The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apar t. ~ Elisabeth Foley
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TECHIE TURTLES Female diamondback terrapin looking for a nest site.
A terrapin nesting near The Wetlands Institute.
Using New Technologies to Conserve Diamondback Terrapins By Dr. Lenore Tedesco, Executive Director of The Wetlands Institute
D
iamondback terrapins have an important role in the salt marsh, and their fate impacts many aspects of the marsh ecosystem. They are grayskinned turtles with highly variable patterns and markings that are specially adapted to life in the salt marsh. These diamonds of the marsh are most often seen when the females come out of the marshes from May to July in search of dry ground to dig a nest and lay her eggs. You might have also seen the quickly retreating head of a terrapin as you kayak through local creeks. If you are lucky, perhaps you have seen the quarter-sized hatchlings, which emerge from their nests in the fall and spring. Some days, it can seem like terrapins are everywhere. Yet, terrapins are in trouble throughout much of their coastal range. Development and heavy use of the terrapins’ salt marsh and barrier island habitat has led to declines in terrapin numbers. Climate change is adding more stress through sea-level rise. Although males rarely leave the water, nesting females often must cross roads in search of higher ground to nest, and hundreds are killed each summer as a result. Untold numbers are caught as unintended catch in crab traps and drown each year. Nest and hatchling predators, such as raccoons and skunks, are now more abundant in our communities, thriving on the feast our garbage provides. This overabundance of predators reduces the number of hatchlings
who survive to maturity. All of these threats combine to make the future of the diamondback terrapin less certain. The Wetlands Institute has worked diligently for nearly 30 years to pioneer conservation methods that reduce terrapin deaths and help boost numbers of hatchlings so that terrapins remain a vital part of our coastal ecosystem. The program promotes the conservation of diamondback terrapins through applied research, conservation programs, citizen science projects, and educational programs. We work to increase our understanding of terrapins and develop ways to protect them from the various threats they face. One important tool that we pioneered and have helped spread is the use of terrapin barrier fencing along the
causeways to keep terrapins from entering high traffic areas. The black tubing along the side of the roadways provides space for nesting while keeping the females out of harm’s way. The tubing is more than 80% effective and works best where there can be a continuous barrier that is well maintained. We are working with the Borough of Avalon through a Sustainable Jersey and New Jersey Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership grant to enhance terrapin habitat away from roadways and test a modified barrier system for enhanced effectiveness. In 1991, we began patrols of local roadways to document impacts of vehicles on terrapin populations. Each year, from May through July, we patrol 38 miles of coastal roads from Stone Harbor
Incubated terrapin hatching from her egg.
to Corson’s Inlet. You have probably seen the cars out rescuing injured turtles or helping them cross. Over the past decade of patrols, around 500 female terrapins on average are killed each year. This year was a record-breaking year with more than 750 deaths recorded. On the bright side, we have recorded 749 terrapins saved from being hit on the roads, too. While the annual toll is sobering, our patrols allow us to do much to reduce impacts from roads. Many terrapins killed on roads still hold viable eggs. We retrieve these eggs and incubate them in our lab. Incubation temperature determines gender for terrapins; therefore, we adjust incubator temperatures to produce female hatchlings and help offset the loss of their deceased mothers. With the help of Stockton University and trained school teachers, we raise these hatchlings for one year, keeping them active and fed year-round. This process, called head-starting, allows terrapins to reach a size up to three times that of a wild turtle the same age, and leaves them less vulnerable to predators. All of our work is regulated by the state Department of Environmental Protection and requires scientific permits, trained scientists, and appropriate facilities. Since 1997, we have been conducting a long-term population study of terrapins in our local marshes. Each year, we capture terrapins on our property and in tidal creeks. We mark them with uniquely coded microchips that let us identify incontinued on page 58
Seven Mile Times
August 2019
s e ve nm ile t im e s .c o m