Preserving Paradise

SCCF

SCCF staff responds to sea turtle strandings in 2022

In addition to sea turtle nest monitoring, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation holds the permit for responding to and documenting sea turtle strandings — sick, injured or dead turtles — on the island. Sick or injured turtles are quickly rescued and transported to a rehabilitation facility, where they can be appropriately evaluated and treated.

The SCCF reported that in 2022, staff documented a total of 34 stranded turtles, including 30 dead and four live turtles. Loggerhead sea turtles accounted for 18 strandings, followed by 11 green sea turtles, two Kemp's ridleys and three turtles that could not be identified due to decomposition.

“Most of the stranded turtles (20) had no obvious acute injuries or abnormalities and could not be assigned a cause of death by an external examination alone, ” sea turtle biologist Jack Brzoza said, adding that definitive vessel-strike injuries were found in 10 strandings.

When fatal strandings are salvaged — for necropsy or research purposes — or live turtles are transported to a rehabilitation facility, they often need to be carried long distances along the beach before they can be loaded into a vehicle.

“It is important that these transports are as safe as possible for both the turtle and response team, ” he said.

“Our primary aims are to reduce stress on the animal, in the case of live strandings, and to decrease the chance of human injury when dealing with heavy carcasses. ”

The SCCF recently acquired new equipment to aid in stranding response, thanks to a 2022 grant awarded by the Sea Turtle Grants Program, which is funded from proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle Specialty License Plate. It provided funds for a hand truck and sea turtle sling to help transport animals, as well as a chest freezer and operating table to aid in salvage and necropsy efforts.

“These items were a huge help during our 2022 stranding response efforts, allowing SCCF staff to move deceased strandings in a manner that is safer for personnel and transport live strandings in a manner safe for both personnel and the animal, ” Brzoza said.

The SCCF collects data on all stranded turtles, including species, location, size and descriptions of wounds/injuries, and abnormalities, and reports it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The data can be used at the state and federal levels to monitor mortality, categorize stranding events and better inform management practices.

If you encounter a stranded sea turtle, call the SCCF Sea Turtle Hotline at 978-728-3663.

Shell museum to host interactive walks to support new project

With the launch of Snail Search of Lee County — its new citizen science project — the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is hosting guided Snail Search and Biodiversity Walks.

On a walk, an educator will take participants out into the field in Lee County and walk them through the steps of creating a free iNaturalist account — a free citizen science app — and how to use it.

Participants will also have the opportunity to explore the local flora and fauna within the natural area.

The purpose of Snail Search of Lee County is to help the Sanibel museum learn more about the availability and location of native and invasive land and tree snails in the area. Research conducted on land and tree snails in the area is limited and outdated, and most studies contain no photographs.

During the free interactive walks, participants will be given the tools to go out on their own and contribute to the project. Walks are expected to last 45 minutes to 1 hour, weather depending.

The following walks are scheduled: ∫ Jan. 23 at 3 p.m. at the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, at 7751 Penzance Blvd., Fort Myers ($1 per vehicle parking fee) ∫ Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. at the Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve, at 2500 S.E. 24th St., Cape Coral ∫ March 13 at 1 p.m. at the Koreshan State Park, at 3800 Corkscrew Road, Estero ($5 per vehicle parking fee) ∫ April 26 at 10 a.m. at the Estero Bay Preserve State Park, at 4940 Broadway West, Estero ($2 per vehicle parking fee) ∫ May 24 at 2 p.m. at the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, at 7751 Penzance Blvd., Fort Myers ($1 per vehicle parking fee)

To register, contact Jorden Falker at jfalker@shellmuseum.org or 239-347-5119.

For more information, visit https://www.shellmuseum.org/snail-search.

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is at 3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel.

SCCF: Long dry winter adds stress to freshwater species

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that Hurricane Ian, which caused record-breaking damage to personal property and infrastructure on Sanibel, occurred at atimewhenthesummerrainsweredyingdown,leadinginto the impending dry season.

“This has placed increased stress on most wildlife species on the island due to the inundation of salt water into the freshwater areas, ” Wildlife & Habitat Management Director Chris Lechowicz said. “With substantial relief of frequent rains being approximately a half year away, many species will have it harder than others. ”

Numerous local species can either store freshwater for long periods of time and/or absorb enough in the foods they eat to survive through a long dry period, such as gopher tortoises.

However, aquatic species and even some semi-aquatic species are dependent upon mostly permanent sources of freshwater. For instance, the freshwater game fish such as bluegill, largemouth bass and warmouth live exclusively in freshwater but have been known to thrive in salinities on Sanibel as high as 3 parts per thousand (ppt). The range is 0 ppt for freshwater to 35 ppt for sea water.

Amphibians, such as frogs, have a very permeable skin that absorbs moisture upon contact. They have a very lowtolerance for salt in the water. Two native true frogs, the pig frog and southern leopard frog, spend a lot of time in freshwater bodies, as opposed to other species that may just use them to breed in or exist around those waterbodies.

“These two amphibian Sanibel species are of the highest concern of the nine species on the island for this reason, ” he said.

“These frogs still have not been documented existing post-hurricane. ”

The SCCF reported that there have been many thoughts and ideas on what can be done to sustain wildlife over the long dry season with the extreme saltwater inundation that the islands have incurred. Sanibel wildlife agencies have considered adding scattered, temporary freshwater pools in wildlife-rich areas or even pumping previously freshwater pools with now high salinity water out.

Lechowicz recommended that residents place small freshwater basins such as low tubs or water bowls in their yards to give passerby species a source of freshwater and help wildlife survive the long dry winter. Some residents have already done this. One person with a plastic koi pond cleaned it out due to saltwater intrusion and it is now a freshwater oasis.

“This natural event, although very unfortunate, is not a new phenomenon in our location, ” he said. “Many species on Sanibel are adapted to survive this type of event, but the possibility of some species being knocked way back or possibly extirpated is certainly feasible. ”

The SCCF reported that its Marine Lab is testing lakes on Sanibel for salinity pre and post-Ian, measured in practical salinity units (PSU). For reference, the salt content of the Gulf of Mexico is 30-35 PSU. Freshwater is considered to be 0-1.5 PSU.

Veteran banded pelican observed on-island

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation's shorebird team recently spotted a veteran brown pelican on Sanibel. First banded as a chick in Breton Island, Louisiana, it is 13 years old and a survivor of the aftermath and cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. To report a sighting of a banded bird, contact shorebirds@sccf.org.