean’s incredible creatures including, of course, sea turtles.

Jim Squires recently moved to Saint Simons Island, GA from Charlotte, Vermont where he spent many years as an early childhood education expert and amateur nature photographer. As a scuba diving instructor for over 25 years, underwater photography combined two of his passions into a dream hobby. He has placed in several photography contests, having won Hawaii’s Kona Classic Underwater Photography Competition in 2006 and Grand Cayman’s Digital Madness Photography Contest in 2007.

Brunswick - Glynn County Library

208 Gloucester St.  Brunswick, GA  31520

Thursday February 11, 2010  7:00 p.m.

My name is Christine and I’m a third year veterinary student at the University of Wisconsin. The university is located in the capital city of Madison and is home to the Badgers! We have a lot of cold weather and cows here, but certainly no sea turtles! As a student with strong interests in zoological medicine and conservation, I felt extremely happy to have the opportunity to spend a month learning at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center last summer.

Each year the local Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, WI awards the Henry Vilas Zoological Society Scholarship to veterinary students who want to pursue a research project that involves wildlife health, medicine and management. I was fortunate to receive support from this scholarship to work with Dr. Norton on the Loggerhead Nutrition research project. Appropriate nutrition is critical for the health of any animal and is an important part of veterinary medicine, so I was very excited about this study! Some of the goals for my contributions to the project included sorting through DNR records to identify common prey items, organizing and shipping blood samples to various labs, compiling lots of data (ongoing!) and learning how to draw a blood samples from Loggerheads. Dr. Norton is an excellent mentor and I learned an immense amount from him, as well as the entire the GSTC team!

Besides research, I was able to participate in the daily husbandry and care for many of the turtle patients at the center. The individualized care and attention provided to each patient by the dedicated staff and volunteers was remarkable! I learned about transponder placement and prepping animals reintroduction. Aussie, Miss Betty, Route, and Duffy were all released during my month on Jekyll and what a wonderful experience it was to watch these animals swim away into the ocean! Moreover, a few new patients were admitted while I was at the center including Caton and Tunicate. I really liked learning how to work up their cases and watching their progress.

I also had the unexpected opportunity to assist Dr. Norton with some of his work for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and also for St. Catherine’s Island, including a marine mammal stranding event and ring-tailed lemur wellness exams. I went on beach patrol several nights to track nesting Loggerheads and was even lucky enough to see a Leatherback nesting on Jekyll Island!

My time at the GSTC was invaluable to my veterinary education and I feel so grateful to Dr. Norton and the amazing staff, interns and volunteers for such an incredible experience! I look forward to continuing my work on the Loggerhead nutrition study and to visiting the GSTC again soon!

Christine

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.

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