Sea Turtles Endangered by the Cold Weathr

AAA Note: We just love our sea turtles and thought you'd be interested in this story as well.

93 stunned sea turtles rescued from chilly lagoon, Georgia Sea Turtle Center to house 10

Reposted from FloridaToday.com, article by Sara Camodeca

MERRITT ISLAND — Nearly 100 sea turtles found floating in the Mosquito Lagoon were rescued Wednesday after cold water shocked their tropically inclined systems.

The 93 “cold-stunned” turtles — all endangered green sea turtles, with the exception of one loggerhead — will be sent to research facilities today, where they can be cared for and warmed up, said Dorn Whitmore, chief ranger at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

With chilly winds and water temperatures dipping into the low 40s, the sea creatures became lethargic, rendering them helpless, Whitmore said. Three had been rescued Tuesday, he said.

“These turtles just kind of shut down,” said Whitmore, adding that most of those rescued were juveniles. “It’s important we launch rescue efforts to try and save them.”.....http://blog.jekyllisland.com/diversions/nature-connection/93-stunned-sea-turtles-rescued-from-chilly-lagoon-georgia-sea-turtle-center-to-house-10/

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Georgia Sea Turtle Center Selects Founding Visionary As New Director

PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, located on historic Jekyll Island, Ga., has selected Dr. Terry M. Norton to be its new director. Dr. Norton, who assumed his new position effective September 5, has been integrally involved in planting and nurturing the idea for the center since 2001. He has been the director of veterinary services for the organization since it opened on June 16, 2007, and he will continue to serve in that capacity.

Dr. Norton comes with impressive credentials that include a Bachelor of Science degree from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Tufts University in Boston, and more than twenty years of experience working with zoos, aquaria, and free-ranging wildlife.

"Dr. Norton was an integral part of the early success of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center," said Jones Hooks, Executive Director, Jekyll Island Authority. "He helped create the shared vision that began this great work, and now we're thrilled that he will lead the Center into the future."

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) provides rehabilitation treatment for injured sea turtles and other wildlife; conducts research and professional training in wildlife medicine, husbandry, biology and education; and offers educational programs for the public.

Since the Georgia Sea Turtle Center opened, more than 110,000 visitors have toured the $3 million, 10,000-square-foot facility. A restored 1903 brick building that once supplied power to the famous Jekyll Island Club hotel houses an exhibit area, retail space, and state-of-the-art rooms dedicated to surgery, digital radiography (X-rays), and long-term treatment.

"It's an interactive educational environment," explained Dr. Norton. "Visitors to our center really get engaged. For example, our treatment room has a window so that visitors can actually watch us work on our patients, and we can discuss the particular animal's life history, medical problem, and treatment or surgery. A walkway through the rehabilitation area allows them to see the turtles we are nursing back to health, with the goal of releasing them back into the sea. Our center is the first of its kind in Georgia, and as far as I know, it's the only one in the country that comprehensively integrates rehabilitation, interactive education, professional training, and veterinary research."

An Emphasis on Education and Research

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center's rehabilitation work to protect and preserve sea turtles is just one important aspect of its mission. The center also conducts research and provides educational and awareness programs for the public.

In a twelve-month period approximately 5,000 students from close to 100 different schools and scout groups visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. In addition, the center takes its educational programs into numerous schools. At the same time, GSTC is conducting groundbreaking research to develop diets and nutritional supplements to promote sea turtle health and healing. This research could benefit aquaria and rehabilitation institutions all over the world.

Leading the Way for Others

"Our vision extends beyond our immediate region," said Dr. Norton. "We want our research, conservation, preservation, and educational activities to benefit organizations in other parts of the country and the world. We have already developed training programs for veterinarians and veterinary students from across the United States, the Caribbean, Panama, and other places."

In the spring of 2009, GSTC plans to host an International Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Workshop in partnership with many other institutions, including Ross University in St. Kitts; the Georgia Department of Natural Resources; St. Catherines Island Foundation; the Jekyll Island Authority and Foundation; the University of Florida and the University of Georgia Colleges of Veterinary Medicine; the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet, Florida; the Marine Life Center in Melbourne, Florida; the Turtle Hospital in Marathon Key, Florida; and possibly others.

"My long-term vision is to expand the scope of our mission," said Dr. Norton. "In the future we'd like to develop health-related programs for a wider variety of native wildlife and promote ecosystem health locally and internationally, while at the same time increasing our efforts on behalf of turtles."

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Georgia Sea Turtle Center at the 2008 National Marine Educators Association Conference

AAAG Note: Since Dylan the Sea Turtle was released in June, we have been following the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in Jekyll Island as they post information on Dylan and other sea turtles in need. This story is from their blog. We hope you enjoy it. Keep up the good work!

One World, One Water:
NMEA 2008 Conference

Beautiful Savannah, GA was the site for the 2008 National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) conference. NMEA is comprised of educators and researchers devoted to the study of marine and fresh water environments. Attendees gathered from all over the world to share recent research findings and innovative education ideas. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center had a strong presence at the conference as Alicia Marin and myself (Sarah Mathias) both were honored to be chosen to present and exhibit.

Visitors to our exhibit were often greeted by us as they browsed the table filled with info on school programs, adoption and membership options, walkway to wonder brick info, and much more. A laptop computer display allowed passersby to take a virtual tour of the Center, and thanks to the wonderful world wide web we could track our released patients online right at the table!

On the first day of the conference I presented "Swim into Learning with Sea Turtles." The audience was taken on a journey through the Georgia Sea Turtle Center learning how they can utilize our facility either through a virtual visit, our outreach programs, or even through our website! At the end of the program the room was instantly transformed into a treatment room filled with four sick and injured sea turtles, plush ones of course! The audience became sea turtle doctors as I presented "Sea Turtle Rescue 911," an innovative program designed for high school students.

Later in the week Alicia presented her master's thesis "Sun, Sand, and Sea Turtles: Conservation through Non-formal Education. Alicia wowed the crowd as she presented several craft, game, and program ideas that were used for a summer camp she created for children in the Caribbean. At the end of her slideshow she brought the fun of her camp and the GSTC to Savannah as she taught Amazing Adaptations. Amazing Adaptations is one of the GSTC's most popular programs in which one lucky person is turned into a sea turtle and is one of the many activities created for her thesis.

The last day of the conference offered participants the chance to explore Georgia's beautiful coast, and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center was proud to be chosen as a field trip option. Eighteen educators got the chance to take a journey through the Center as loggerhead sea turtles, visit with our patients, and go behind the scenes to view the food prep area, treatment room, surgical suite, and x-ray room.

One World, One Water was a great experience from which we gained new insight into marine science education and visited with colleagues from all over the world. We were proud to be a part of such an extraordinary gathering of exceptional people and hope to attend future conferences.

~Sarah Mathias, Educator

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Sandy Toes Learns about Loggerhead Sea Turtles on Edisto

AAG Note: Loggerhead Sea Turtles are an endangered species. Thanks to efforts up and down the east coast, these guys are being given a fighting chance for their survival. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island is a great place to learn more about these graceful creatures. Click here to visit their site and see how you can become involved.

Having just arrived at our destination, we were quick to grab our swimsuits and fall out the door onto the sand of Edisto Beach, South Carolina. Slather on some sunscreen and let the vacation begin. While our expectations were high for the week, we stumbled across other finds that show us high hopes for the future.

Surrounding our beach house on the water side were two areas of orange tape. Looking closely, we could see indentations in the sand and the signs placed by the volunteers who watch the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. We sat smack down in between two turtle nests. One had been there for about 40 days and the other one about 10 days according to beach patrol Gary. Gary, who patrols the beach and is a volunteer loggerhead watcher, was eager to teach us landlubbers about the turtles.

The gracious ladies who come ashore to lay their eggs between May and August are coming home to the island of their birth. These gentle creatures can be up to three feet in size and weigh several hundred pounds. They come ashore at night to lay the ping pong ball sized eggs. Their flippers serve as a shovel and it can take an hour or more for the female to complete her nest. A typical nest will contain approximately 60-180 eggs.

The turtles are easily distracted from the work at hand. Should there be lights on the beach, or animals in the vicinity, the turtle may just crawl up and crawl back, thus exhibiting a "false crawl," whose track shape resembles a horseshoe. Gary told us she would then just abort the eggs into the ocean. A "true crawl" is one where the volunteers who walk the beach at night can locate the nest, and it has two distinct tracks.

Our second morning on the beach was thrilling. Here were new turtle tracks. Our trusty guide Gary showed us how to read the turtle tracks. In front of the nest was a huge "x" as in "x marks the spot." Gary explained the turtle patrol who had watched the turtle during the night placed the "x" to alert him of a new nest. He then placed an orange flag in the center of the nest.

Over the incubation period of the next 50-60 days, Gary and the other turtle watchers will keep a close eye on the nest. As time nears for the eggs to hatch, the sand will start to settle. A shell is then placed on top of the nest to show how much it is sinking. Experienced eyes can read those shells and determine about when the hatchlings will make their appearance. The hatchlings will boil out of the nest and head towards the ocean. The watchers are there in hopes that all of the young will make it there. Imprinting happens as soon as those hatchlings emerge. They follow the light of the moon to the ocean. If there are any lights on at the houses, the little tykes become confused and head towards the road.

Once the turtles go into the water, the males will never again touch land. Only the females will return in about 20 years or so.

Gary explained the process where the turtle watchers verify a nest. The nest will be about 18 to 24 inches down in the sand. A stick is used to verify the eggs' location. From the explanation, a gentle hand is used during this process.

Sometimes the eggs are too close to the high tide mark and have to be moved. Should the nest be moved, each egg must be individually moved without rotating the angle at which it was found. If the eggs are turned, the turtles will not hatch, or they will be deformed. While we were there, the oldest nest in front of our house had to be moved. There was an extremely high tide one night and the front part of the nest would not have been above the water line for more than a few days at most. The patrol moved the eggs about 30 feet. While this nest only had a few weeks left to go in its incubation phase, it was the only way any of the eggs will have a chance to hatch.

According to Gary, the female turtles will come ashore three or four times during the season to lay their eggs. The survival rate of the little tykes from the laying to adulthood is only about 1 in a thousand.

These animals can survive for close to 200 years. Full of grace and beauty, they are on the endangered list. Survival from predators who are natural and non-natural have severely depleted this turtle population. Over development on beaches and the loss of sandy beach for their nests have also taken their toll.

Protect the sea turtle. Give them hope. Give us hope.

Until next time,
Sandy Toes on Edisto

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New Lighting Guidelines for Jekyll Island Beaches to Protect Endangered Sea Turtles

PRNewswire -- The Jekyll Island State Park Authority (JIA) today announced it's intentions to set greater restrictions on lights near its natural beaches in order to protect sea turtles from the adverse effects of artificial light. The move, once approved as a new ordinance for the state-owned island, will likely be the model for beach lighting ordinances for all of Georgia's coast communities.

Artificial lighting is the light that emanates from any man-made device, such as street-lights, tree lights, beach-walk lanterns, and neon signs. This new ordinance, which strictly defines what will and will not be allowed on and near the beach, will be regulated and enforced by the JIA.

"Jekyll Island is well-known for its conservation efforts, especially through the work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center," said Ben Porter, chairman of the Jekyll Island State Park Authority. "This is another big step towards making Jekyll Island one of the most environmentally-friendly communities on the East Coast."

The new ordinance was developed in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources with vital input from the experts at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Once approved, illumination of certain beaches will be prohibited at nighttime during the sea turtle nesting season for the protection of the nesting females and hatchling sea turtles making their way into the sea. Oftentimes hatchlings will confuse artificial lighting with the reflection of the moon, which they use as a marker to get to the ocean once they hatch.

"We were pleased to see the Jekyll Island Authority take the lead in placing these restrictions into an enforceable ordinance," said Noel Holcomb, Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources. "As Chairman of the Shore Protection Committee, I will promote the standards within this ordinance to the Shore Protection Committee as we consider beachfront projects for permitting under the Shore Protection Act."

Lighting may still be operated during the nesting season if the light, or reflection, is not directly visible from the beach. But the majority of the lights will be low-intensity lighting, such as amber or red LEDs, red neon lights and "Turtle Safe Lighting," which are coated and compact florescent lamps under 13 watts. Additionally, the ordinance states that tinting will be installed on all windows and glass doors within line-of-sight of the beach.

The new ordinance was announced by the Jekyll Island Authority at its regular meeting on Monday. The "first reading" of any new ordinance must be posted for public review, anyone interested in reading the proposed ordinance language can view it on the Authority's Web site at www.jekyllislandauthority.org . The Jekyll Island Authority is expected to adopt the new ordinance at its regular meeting in August.

Georgia Sea Turtle Center Releases an Old Friend into the Sea

AAAG Note: This story inspired our staff. As a result, one of our staff members visited a beach where there are currently 32 turtle nests and spent some time learning about these fabulous creatures from the volunteers who watch over them. Stay tuned as our stories come to life.

PRNewswire/ -- Dylan, a straggler hatchling who was rescued on Jekyll Island almost 10 years ago and became a national ambassador for sea turtles, is going home. Officials from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta released Dylan into the ocean on Monday, June 30th at 11 a.m.

Visitors to Coastal Encounters Nature Center on St. Simons Island, the University of Georgia's Tidelands Nature Center, the Georgia Aquarium and (most recently) the Georgia Sea Turtle Center have enjoyed the sights of this graceful sea turtle for many years. Now that her carapace is over 50 cm long, Dylan is big enough to return to the ocean according to standards set by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Since last summer, when Dylan returned to Jekyll Island from the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, she has been learning the skills needed to return to the wild - including identifying and capturing natural prey such as blue crabs, horseshoe crabs and whelks.

At 3 p.m. on the day prior to her release, Dylan will also be fitted with a special satellite transmitter, providing Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) researchers and visitors to the GSTC and Georgia Aquarium Web sites the opportunity to monitor her activities and movements. This will be the first time that a sea turtle has been raised entirely in captivity for this long and then released with a tracking device. By studying her movements, researchers may be able to learn about some of the differences between learned and inherited behaviors.

"We are very pleased with Dylan's progress," said Dr. Terry Norton, Director of Veterinary Services and Interim Director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. "She has come a long way in the last year and has been a great representative of sea turtle education and conservation, helping to spread the word about the plight of the sea turtle and the marine ecosystem. We are glad to see her depart for her real home at sea and are excited to watch her travels once she is released."

"The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is an exciting project initiated by the Jekyll Island Foundation and the Jekyll Island Authority. The Center reflects our commitment to conservation, preservation and education," said William Lattimore, Jr., Chairman of the Jekyll Island Foundation. "This is a very special event for the entire community. Dylan's release is indeed an appropriate finale for Sea Turtle Weekend, the anniversary celebration of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center."

After outgrowing her tank at the Tidelands Nature Center in Jekyll Island, a partnership was formed with the Georgia Aquarium, where Dylan was relocated in November 2005. She returned to Jekyll Island in May of 2007, arriving at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center shortly before its official public opening, becoming the second patient.

"The Georgia Aquarium's partnership with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center has been important and hugely successful," said Ray Davis, Senior Vice President of Zoological Operations at the Georgia Aquarium. "We loved having Dylan in Atlanta and were sad to see her go, but it is certainly important that she will be released and continues to educate and inspire the future stewards of our oceans."

The loggerhead sea turtle is threatened worldwide and is under consideration for being reclassified as "endangered" due to diminishing populations in the Western Atlantic Ocean. Because sea turtles nest on land, responsibility for their conservation is shared between the National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and various state agencies and independent conservation organizations.

About the Georgia Sea Turtle Center

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center officially opened June 16, 2007 in Jekyll Island, Ga.'s National Historic Landmark District on the site of the original 1903 Power Plant building, much of which has been preserved and incorporated into the new facilities. The ambitious, $3 million center, offering an outstanding museum-style and interactive learning experience and a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center and veterinary clinic that is visible to the general public, is the first of its kind in Georgia and focuses on sea turtle rehabilitation, research and education. For more information about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and its programs, visit www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org .

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