Conservation, Research and Management
The research program at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is still in its infancy but growing rapidly. Uniquely, our research integrates the fields of Ecology, Wildlife Health, and Environmental Education. All research themes center on conservation and developing the management tools needed for the persistence of native wildlife populations, many of which are dealing with drastically changing landscapes. In the field, much of our research focuses on nesting loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) through nest monitoring, saturation tagging, and human impact assessments. We also participate in a regional genetics study led by University of Georgia researchers, Brian Shamblin and Joe Nairn.
As the research department grows, we are expanding our research to include a variety of other coastal vertebrates. For example, in 2007 we established a diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) road mortality conservation program on Jekyll Island. This program involves collecting data on both live and dead terrapins that are found along the Jekyll Island Causeway. We are further involved with many multi-institutional collaborations including research on easterm box turtles (Terrapene carolina), American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus). In addition, we are involved with the newly-formed Georgia SEANET Program, which monitors marine bird health and disease along the coast. Lastly, we are coordinating baseline sampling efforts on the island to learn more about our local habitats and wildlife species as it pertains to conservation of natural areas and priority species management plans. The data we have collected have been used by several of our staff members who are involved with local planning efforts on Jekyll Island.
For more information, please visit our Staff Page.
Presentations and Publications:
Abstract: Due to their sensitivity to slight changes in their environments, ectotherms serve as ideal taxa for which to perform climate change vulnerability assessments. In addition, reptiles and amphibians collectively possess a wide range of life history, physiological and behavioral traits that presumably translate into variability among species in their ability to acclimate and adapt to changing conditions. The Sandhills Ecoregion has among the highest diversity of reptile and amphibians, including species that are endemic or otherwise have restricted distributions. Ranking species based on biological traits aids in assessing relative vulnerability to climate changes predicted to occur in the region. We used NatureServe’s Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) to predict the relative vulnerability of Sandhills herpetofauna, identify potential species at risk, and evaluate common factors contributing to their vulnerability. However, we found that the CCVI did not capture all of the life history traits and natural history characteristics that might contribute to their vulnerability. We will present an overview of the effectiveness of Natureserve in applications with single species and multiple species both within and among taxa. Additionally, we will include some of our recommendations about additional factors of consideration when applying this tool. This presentation follows our previous paper on our initial results on amphibians in 2012 by expanding our results on reptiles and summarizing the final quantitative results from the CCVI analysis. Lastly, we will discuss this assessment tool as a prioritization mechanism for our current efforts using individual-based modeling to determine species thresholds amidst changing climate conditions.
Also presented at: Southeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. McCormick, SC. 21 Feb 2013.
Abstract: Urbanization is increasing rapidly resulting in growing rates of human-wildlife interactions that are detrimental to native animals. Eastern box turtles, Terrapene carolina, are a priority example of species experiencing declines throughout their range. Effects from habitat loss, road mortality, injury by domestic pets, collection for the pet trade, and reduced health in wild populations have all been documented. Displaced, injured, and deceased animals are regularly admitted to the Jekyll Island State Park Authority’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) on Jekyll Island, GA. Eggs are recovered from injured and freshly-dead females and subsequently incubated in the hospital. Additionally, individuals that cannot be rehabilitated to the point of wild release are placed in our outdoor educational display where they reproduce with other captive adults. Eggs are allowed to incubate in situ in the display. Hatchlings are head-started at the GSTC until their second year and at least 130 grams in order to reduce the risk of predation upon release into the wild. Using health assessment and radio telemetry methodologies we will evaluate survivorship, health status, growth, habitat use, and movement patterns in the wild. This assessment can be used to guide future rehabilitation and management priorities in determining whether head-started individuals can contribute to the viability of local populations. Here we report the progress of 9 released head-started box turtles by analyzing home-range and survivorship to date.
Abstract: Conservation management of human-wildlife conflicts should be ecologically effective and socially acceptable. Without measuring stakeholder values, the success of management actions can be compromised by public dissatisfaction leading to policy delays and wasting of resources. Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) are declining or of unknown status across the majority of their range due to multiple anthropogenic threats, including mortality from vehicles and mesopredators on coastal causeways; thus, management is needed to reduce effects of roads and stabilize at-risk populations. In the summer of 2012, we surveyed visitors (n = 1043), residents (n = 137), and employees (n = 57) of Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA to 1) rank proposed terrapin management actions for the Jekyll Island Causeway by overall public acceptability, 2) identify conflicts among stakeholder groups toward management, and 3) understand factors influencing these attitudes. We found overall support for terrapin management among respondents (77.1%) with visitors expressing more positive attitudes than residents and employees. Patrons found actions that did not impact causeway aesthetics or speed limits most acceptable, such as employing warning signage for drivers, short fencing, and artificial nest mounds. Attitudes to management involving raccoon removal were the most controversial across all stakeholder groups. Patrons with supportive attitudes toward management were more likely to have visited Jekyll Island nature centers, have biocentric value orientations, and be over 40 years old and male. We will use these findings to directly inform a structured decision-making approach to mitigate the effects of roads on terrapins while satisfying stakeholders and improve existing gaps in conservation education.
Abstract: Monitoring of Jekyll Island’s nesting loggerhead sea turtle population began in 1972 with several students from the Biology 102 summer course at the local Brunswick Junior College (present-day College of Coastal Georgia). The initial goal of the study was primarily to compare and contrast the nesting ecology of loggerhead sea turtles on Jekyll Island with that of other beaches in the area, such as Little Cumberland Island, which started sea turtle monitoring in 1964. Over the past 40 years, the Jekyll Island Sea Turtle Project has undergone many changes in management, effort, funding, methodology, and overall focus. A historical overview of the project is presented here.
Also presented at: Southeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. McCormick, SC. 21 Feb 2013.
Abstract: The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) population surrounding Jekyll Island, Georgia suffers from extensive vehicle related casualties on the Downing-Musgrove Causeway which connects the island to U.S. Hwy 17. Since its inception in 2007, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC,) along with the University of Georgia, has conducted research exploring a suite of mitigation techniques to assuage the decline of the local M. terrapin population. In this poster we discuss methods for increasing recruitment of hatchling M. terrapin through the use of nest mounds with protective boxes and egg incubators. In 2009 nest mounds were constructed along the causeway that were designed to prevent adult females from crossing the causeway while simultaneously protecting their eggs from nest predators. However, little data was available describing how often these mounds were used since their construction. The incubators at the GSTC are used to incubate eggs from females that are killed or injured on the causeway. Hatch success from these incubated eggs is often low and variable. In the summer of 2012 we monitored the efficacy of nest mounds to attract M. terrapin and protect nests within the protective boxes. We also evaluated causes of hatching failure in incubators. We hope that by improving these techniques we will be able to significantly increase recruitment of M. terrapin into the local population in the future.
Also presented at: Southeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. McCormick, SC. 21 Feb 2013.
Abstract: As the coastal human population expands, American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are increasingly forced into human-dominated landscapes. Although alligators seem to comfortably occupy man-made stormwater lagoons, their presence creates many issues with human safety and risk management. These issues are exacerbated by the tendency for both residents and visitors to feed alligators. American alligators respond to these interactions by habituating to human presence, which can result in conflicting interactions. This suite of issues warrants a further understanding of the ecology of American alligator populations inhabiting coastal habitats and makes alligators an excellent model species for assessing sustainability of a top predator in landscapes with increasing human populations. We present here initial findings from a multi-faceted research program that employs visual counts surveys, mark-recapture efforts and radio telemetry.
Also presented at: Southeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. McCormick, SC. 21 Feb 2013.
Abstract: It is important to consider environmental characteristics and variables when planning a study involving VHF telemetry. Another consideration must be length of study and requirements of capture, re-implantation, reattachment, and subsequent release of study animals where applicable. What has worked previously, even among the same species, in a specific geographic locale may not translate to different study sites. The Research Department at the Jekyll Island Authority Georgia Sea Turtle Center is currently conducting studies with VHF telemetry components on eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina), American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus), and diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin). For each of these studies, transmitters are applied using different methodologies in an effort to: 1) increase signal transmission with respect to the species’ life history, habitat use, and behavioral traits; 2) facilitate tracking (reduce attenuation of signal); and 3) use external placement techniques that limit undue stress on the animal. Of special interest is a case study involving A. mississipiensis in which a transmitter was placed in the base of the tail and another between nuchal scales to examine relative transmission strength of an animal that may inhabit environments that cause signal attenuation. We will present both existing methodologies and novel revisions that we have adopted in terms of the transmitters used, attachment methodology, and rationale for each study species used on Jekyll Island. The data are gathered with the goal of conservation and development of management tools to inform wildlife management in urbanizing landscapes.