By Michelle Kaylor
  
The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a small to medium sized turtle found in estuaries and salt marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Cape Cod to Texas. Seven subspecies have been formally described. Malaclemys terrapin centrata, the Carolina diamondback terrapin, ranges from Cape Hatteras to northern Florida and is the subspecies that occurs in Georgia. Adult male terrapins are significantly smaller than females. Courtship and mating take place in March and April and the nesting season occurs from early May until mid July in Georgia. Nesting typically takes place during the day. The general sites selected for nesting by the terrapins are located in areas above the high tide with minimum erosion.
  
Over the last century, populations of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in coastal Georgia and other parts of their range have been adversely affected by a variety of human activities, such as coastal development, harvest for terrapin stew, drowning in commercial and recreational crab traps, and mortality on roads. Two to three hundred reproductively mature female diamondback terrapins are injured and killed by motor vehicles each year during the nesting season on the Jekyll Island causeway. The causeway is a perfect spot for the terrapins to nest because it is high ground and unlikely to flood. Unfortunately, the terrapins are not aware of the heavy automobile traffic on the causeway when they cross the road.
  
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center staff and volunteers monitor the Jekyll Island causeway during terrapin nesting season. We record the location of each terrapin found, whether it is healthy, injured or dead. This data has been instrumental in determining hot spots for terrapin crossing and nesting. We will be placing 12 artificial nest mounds in these areas to encourage the terrapins to nest without crossing the road. Through previous studies, we also determined that depredation of terrapin nests by raccoons is very common on the causeway. For this reason, we will be placing specially designed caging on top of the nest mounds that allow the terrapins to enter but keep raccoons out. This technique has proven useful in increasing nesting success in other turtle species, thus we are hopeful that it will reduce the number of terrapins being hit on the causeway.
  
Injured terrapins are transported to the GSTC for emergency care and rehabilitation. Additionally, eggs are retrieved from both injured and dead terrapins for artificial incubation, hatching and eventual release. Over one hundred terrapins were successfully hatched in 2008 and released to the marsh.
  
It is our responsibility to SLOW DOWN while driving on the causeway during terrapin nesting season and watch out for crossing terrapins. If you happen to observe a terrapin crossing the road, first make sure it is safe to pull over and get out of the car, then help the terrapin across. Carefully pick the terrapin up and place her off the road in the direction she was traveling. If you find an injured terrapin, take it off the road and call the Georgia Sea Turtle Center at 912-635-4444 as soon as possible.

Tags: coastal georgia, coastal georgia turtles, diamondback terrapins, georgia marshes, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, georgia's jewel, jekyll island, jekyll island causeway, jekyll island marshes, jekyll island turtles, sea turtle, terrapin conservation, turtle monitoring, turtle mounds, turtle nesting, turtle patrol
Posted in Beachscape, June 2009 | No Comments »

Thanks to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the University of Georgia, and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, diamondback terrapins now have safe havens along the Jekyll Island Causeway. Artificial nest mounds with raccoon proof cages have been placed at strategic points to hopefully reduce the number of terrapins crossing the road.

“Every year 200-300 terrapins are hit by cars while trying to cross the causeway,” said Dr. Terry Norton, Director and Veterinarian for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center “The turtles are looking for elevated ground to nest. Since the roadways are elevated above the marshlands around them, terrapins often believe them to be suitable nesting areas.”

The mounds were built to be safe elevated nesting areas approximately 30 ft back from the edge of the causeway to thereby decrease the number of times the terrapins try to cross the road. In addition, cages on top of the mounds will reduce the threat of predation. Terrapins can get in and out of the cages through small spaces at the bottom, but predators such as raccoons can not.

The work, although in its preliminary stages, is backed by similar projects in the Northeast for wood turtles. The concept is still in a research stage, and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and its collaborators will examine the results at the end of the nesting season to see how much of difference the project made. “We are basically testing it out,” said Norton. “So it is a research project with conservation implications.”

Tags: conservation efforts, diamondback terrapins, georgia beaches, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, georgia terrapins, georgia turtles, georgia vacations, jekyll island, jekyll island causeway, Jekyll Island Club Hotel, sea turtles, terrapin turtles, turtle nesting
Posted in Press Releases | No Comments »

Marine debris and derelict fishing gear have severely negative impacts on sea turtles and other wildlife, locally and throughout the world. Recently, I assisted in a Northern Right whale disentanglement effort. Right whales spend the winter months in Georgia and northeast Florida waters. In the wild, only 300 of these amazing creatures remain. Many become entangled in fishing gear where they reside in northeastern Atlantic waters. This particular whale had become entangled in derelict lobster pot gear wrapped around its head and mouth. The ropes were embedded very deep into the skin. Two days of intense efforts by a number of experts have been unsuccessful in removing the entangled gear and the whale’s survival depends on it’s removal. This amazing disentanglement team consisting of several individuals, including three local GADNR staff, will continue the gear removal efforts. Like the Northern Right whale, Leatherback sea turtles become entangled in lobster pot gear and the outcome is often fatal. Another example of fishing gear that has huge impacts on a population level is crab traps and their effect on diamondback terrapins. Traps are often abandoned and left in marsh waters where diamondback terrapins reside.

Baited with fish, the traps become a significant threat to foraging diamondback terrapins that find their way into the traps and drown. A simple clip, known as a Terrapin Excluder Device, helps keep these terrapins out of crab traps and part of a viable population. Our colleagues at the University of Georgia recovered a trap in a coastal Georgia creek containing 90 drowned terrapins. This is only one trap and there are thousands more out there.

Plastics, fish hooks, fishing line, and even beach chairs adversely affect a variety of wildlife. The GSTC is having a positive impact on this devastating problem in sea turtles, marine birds and mammals through our efforts in rehabilitation, monitoring (SEANet), and education programs. You can have an impact by containing your trash, cleaning up the beach, recycling fishing line, placing excluder devices on crab traps and checking them frequently, and much more. Please visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to learn more about this issue and how you can help.

Tags: Beachscape, coastal georgia creek, diamondback terrapins, fishing safety, florida waters, GADNR, georgia coast, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, georgia waters, jekyll island, jekyll island authority, jekyll island beach, leatherback sea turtles, northern white whale, recycle fishing line, sea life safety, SEANet, terrapin excluder device, terrapin safety, terry norton, The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, university of georgia, wildlife safety
Posted in April 2009, Beachscape | No Comments »

As many of you already know, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is always very busy treating patients—each animal requires individual attention everyday. With summer here, we are treating even more injured turtles. Both turtles and humans alike enjoy the warm weather of summer, unfortunately this high level of outdoor activity leads to turtle injuries and mortalities—more personal watercraft on the ocean and more vehicles crossing the causeway to and from Jekyll Island.

On the 12th of June the Georgia Sea Turtle Center received its newest patient. The sub-adult Loggerhead Sea Turtle was caught while the Georgia Bulldog (the University of Georgia Marine Extension’s research vessel) was trawling offshore near St. Marys, Georgia. The turtle has severe injuries that include deep fractures on the top and bottom of the shell and a fractured rear flipper. A propeller is suspected to be the cause of these injuries. The exact age of turtle is unknown, but it can be approximated using the dimensions of the turtle to be around 10 years old. The gender of this turtle is not known at this point. Loggerhead Sea Turtles reach maturity at around 30-35 years of age; at this time the gender of the turtle can be determined by the length of the tail. The veterinary staff at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center will be closely monitoring the new patient.

Although they are not sea turtles, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is treating an increasing number of Diamondback Terrapins. These turtles are often hit by cars traveling on roads through salt marshes (like the Jekyll Island Causeway). Female turtles, in search for the perfect spot to nest, venture across the road where they meet head on with humanity.

As many as 20 Diamondback Terrapins a day are hit by cars on the causeway—the majority of these turtles die. With regular causeway patrols, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is aware of the situation and is doing everything possible to curb the rate of mortality. The staff also patrols the causeway to collect casualties’ viable eggs to be incubated. The patrol also includes collecting data on these turtles so that we can fully grasp the impact the causeway has and to shine light on possible solutions to the problem. Please be aware of vehicles, researchers, and Diamondback Terrapins and use caution while driving on the causeway during the summer.

To learn more about sea turtles, their life history, and the impact humans have on them, visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, Georgia. You can read the staff’s blog and check out patient updates at www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org.

Tags: diamondback terrapins, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, jekyll island causeway, loggerhead turtle, st. mary's, turtle crossing
Posted in July 2008 | No Comments »