Originally Published in Seven Mile Time's July 2014 Issue
PRESERVING THE NATURAL WONDERS
of Our Island
By Dr. Lenore Tedesco Executive Director of The Wetlands Institute
even Mile Island is a very special place. The barrier island’s natural resources provide an amazing wealth that is often appreciated relative to its beautiful beaches, fantastic dining and great recreation potential that so many residents and visitors enjoy. Seven Mile Island is also a remarkable place for its natural resources; natural resources that often go unnoticed. The great mosaic of environments and habitats of the area make this a place so special that for many animals, this is a place of global importance. This gift also brings great responsibility because what happens here – good and bad – has profound impact to many species throughout their entire range. The Wetlands Institute was founded in 1969 by Herbert Mills, then executive director of the World Wildlife Fund, to fulfill his lifelong vision of creating a world-class research, education and conservation center that would educate people of all ages about the beauty and wonders of the coastal environment, and the importance of that environment to their daily lives and well-being. In the face of dramatic wetland loss and infilling, during a time that predates most of the environmental protections now in place, he purchased 6,000 acres of wetlands and changed the history of Seven Mile Island forever. His dream was to help people understand the importance of wetlands and to inspire everyone to preserve and protect coastal and wetland ecosystems. For more than 40 years, The Wetlands Institute has been working on important conservation issues. In 2011, The Wetlands Institute put forth a bold new plan
to address threats to wetlands, coastal ecosystems and the animals that rely on them. In doing so, we are also protecting and preserving the Seven Mile Island, its homes and the lifestyle so many enjoy.
The Diamondback Terrapin Conservation Program Diamondback terrapins are a keystone species of the marsh. They are the only species of turtle that is adapted to life in the salt marsh. Terrapins are meat-eaters, and one of their primary food sources is the marsh periwinkle snail. These snails feed on marsh grasses and, without healthy populations of terrapins to control snail populations, large sections of the marsh would be stripped of vegetation and lost.
Diamondback terrapin hatchlings.
Development and heavy use of the terrapin’s salt marsh and barrier-island habitat has led to stark declines in terrapin numbers. Locally, each year more than 500 nesting female terrapins are hit by vehicles, more than 700 hatchling terrapins become trapped in storm drains, and hundreds of terrapins die by drowning in crab traps. Such losses are unsustainable to the population without our intervention. For more than 20 years, The Wetlands Institute Diamondback Terrapin Conservation Program has promoted the conservation of diamondback terrapins through applied research, citizen science projects and educational programs. The Wetlands Institute has installed and maintains terrapin barrier fencing along the causeways to keep terrapins from entering high-traf-
fic areas. We conduct road patrols to save terrapins, eggs and injured terrapins along a 38-mile route. You have probably seen the cars out twice a day from the end of May through the middle of July. Eggs from road-killed terrapins are recovered, incubated and hatched, and hatchling terrapins (headstarts) are raised under optimum growth conditions for a year before being released back into the salt marsh at public events. The 1-year-old terrapins’ larger size increases the chance that they will survive and return to nest in 5 or 6 years. We also run a citizen-based storm-drain rescue initiative, and recover derelict crab traps from the back bays during the winter. All of these conservation initiatives directly support reducing mortality of terrapins and helping to sustain their populations. Here are the results from 2013: • 142 terrapins were rescued from roadways. • 760 eggs were removed from roadkilled females. • 317 orphaned terrapins hatched from our incubators. • 202 headstart terrapins were released back into local salt marshes. • 3 miles of terrapin barrier fence was installed and maintained. • 400 storm drains were monitored in South Jersey by 24 volunteers. • 764 hatchlings were rescued from storm drains and returned to the marsh. A key component of our conservation initiatives is creating an ethic of concern and care for terrapins. Important components of our program include public engagement and education. These programs continued on next page
Originally Published in Seven Mile Time's July 2014 Issue
The red-knot population decline is linked to that of horseshoe crabs. continued from previous page
have helped make the community aware of diamondback terrapins and how we can better coexist. By saving, rehabilitating, rescuing and releasing terrapins, as well as removing and minimizing hazards, we are able to contribute positively to the status of the local terrapin population. Please help! Slow down and be aware of nesting terrapins crossing roadways. If you can safely stop, help them across the road in the direction they are traveling. They perform valuable services to the Seven Mile community through their wetland-protection activities.
The Great Shorebird & Horseshoe Crab Spectacle Located between Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, the Cape May Peninsula is situated in an area considered to host one of the “wonders of the world.” With an act of timing only Mother Nature can provide, each spring horseshoe crabs climb onto the beaches of Delaware Bay to lay their eggs, while thousands of shorebirds time a stop on their northbound spring migration route to feed on these energy-packed eggs. Our shores host the largest concentration of spawning horseshoe crabs in their range,
and the shorebird migration is one of the last great migrations on earth. What an amazing front-row view of these spectacular wildlife events we have. The view has changed, though, as those familiar with the sight can tell you. The beaches were once covered with spawning crabs an arm deep. The sky was once filled with clouds of shorebirds. As amazing as the view still is, the changes are critical because the numbers we witness here are the core of these populations. Change here matters a lot. As many scientists do the hard work of understanding why populations are at historically low levels, it is important that we all take opportunities to improve the view through our actions. Horseshoe crabs are of paramount importance to human health. Their blood contains a clotting agent, limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), which provides a fast, reliable test for the presence of infectious bacteria in drugs as well as in prosthetic devices such as heart valves and hip replacements. The USFDA requires virtually all medical devices and medications to be tested using LAL, and there is no synthetic substitute.
If you walk the beaches on Seven Mile Island, you have probably seen horseshoe crabs. They are harmless, but because they spawn in the waves at the high-water line, many are overturned. Usually, an overturned crab will use its tail to right itself. However, some crabs remain stranded and exposed on the beach, where they will either desiccate (dry up) or be preyed upon by gulls. Simply turning over stranded crabs can help, so if you see stranded crabs, turn them over. You’ll be rescuing a stranded crab. Overharvesting of horseshoe crabs has resulted in a precipitous decline in the horseshoe-crab population, and as a result the number of eggs also has gone down. The decline in horseshoe-crab numbers has led to a dramatic decrease in the populations of migratory shorebirds, whose long-distance annual migrations can be as far as 9,000 miles. Red knots, which breed in the Canadian Arctic and winter in South America, have declined dramatically. Previously estimated at 100,000-150,000 birds, the population now numbers 18,000continued on next page
WETLANDS INSTITUTE EVENTS WINGS ‘N WATER BENEFIT AUCTION Saturday, August 2, 6-10pm The Wings ‘N Water Benefit Auction is The Wetlands Institute’s premier event of the year. Guests enjoy incredible food catered by the Washington Inn, as well as fantastic cocktails and wines. Our beautiful air-conditioned tent is the perfect setting for our largest fundraiser of the year that supports our world-class conservation, research and education programs. The event features both a large silent auction and a live auction where guests can place bids on more than 200 items. Tickets: General Admission: $100 | Patron: $150 | Sponsor: $250 Website: wetlandsinstitute.org/events/wings-n-water-auction/
TOTALLY TURTLE TUESDAY AND HORSESHOE CRAB-MANIA THURSDAY Tuesday and Thursday evenings are bursting with fun as we highlight our favorite reptiles and arthropods. Each week we’ll bring you live turtles or horseshoe crabs, the latest terrapin research and horseshoe-crab conservation, cool crafts and a special terrapin or horseshoe-crab hatchling release. Tuesday and Thursday: 5pm | Free with admission
CRABULOUS CRAB DAY Friday, July 18, 9:30am-3pm Join us at The Wetlands Institute for a day filled with Crabulous fun and see just how much you can learn about crabs! On the program: Crab Races and Games, Crabbing at the Dock, Crabbing Tips and Tricks, Crab Cake Cook-off and Cooking Lessons, Crab Teaching Tank, Crabbing Tournament, Crabulous Trivia, and more! And don’t forget to get your official Crab Day T-shirt! Tickets: Nonmember: $10 Adult, $8 child, $30 family pack of 4 Member: $8 Adult, $6 child, $25 family pack of 4 Website: wetlandsinstitute.org/events/crabulous-crab-day/ Spawning horseshoe crabs on the shore.
Originally Published in Seven Mile Time's July 2014 Issue
Crabulous Crab Day
50/50
JULY 18 FROM 9:30AM TO 3PM
Raffle
Crab Cake Cook-off • Crab Races & Games Crab Teaching Tank • Crabbing Tournament And more Crabulous Fun!!
Win up to
Non-Member: $10 Adult, $8 Child, $30 Family Pack of 4 Member: $8 Adult, $6 Child, $25 Family Pack of 4
$12,000* (or 50% of proceeds)
Drawing: Birds in flight over the beach.
August 2, 2014
continued from previous page
33,000. When these shorebirds stop here in May, they are here for one thing – fuel. Long-term research suggests that the availability of horseshoe-crab eggs directly impacts the ability for red knots to successfully reproduce. Seven Mile Island has a critical role to play in this remarkable shorebird spectacle. Each evening, shorebirds leave Delaware Bay to find safe resting areas, away from predators and disturbance. They head to Stone Harbor Point. Scientists now believe that at times during the stopover, the entire Delaware Bay shorebird population can be found on Stone Harbor Point. Its wide-open expanses, undeveloped shoreline and relative safety from predators and disturbance make this an ideal location for them to rest – and it is one of the few places left. We also now know that these shorebirds also utilize Stone Harbor Point and all of Seven Mile Island as a critical resting and refueling stopover on their southbound return flights in the fall.
Stone Harbor Point is a critical conservation area, not only for migratory shorebirds but also for beach-nesting birds. It’s a very special place, and because of this it has very special rules. It is a place to enjoy nature walking, beachcombing and bird-watching. Please do your part. Stay out of areas protected for beach-nesting species. If you see shorebirds or their young resting or feeding on the beach, give them wide berth and don’t cause them to fly. It wastes critical energy. Enjoy the beauty and wonders of the special place that we know as Seven Mile Island and remember: To the species highlighted here, it’s a critical place. With habitat loss and coastal development, our area provides some of the last great wild places for their survival. It’s a great place to see them and also a great place to help them. To learn more about The Wetlands Institute, our conservation programs, and these animals, please visit.
Dr. Lenore P. Tedesco is the Executive Director of The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor. Tedesco has a Ph.D. in marine geology and geophysics from the University of Miami, and a bachelor’s degree in geology from Boston University. She joined The Wetlands Institute in October 2011. Prior to then, she had been a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Indiana-Purdue University for 21 years. She was also Director of the Center for Earth and Environmental Science, where she worked on wetland restoration, water resources and environmental education.
at 8:30pm
Ticket: $100
Call to get yours today!
SATURDAY AUGUST 2, 6PM Incredible food by the Washington Inn, cocktails and wines, silent auction and live auction featuring unique items. Tickets $100 and up. For tickets, call or visit our website.
* $12,000 if all 240 tickets are sold. No substitution of the offered prize may be made. Winner does not need to be present to win. RL 07-14 481-05-25895 Middle Township
Summer Happenings • Live Animal Interactions • Unique Gift Shop • Back Bay Boat, Kayak & Paddleboard Tours • Beach & Dune Exploration • Elevated Marsh Walkway • Observation Tower • Aquarium & Hands-on Exhibits
• Festivals & Special Events • Summer Nature Programs • Hooked on Fishing & Crabbing at the Dock • Totally Turtle Tuesdays • Horseshoe Crabmania Thursdays • Turtle Basking Tanks • And much more!
Visit wetlandsinstitute.org for a complete event calendar
Save ON GENERAL ADMISSION
$1
Open Year Round!
With this coupon. One per family, per visit. Not valid for special events or on-water activities. Expires 9/3/14. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 7MTS2014
ADULT $8 • CHILDREN $6 • MEMBERS FREE
Open daily all summer!
9:30am - 4:30pm. Every Tuesday through Thursday, 6/16 - 9/1, evening hours extended until 8pm.
609-368-1211 • wetlandsinstitute.org
Garden State Parkway Exit 10B 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd. Stone Harbor, NJ