We've Moved!

Hello! Sorry for the lack of BLOGs lately, but we have a good excuse...we've been diligently working on completing the final phases of our NEW WEBSITE! That's right, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center has a brand new website...and the best part is, is that it is at the same old address:

www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org

Check it out today!

Also, with the new website comes a new BLOG site (accessible through our new website). Due to this change, this will be the final BLOG on this BLOG site. The good news is that all our past BLOGs were transferred to the new website and will still be accessible!

On behalf of the GSTC Staff, thank you for you patience and understanding during this transition. We hope you will enjoy the new website!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

Surprise

Hello Everyone,

For those that don't know me my name is Simon Dilts and I was one of the Sea Turtle Patrol Interns this season with the GSTC from May to early September, and was gearing up to be the next husbandry intern until I received an email asking me to apply for a full time camera position with Wild Earth (a live web based wildlife tv station better know as WE) and was offered the job.

I have always loved working with wildlife and from an early age knew I wanted to do nature photography for a living and at the start was learning still photography. In the summer of 2000 there was a couple of firsts, I had my first sea turtle experience and picked up a video camera for the first time to film it. So my plans altered slightly after that to include being part of a camera crew for a nature show. I have had the opportunity to work with various wildlife and been in some beautiful places that I always wished I could share the experiences with others.

Now I can as WE is a live 24 hour tv station located in the Sabi Sands area of Kruger National Park in South Africa. To where we do 2 game drives a day, have different programs (including a chat where I am usually the one that does it), and the rest of the time have 2 cameras at a water hole on.
So now you can see exactly what I am up to and see some of the things I see half the world away.
http://www.wildearth.tv is the main site and there are links to all of the things we do here, where the WE social network is amazing and people post videos and pictures from the drives all the time. Also I am usually in the chat room talking away so you might catch me.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I made it to my new home safe and sound, and everything is going well with plenty of wildlife seen already (including leopards, elephants as you can see, cheetah etc).

Part of my heart still remains (and will always remain) at the GSTC as I truly love the center and all of those that work/volunteer there.

Sincerely,
Simon Dilts



Photos by: Top, Pieter Pretorius.
Nyala on the right, Simon Dilts

P.S. I also am interested in seeing how many of the staff read the blog as I posted this with out their knowledge :) Don't worry I won't do it again I just thought you might like a surprise from half way around the world.

Hello from the GSTC Interns

"Hello," from the GSTC Interns!

We just welcomed 4 new interns at The Georgia Sea Turtle Center for Fall 2008. Three of the interns will be working in the education department and one will be assisting hospital staff as the husbandry intern. They would like to greet everyone and express their excitement in joining the GSTC team!

Hey Y’all! My name is Colleen and I am a recent graduate from the University of Georgia with a degree in Animal Science. I was an intern for Bear Hollow Zoo in Athens, GA where I was able to work with a variety of Georgia native animals and was also the assistant counselor for their Zoo Camp. I was also a veterinary technician for a domestic and exotics veterinarian while in my undergraduate. I have a soft spot in my heart for reptiles and am excited to learn and teach about these wonderful creatures.

Hi! My name is Teddy! After graduating from the University of Georgia, I started work as an environmental educator at the Jekyll Island 4-H Center. I spent last summer as an educator at Sea World Orlando. I am excited to share my passion for sea turtles with the visitors of Jekyll Island.

My name is Jenny! I have worked in Florida at a Loggerhead nesting beach and recently returned from Costa Rica where I was a research assistant at a Leatherback nesting beach. I look forward to my days here at the GSTC, where I hope to expand my knowledge of sea turtles and gain valuable experience.


Hello! My name is Rachel. I am from Boalsburg, Pennsylvania and am the current husbandry intern here at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. In May I graduated from Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA with a degree in Environmental Science. Last summer I developed a love for sea turtles as an intern at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Topsail Island in North Carolina. Here I hope to expand my knowledge of sea turtles and help get them back out into the wild.

~Colleen Nissen, Teddy Ivey, Jenny Hederman (Education Interns) and Rachel Thomas (Husbandry Intern)

September Focus Class

Fire Ants vs. Sea Turtles

Join us for our monthly focus class
September 22,

7-8pm at the Brunswick Library.

Learn about the effect of pesky non-native fire ants on one of our native threatened species, the loggerhead sea turtle. GSTC Aquarist Jeannie Miller will share her research results, as well as good techniques to prevent further sea turtle nest depredation and injury from fire ants!

Satellite tracking and Updates

Here's the latest news on our released turtles that have satellite transmitters and seaturtle.org updates you may have subscribed to....

DYLAN & JOEY: On seaturtle.org Dylan and Joey are listed under the same project: Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Georgia Aquarium Monitoring of Released Turtles. If you subscribed to receive updates on Dylan, you have probably noticed that you are now receiving updates on Joey too. Well, when you subscribed for updates, you actully subscribed to receive updates on ALL turtles listed under that Project. Joey was a turtle raised in captivity--similar to Dylan, just not kept as long. His most recent home was at the Georgia Aquarium. They decided it was time to release Joey, which they did on Sept 11, 2008. For more information on Joey, please visit the Georgia Aquarium's website (http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/) and seaturtle.org. Now, why are you no longer receiving updates on Dylan but are getting them for Joey? Joey is sending very good high-quality signals that relay accurate locations (and therefore plottable with confidence in accuracy). Dylan on the other hand, has not transmitted a high-quality plottable signal since 9/7, although she has been giving us a number of very low-quality signals all along, as recently as 9/16. These signals are just that, signals. They do not actually give us a location (in terms of GPS coordinates), they just tell us she is still there. Are you still with me? So after a certain period of time, if a turtle has not transmitted a high-quality signal, the mapping system inactivates that turtle & subsequent updates. It will become active again should the turtle start transmitting high-quality signals again. We've seen this happen in other turtles (i.e. Bevelyn), so it may still happen with Dylan! Please see previous BLOGS regarding more in-depth explanations about signals and how they can relate to behaviour.

BEVELYN, SPITFIRE & VIDA:
Bevelyn is back in the Gulf of Mexico. She has been transmitting very good signals for a while now! On her map, there is a point that appears to be inland Florida, please ignore this point, it is inaccurate--occasionally that type of error can occur.

Spitfire's last plottable point was on 9/10. She is still there, just transmitting very low-quality signals, as recently as 9/17. She is another example of a turtle who stopped transmitting good signals for a while, but has popped back up!


Vida is doing well and continues to transmit very good signals. She is just of the coast of NE Florida, acting like a typically juvenile loggerhead of her size!


Thanks again for your support! If you are interested in adopting one of our eligible turtles (In-house or Released), please visit our website: www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

National Aquarium in Baltimore's Sea Turtle Watch Camp

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center had the pleasure of hosting the National Aquarium in Baltimore's Sea Turtle Watch Camp (Henry Hall Program), August 4-8, 2008. This energetic group was eager to learn about sea turtle biology, conservation and the threats that they face, and the GSTC Staff was happy to share our facility and knowledge with the group. I just received some turtle-riffic pictures from the group and wanted to share them with you.

After a long day of travel, the group first enjoyed a Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the GSTC. This included a personalized Patient Update and a guided tour of the Treatment Room and the Commissary (where we prepare food and medicine for our patients). Shown left are some of the students showing off their highly fashionable footwear (hospital booties), required for our Behind-the-Scenes Tours.

The group also had the opportunity to attend both a night-time Turtle Walk and two early morning Hatchling Walks. As honorary Sea Turtle Researchers, they completed the Sea Turtle Nest Excavation Data Sheets as our Marine Field Programs Coordinator (Stefanie Ouellette)excavated a previously hatched sea turtle nest. One lucky straggler hatchling, whom the group affectionately named Touché (shown right), was discovered in the nest and later released into the ocean.

Before heading back to Baltimore, the Sea Turtle Watch Camp was able to assistant in a turtle release. Dusty (shown left) is a yellow-bellied slider, was a patient of ours for over a year! While at the GSTC her wounds healed successfully, and we were able to release here in a nearby pond right here on Jekyll Island.

This was the second year in a row that the Georgia Sea Turtle Center has collaborated with the National Aquarium in Baltimore for their Sea Turtle Watch Camp. Each year we have been able to add new and exciting activities for the group. A special thank you to Kathy Siegfried and the Sea Turtle Watch Camp Staff! We truly look forward to working with you again next year!

~Alicia B. Marin, Education Coordinator

Join our Family!

WHAT?! You LOVE the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and you haven't purchased a Membership yet? How could that be?! There are a variety of Membership levels available to suit everyone..Individual, Family, Donor, Patron, Benefactor and even LIFETIME! Just look at all the AMAZING benefits you'll receive when you be come a member..

1 year UNLIMITED admission to the Center
10% Discount in the GSTC Gift Shop
1/2 price Turtle Walks and Hatchling Walks
GSTC Newsletter

And that's just the Individual Membership! Check out all of our Memberships levels and their benefits on our website: www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org You can even purchase a Membership through our on-line store!

The GSTC Membership Program began November 2007 and so far we have ~180 Members with all levels combined! Don't wait, become a Member and join our family today!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

Teacher Open House, 9/20/08

(Click Image for a Larger View)

For more information about this event or our education programs,
feel free to visit our website at www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org
or contact the GSTC Education Department at (912) 635-4076.

~Alicia B. Marin, Education Coordinator

Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Update...2 NEW ADDITIONS!

That's right, 2 new additions to our Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Program: Gale and Simone (pictured below)!









These two lovely ladies join Griffin and Duffy (pictured below) as Option #1:Current Patients











And let's not forget our Option #2s:Successfully Released Turtle with a Satellite Transmitter: Vida and Dylan (pictured below)...we still have to pay for their satellite time and data manager!









You might notice that we've also removed a turtle from the Option #2 list: Spitfire. Unfortunately Spitfire has not given us any transmitter signals since 8/18/08. This does not necessarily mean something happened to the turtle! In all likelihood, it is a problem with the transmitter rather than the turtle (see previous BLOGS for information on transmitters and potential problems/explanations).

Please visit our website: www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org for more information about the turtles listed above and the Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Program. Your DONATION of $50 directly benefits the patients in our hospital and those we've been able to release! And if you are interested in becoming and 'Adoptive Parent' to one of our sea turtles, you can easily do so in a number of ways:
1. IN PERSON at the Center!
2. PHONE it in: 912-635-4444
3. Download the form from the website and FAX it in: 912-635-4198
4. Download the form and MAILit in: Georgia Sea Turtle Center, 214 Stable Rd., Jekyll Island, GA 31527
5. Through our ONLINE STORE (available through our website)

Thank you for your support of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center!
Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Education and Field Coordinator

Bevelyn's BACK!

Those who have been following the satellite tracking of some of our turtles might have noticed that BEVELYN IS BACK and she's in Key West, FL! It looks like she's headed back to the Gulf of Mexico after nesting along the eastern coast of Florida this season.

As you probably already know from a previous BLOG, we believed here transmitter stopped working due to battery issues related to what appeared to be her nesting multiple times this summer. What you might not know however is that she has been intermittently showing low-quality 'hits' all along, but as we all know by now from all the previous BLOGS, low-quality 'hits' are not very accurate in determining an animals actual location and therefore not plotted on the tracking map. Her last high-quality 'hit' was on 8/19/08, and although she's not giving us multiple, high-quality 'hits' every day, she is giving us enough over short enough periods of time to allow us follow her on her journey! So keep checking in with Bev to see where she goes next!

Sincerely,
Stefanie

P.S. It is highly likely that 'Faye' IS/WILL interupt satellite transmissions from our turtles. DO NOT PANIC! Remember that these animals have been dealing with and persevering through natural disasters and mother nature for 200+ million years! They instinctively know what to do and where to go to be safe!

Calling all Crayons!

This time of year, school supplies come to mind as elementary, middle and high schools open their doors after a long, hot summer. New pencils, paper and art supplies are loaded into thousands of backpacks across the country as kids start a new school year. So what happens to old, discarded supplies from years past? They end up collecting in your desks, junk drawers and banished to the basement, never to be heard from again.

In honor of being green, (not to be confused with the Green sea turtle, which is typically brown in color) the Georgia Sea Turtle Center uses recycled materials and cast-offs, turning the oddest items into works of art. Some of our most inspirational crafts have come from the unlikeliest sources. Old sea turtle postcards take on a new life as fans when taped to a craft stick. Unusable posters with out-of-date information are transformed Diamondback Disguises. Used journal covers are cut into valentines with messages sent to our sea turtle patients from GSTC guests. Breathing new life into items headed for the garbage is what the GSTC education team does best!

So what’s next? We can’t let the sea turtle out of the tank yet, but YOU can help! Send or drop off your old, broken crayons to:

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Education Team’s Crayon Campaign
214 Stable Road
Jekyll Island, GA 31527

We’ve got something up our sleeves that you’re sure to love and, depending on the response we get, will make its debut at this year’s second annual Turtleween. Lend us a helping flipper and let us provide your hatchling with hours of recycled fun!

~Kelly O'Keefe

Educator

Vacuum Assisted Wound Care (V.A.C.)

A common snapping turtle, "Pleb", presented to us after being hit by a car several months ago. He had a very severe injury to his carapace. The lung was actually visible through the wound. We tried several treatments which had varying degrees of effectiveness. Eventually, we treated his wounds with vacuum assisted wound care (V.A.C. therapy). This entails placing a silver impregnated bandage over the wound and then incorporating a continuous suction on the wound. That is not a misspelling, silver actually has antimicrobrial properties and we have a variety of wound care products that have silver impregnated in them. A special sponge with a plastic suction tube is place over the silver bandage. Then, multiple layers of a sticky bandage called Tegaderm are placed on the area so that there are no leaks detectable. This is the hardest and most frustrating part of the bandage placement. It is all worth it in the end. Dramatic results were seen in a fairly short period of time with Pleb. Aquatic turtles present challenges with this method of therapy because they must be kept out of water when the suction is on. Stress reduction is a very important when treating any wildlife patient. To reduce stress, Pleb was placed in water to eat for part of the day and the remainder of the day he would be "dry docked" and the vacuum applied. We typically used the VAC therapy for 5 days and then gave him a break for a few days and then repeated the treatment again. Pleb’s wounds healed up great and he was recently released back to the wild in a beautiful wetland on Jane Bryson’s (Volunteer extraordinaire) property. We would like to thank Faith at the Kinetic Concepts, Inc (KCI) for being instrumental in providing the necessary equipment to perform V.A.C. therapy on our patients.

“Dusty”, a river cooter, was probably hit by a car although no one saw it happen. She had a very severe fracture on the top of her shell. Eventually the bone associated with the fracture became non viable and required removal. This left a fairly circular shaped wound with lung exposed. We tried to cover the wound with a product called biofusion and then a marine epoxy. This was removed and there was an infection underneath so it was eventually left off and we treated the wound with a combination of traditional wound care and VAC therapy eventually allowed this wound to heal as well. It took over 1 year! “Dusty” was released recently on Jekyll Island.

Sincerely,
Dr. Terry Norton

Cruella de Vil's shell has finally healed

Cruella de Vil is a green sea turtle that was sent to us for long term care by the New England Aquarium. Cruella was a “cold stun victim” and was found stranded in the Cape Cod, MA area. Hypothermia often leads to many secondary problems such as fungal and bacterial diseases. Cruella developed a very unusual and severe bone infection of the shell. We collected biopsy specimens and made a diagnosis of bacterial osteomyelitis (bone infection) and tried everything we could think of to treat the wounds. In some instances the best therapy is too expensive and we have to get creative to make things happen. We contacted Dr. Sasser, an orthopedic surgeon from Brunswick, GA, about obtaining some bone cement that we could incorporate antibiotics that were sensitive to the bacteria that we cultured and apply it topically to the wound. Dr. Sasser found some recently expired bone cement for us and we mixed it up with an antibiotic called amikacin. We placed the bone cement directly on the wounds and left it there for about 4 weeks. The antibiotics are released at very high concentrations directly on the wound over an extended period of time. This was the ticket to finally allow Cruella’s wounds to heal. The first application only covered half the wounds so we needed to obtain more of the cement which is about $1500 for one application. At the Jekyll Island Foundation Family weekend in June, we were able to auction Cruella’s treatment off to several generous concerned local citizens and employees of Jekyll Island Authority. Thank you so much for your generous contribution to Cruella’s therapy. In the end the company that actually makes the bone cement donated the next batch. After months of therapy, Cruella’s wounds are finally healed. She should be able to be released before the weather gets to cold.

Sincerely,
Dr. Terry Norton

Dylan Update...she's still transmitting!

We've been getting a number of emails once again regarding Dylan's tracking so I thought it best to write a BLOG! Sometimes it's a waiting game with the transmissions...BE PATIENT and don't always assume the worst! In certain areas the signals can be jammed (i.e. Canaveral), the satellite orbits might be off, the seas could be very rough not allowing signals to be transmitted, or the turtle might be spending a lot of time underwater, not allowing us to get very good signals.

Just as Bev's signal was 'lost' for a while, but started transmitting again recently. Just as Spitfire and Vida's signals were 'lost' for a time (coincidentally, the same time! but then again they were in the same 'area' as one another...), but again came back. Dylan's signal loss may be temporarily. Her most recent 'hit' was actually on 8/17, albeit a low-class 'hit'. A low-class 'hit' means the accuracy of the indicated location is not very good and thus is not plotted on the map. Her 'hits' prior to that, on 8/7 and 8/8, suggested that she was spending a LOT of time underwater, possibly resulting in bad satellite timing. Also, looking at her location, she IS near Canaveral....

We will just have to wait patiently and see what happens, however I would caution you to assume that 'something has happened to her'. Most likely it a transmitter/transmission/satellite problem rather than a problem with the turtle.

I hope this explanation helps! We'll keep an eye on her tracking and see what happens!

Thank you for your concern and continued support of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Education and Field Coordinator

Back to School

Can you believe how fast the summer flew by and that it is already time to head back to school? Yes, it's time to put away your beach toys and towels, and time to start a new school year! A new grade level, get new school supplies and clothes... and Teachers, while you are finalizing your lesson plans for the year, why not plan a field trip to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center!

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is delighted to offer students the opportunity to explore the wonderful world of sea turtles through field trip programs. Field trip programs last approximately 1 to 1.5 hours. These programs include a 30-45 minute interactive presentation (the teacher’s choice) including hands-on activities. The presentation is then followed by a guided tour of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center with one of the Educators and a Patient Update. We offer school group programs Monday through Friday at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm and all programs are correlated to the Georgia Performance Standards.

Can’t make it to Jekyll Island? The GSTC can come to you! The Georgia Sea Turtle Center Outreach Staff brings learning about sea turtles and their marine environment to life for your group with specimens, interactive activities such as role playing and games! You can also check out our website and blog for up to date information about our patients or track our released patients online!

Last year we had approximately 4,500 students from 78 individual schools attend the GSTC for our school programs. So teachers, bring YOUR hatchlings to the GSTC for a turtle-riffic field trip experience; one that we promise they'll never forget!

For more information about our school programs, outreach opportunities or to make a reservation, please visit our website, http://georgiaseaturtlecenter.org/schoolprograms.html

~Alicia B. Marin, Senior Educator

Sea Turtle Stories from the West Indies

Come join the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on August 25th at 7:00pm at the Brunswick Library as GSTC staff member Jeannie Miller and GSTC volunteers Jane Bryson, George Stiegler, Gary Buckles, and Richard Chewning as they discuss the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring program and share exciting stories about working in the West Indies.

This summer the Georgia Sea Turtle Center partnered with the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network in order to conduct nesting female leatherback sea turtle nest monitoring. Throughout the months of April to July Jeannie, Jane, George, Gary, and Richard traveled to St. Kitts to conduct night time tagging and health assessments on leatherback sea turtles and to participate in community education and outreach.

Leatherbacks are the largest of the sea turtles weighing in at 2000 pounds and can be 9-12 feet long. They are considered a critically endangered species losing numbers to things such as fisheries interactions and coastal development.

Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Program...Update and NEW ADDITION!

Our Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Program has been a HUGE success! THANK YOU to all the adoptive parents! Your adoption purchases ($50 donation per adoption) have allowed us to provide the very best hospital care to our patients including medications, x-rays and even MRIs! One great example is Griffin, a male loggerhead sea turtle, who is currently in our hospital and under our care. Griffin has a floating issue that we have been unable to resolve. We brought him for an MRI on Aug 1 and preliminary findings indicate that he does have some air trapped in his coelomic cavity and digestive tract. We are waiting for a specialist to take a look at the MRI to confirm. Adoption donations have also allowed us to raise enough funds to proved satellite trasmitters to a few of out turtles that we've released in the past year including: Golden Boy, Bevelyn, Spitfire, Vida, and Dylan.

Spitfire, Vida and Dylan are still eligible for adoption as well (Option #2)...why you ask? Well, once we release a turtle with a satellite transmitter, our responsibilities do not end! We still have to pay for satellite time and someone to manage the data (http://www.seaturtle.org/) for as long as they continue to transmit a signal.

Now without further ado, let me introduce to you our newest sea turtle patient eligible for adoption (Option #1: Current Patient). DUFFY!
Duffy joins Griffin as one of our Current Patients 'up for adoption' and needs your help! Duffy arrived at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on June 11, 2008 after being caught by the Georgia Bulldog, a research vessel that trawls for sea turtles to collect data and tag non-nesting turtles, north of Amelia Island, Fl. When Duffy arrived, he had a moderate small barnacle load, and was slightly dehydrated. Additionally, there was a small slice in the right carapace which extended to a more severe wound on the plastron and the right hind flipper. The wounds were severely infected and the femur was broken. We suspected that these injuries are due to a boat propeller strike. The initial exam showed that the femur not only was broken, but that there was also dead muscle and bone tissue running throughout the wound. While initially tube fed, Duffy is doing very well now and is eating on his own and swimming around his tank, however he still needs daily care of his wounds.

Please visit our website (http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org/) for more information on all of our patients and if you'd like to adopt Duffy, or any one of our other eligible sea turtles (Griffin, Spitfire, Vida, or Dylan), you can do so in the following ways:

1. During your next visit to the GSTC

2. Through our on-line store

3. Download and fax or mail in the application form and payment

4. Over the phone by calling the GSTC (912-635-4444)

Thanks again for you donation and continued support!

Sincerely,

Stefanie Ouellette
Education and Field Coordinator

Nesting Update

Since August hit, sea turtle nesting has slowed considerably. Saturday night (considered 8/3 for our recording purposes) was the last night we've seen a turtles...until last night! We got another nest last night! YAY!!! Here are our current totals:

In other exciting news, as of July 31, 2008 Georgia's sea turtle nesting numbers have reached an all time record high of 1,544 nests (with a few more weeks to go)! The previous nesting record for Georgia was in 2003 with 1,504 nests.

Nesting news from other parts of the southeast is also very good, with most places seeing very good numbers! My old friends from Broward County, Florida are having a good loggerhead nesting year (highest since 2003) and an all time recored green nesting year with still more nesting to go down there for both of these species! AMAZING!

Wondering about hatching?! Wonder no more...we've had 39 nests hatch already! Hatchling Walks are filling up quickly, so if you haven't signed up for yours, CALL TODAY FOR YOUR RESERVATION!

*Like all other fees (admissions, Memberships, gift shop purchases, etc.) all proceeds from Hatchling Walks go directly to support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center!

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Stefanie

Education and Field Coordinator

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

GSTC Teacher Workshop: Week 2

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Georgia Southern University hosted the second week of our Teacher Workshop, July 6 through July 12. Participants included Wanda Allen, Haley Fennell, Sean Fretwell, and Betsy Noland. Read below to view personal accounts of their experiences!

“…right under my nose and I never knew it!” This was my expression as I witnessed a loggerhead sea turtle emerging from the surf for the very first time just last night. Growing up in southeast Georgia, I spent many summer days here at Jekyll Island. Not once in 31 years of weekend getaways, day trips, and late night strolls was I ever aware that sea turtles nested here. Today I was able to assist in bringing awareness to four groups of 4-H campers through some of the many educational programs provided here. It felt fantastic to be able to share with them all of my newly found knowledge and hopefully to foster an understanding and appreciation for the jewels that lie right under their nose! ~ Haley Fennell


"This is what teacher training is all about! This is only the third day of the workshop and I’ve already dove right into the mix with prepping food, cleaning tanks, feeding and weighing the turtles, and even grabbing runaway Loggerheads at one o’clock in the morning to gather scientific data. I am inspired by the care and dedication these scientists have for these turtles, and for the cause they so strongly believe in. This opportunity to become a part of the volunteer staff is truly an honor and has really given me a wealth of knowledge and experience to take back to the classroom and share with my students for years to come." ~ Sean Fretwell


"What an awesome day! The secrets of the island were revealed to us by renowned naturalist, Taylor Schoettle. It’s amazing how one can live with this natural beauty in ones backyard, and yet not know a great deal about it. The natural history of Jekyll Island was uncovered as we walked along the shores of the Clam Creek Picnic Area. With Mr. Schoettle’s guidance, we could actually see the different geologic time periods. Mr. Schoettle’s enthusiasm and passion for preserving the natural beauty of the island is contagious. I can’t wait to go back to my classroom and share the wonderful knowledge and pass this enthusiasm on to my students." ~ Wanda Allen


"On the night of 7-8-08 we split into two teams and headed out for turtle patrol. We had a positive outlook since it was incoming tide during the peak of an above average nesting season. Around 9:45pm Stephanie spotted a mass at the edge of the water which was the first sea turtle emergence I ever witnessed. We watched the turtle crawl to the dunes and dig nest #117 on Jekyll Island for the 2008 nesting season. By 12:30 am another five sea turtles had come ashore to nest! What an amazing night of turtle watching! This mix of high quality entertainment and conservation education intensified my interest for the sea turtle project while sparking new ideas for teaching life science to my fourth and fifth grade students."
~Betsy Noland

A special thanks to all 8 of the teachers who participated in our workshop this summer. I also extend my sincerest gratitude to Dr. Marti Schriver and Dr. Kenneth Clark from Georgia Southern University for all their assistance in the development and implementation of this workshop.

~Alicia Marin, Senior Educator

Sea Turtle Nesting Update

It's time once again for a sea turtle nesting update! Here are the numbers, hot off the camo cart....As you can see, we have tripled last year's numbers! WOW!! The record for JI is 204 nests, and although nesting is starting to slow a bit, we still have a few weeks left to try to break the record! We are still conducting nightly Turtle Walks through July 31. Call the Center for reservations!

In other news......Are you wondering about hatching nests? Well, 8 of our nests have hatched so far! And we are beginning our Hatchling Walks THIS SATURDAY, JULY 26, 2008. These walks will be conducted on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday mornings. We are scheduling through September, but please note these walks (especially later in the season) are subject to availability of hatching nests. Please see our website for more information and call the Center at 912-635-4444 for reservations today!

Happy Turtling!
Stef
Education and Field Coordinator

The boat strike bunch!

Since the GSTC opened we have seen several turtles that had been struck by boats. Nearly everyone knew Nicky and Georgia. Currently in house we have four patients that have suffered boat strikes.

Duffy, a subadult loggerhead, was found during a UGA Marine Extension research trawl conducted on the vessel the Bulldog. Duffy has a very severe boat strike to his right carapace/plastron and right rear leg. The rear leg certainly looks the most dramatic as the femur is completely cut in half and has a very large open wound. The carapace/plastron fracture is actually the most severe as it is very deep and potentially is open to the coelomic cavity.

Duffy, has been getting bandage changes twice a week and Dr. Norton has come up with a very creative bandage technique. Instead of your more conventional things to place in the wound the staff has been using honeycomb! Honey has been used for centuries for wound care, and the honeycomb works the same as a wet to dry bandage by pulling out debris from the wound. So far we have seen great success! Duffy needed to be tube fed upon arrival but is now eating well.

Gail, also was found by the research vessel the Bulldog. Gail has a very dramatic wound on her carapace that was also caused by a boat. There was a very large amount of necrotic tissue and bone that has been slowly removed since she arrived. Gail is eating very well on her own and is recieving bandage changes and bloodwork twice a week.

Ry, a Kemps Ridley, was found by Aquarist Jeannie Miller during a sampling run on Sea Island. Ry was brought to the center and appeared in very good body condition, and her bloodwork looked great. Unfortunately, she has a head wound potentially from a skeg. She was taken for an immediate CT scan and the consulting radiologist confirmed the staffs worst fear, the neurocranium, the area of the skull that houses the brain, was fractured and the brain was most likely compromised.

The staff decided to try to give her a chance and tried vacuum assisted wound therapy to try to relieve some of the pressure. She was still bleeding a little to much and so the staff removed the bandage. During her water test she was swimming, although floating, and so she was placed in a shallow tank after air was removed. Sadly, she didn't respond well and had to be euthanized.

Even in events as sad as that we still take the opportunity to learn as much as possible. Dr. Norton performed a laproscopy to help refine his technique and found that she was a female. He also completed a fully necrospy during which several staff members and volunteers learned about sea turtle anatomy. Severe hemmorage was found on the brain when the necropsy was performed.

These three new patients join Charlotte, a green sea turtle that has been at the center since December. Charlotte's shell wounds have healed and she is eating very well! She has actually been placed on a diet to help her lose some weight! She is still not using her rear flippers due to the compression of her spinal cord. The staff is looking into permanent captive placement options. Every year more and more turtles are being hit by boats

Approx 20% of the turtles that strand on Georgia's coast have been injured by boats. Please remember that if you are boating to go slow and keep an eye out for turtles!

~Jeannie Miller, Aquarist

Arribada Adventures...The Cure for Saturday Morning Boredom

Still looking for a fun, family activity on Saturday mornings? Join us for Arribada Adventures!

This summer, guests have learned about and released Diamondback Terrapins for our Totally Terrapins program, turned into nesting sea turtles with Nifty Nesters, and did some investigative work during Cracking the Crawl!

But don’t fret… there are still three more chances to participate!



Think its tough being a sea turtle? Discover the difficulties sea turtle face and see if you can beat the odds with interactive role playing and games with the Its Tough Being a Sea Turtle program on July 26th.


Learn how YOU can help our fine, flippered friends with Lend ‘em a Flipper on August 2nd. Participate in a beach sweep and create sea turtle art out of recycled materials.





And Finally, on August 9th, find out what the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is doing to help sea turtles. Participate in a mock sea turtle rescue and learn how we rehabilitate a turtle!

Space is limited so reserve your spot now! For registration and location information, please call (912) 635-4444.

Cost: $10/adult, $5/Child*. Saturdays 9:00am – 11:00am
Please note that price does not include general admission to the GSTC.

JoAnna Josey

Education Intern

Can you identify this animal?

Is it a bird? A plane? No! It’s a pelican! This past weekend, Educator Kelly O’Keefe and Vet Extern Steve Kubiski, under the direction of Dr. Terry Norton, traveled to Charleston, South Carolina in search of these not-so-pretty bird babies. There, they met up with Ph.D. candidate Lisa Eggert of Clemson University, who contacted Dr. Norton as part of a collaborative effort between the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Lisa and her project assistant, Emma, are assessing the health of endangered brown pelican chicks in three critical nesting sites around the Charleston area. Crab Bank, a 16-acre barrier island in Charleston Harbor, has become an important nesting sanctuary (rookery) for many seabirds, including brown pelicans, black skimmers, American oystercatchers, snowy egrets and royal terns. The island was recently closed to the public and the seabirds are now able to take advantage of prime nesting sites that were once trampled by day explorers and boaters. A major threat to the survival of these species includes loss of and disturbed nesting sites. The recent closing of the island to foot traffic, while met with resistance from many, is a huge step for seabird recovery and survival.

Armed with a litany of medical supplies and SPF 70 sunscreen, the group, headed by Felicia Sanders of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, hopped aboard two skiffs for the 20 minute ride to the island. An almost Jurassic Park scene with a flurry of pelican and seabird activity over the island was a sight to behold.

Terry and Steve began by thoroughly examining each chick, then passing them along to Lisa and her team for weights and measurements. Kelly recorded data and photographed unusual findings, including oral plaques caused by a bacterial infection in some of the chick’s mouths. Following examination, each chick was deposited back in their home nest, but not without a little vocal protest. While many of the 20-30 day old chicks appeared thin, they were in good overall health with full bellies, thanks to care offered by both pelican parents.

Lisa and Terry will continue health assessments throughout the summer nesting season until the chicks reach the juvenile stage. (At that point, they are too large and aggressive to handle.) Lisa hopes to correlate the brown pelican chick health to the recent sanctuary designation of Crab Bank and has already seen positive results. Stay tuned for more information about the project and work at other rookery sites!

~Kelly O'Keefe

Educator

Dylan is in the OPEN OCEAN!

Our patience has paid off...DYLAN IS FINALLY IN THE OPEN OCEAN! We can all breathe a sigh of relief now!

She's had a few high-class 'hits' over the past few days, which indicates to us that it is an accurate account of her location! This also leads us to believe our hunch about bio-fouling of the transmitter was probably correct and that once she got into clearer waters, the problem would resolve itself.

Please continue to visit our website, BLOG, and tracking pages for all 3 of our released turtles:
Spitfire, Vida and Dylan!

And remember, all three of these turtles are still eligible for adoption as Option #2(costs associated with these turtles incurred after their release in addition to the purchase of the transmitter include satellite time and someone to manage the data) and Griffin as Option #1. Adoption information can be found on our website, on-line store, or by calling the Center at 912-635-4444

Sincerely,
Stefanie
Education and Field Coordinator