Tag: research

Scute’s School and Beyond

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Nicole Thomas, Education Program Manager of the JIA’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Pillar #2: Education: Focus on the Human Animal

Education is interwoven through the framework of the GSTC’s mission.  Each opportunity to 1) form a personal connection, 2) increase awareness of wildlife threats, and 3) inspire individuals to act is the heart of the work. As the world seemed to come to a halt in March 2020, the Education team seized the opportunity to reimagine the definition of personal connection and conservation action by meeting people where they were – at home. Scute’s School was fashioned as a new take on a standard practice. The GSTC has always been a resource for educators, but Scute’s School provided the opportunity to expand the Center’s online presence and create inclusive resources for all teachers, parents, and supporters.

For 50 straight days the education team developed and published a variety of interactive learning opportunities, which included crafts, videos, and updates on the rehabilitation and conservation of wildlife patients, reaching over one million people. Each activity was thoughtfully constructed to work for educators and families at home or in the traditional classroom.

Scute’s School is a testament to the team’s unyielding love for conservation and sincere desire to be a consistent source of educational information, encouraging a ripple effect of environmental stewardship. GSTC Educators were immediately flooded with notes of thanks and photos of kids participating in Scute’s School activities locally in Glynn County and across the country.

The real power of Scute’s School was brought to the Center in June 2021 by a family from Minnesota. Their two kids completed each of the activities and watched all of the videos which inspired them to write their own books. Prior to discovering Scute’s School, they had never heard of the GSTC or Jekyll Island. Because of Scute’s School, they planned their summer vacation around visiting Jekyll Island and sharing their books with GSTC staff. Everyone was incredibly touched and impressed with page after page of drawings illustrating sea turtle anatomy, life cycles, threats, and ways to help our ocean friends.

Their visit to Jekyll Island to share their new-found love of the GSTC was exactly why Scute’s School. It is amazing to see GSTC followers and supporters continue to carry the torch of the Center’s mission and work. Human connection is so important. Without the supporters who donate through the Jekyll Island Foundation and participate in events such as Turtle Crawl, tours like Turtles at Twilight, and programs like Adopt-a-Sea Turtle, the GSTC would not have the ability to reach so many hearts. It is the GSTC’s fundamental goal to share the message of hope and how actions make a true difference for our oceans and coastal wildlife.

To help support the ongoing work of the GSTC, click HERE.

Find Pillar #1 HERE, Pillar #3 HERE.

STAY TUNED

Next, we will dig deeper into Pillar #3 – Research – sharing the lessons we are learning and the mysteries we have yet to solve with Jekyll’s nesting sea turtles.

Author’s note: Established in 2007, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) is a hospital that primarily cares for sick and injured turtles – the only wildlife hospital focusing on turtles in the state of Georgia. The mission of the GSTC encompasses three pillars: 1) Rehabilitation, 2) Education, and 3) Research. Through these pillars guests are connected to individual patient stories and the broader threats these animals face. Since opening its doors in 2007, the GSTC has successfully released over 600 sea turtles.

Rollin’ with Research

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Dr. Tom Radzio, Research Ecologist

If you happen to visit Jekyll Island during summer, you will likely see the JIA Georgia Sea Turtle Center Research Team patrolling our 8 miles of beautiful beaches for nesting sea turtles.  Off they go, day and night, looking to carefully locate all sea turtle nests on the island as part of long-term work to understand the status of our loggerhead sea turtle population.  The vehicles on which they ride, two beach-hardened UTVs, are important tools to conduct this conservation work, enabling the team to patrol large spans of beach quickly and thoroughly.  The UTVs also help provide guests memorable, close-up wildlife experiences in our Ride with Night and Ride with Dawn Patrol public programs. 

Although the team takes special care of these important vehicles, the salt and sand cannot be avoided and one of the GTSC research UTVs is showing signs of wear.  Recently, the Jekyll Island Foundation generously provided the team with a brand new UTV and, until the old one is retired, the research team is using the new vehicle for off-beach turtle research.  The crew also conducts research on box turtles, using miniature radios for tracking in order to understand how these species navigate and use semi-developed golf course and residential environments.  Additionally, in an expanded initiative this year, UTVs were put to good use for a freshwater turtle population study.

If you see one of our UTVs driving by, rest assured that the GSTC are grateful to have these vital research vehicles because of your generous support. We thank you and hope you may join us on one of our Ride with Patrol or other fun excursions to see the animals that we all work together to protect!         

To support the ongoing work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, click HERE.

Nesting Loggerheads

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Davide Zailo, Research Specialist, and Dr. Tom Radzio, Research Ecologist

Here on Jekyll Island, the unofficial start of summer is heralded by the arrival of nesting loggerhead sea turtles. These behemoths of the ocean can reach over 300 pounds and lay up to seven nests of 100+ eggs each in a single season. Some turtles will place all their nests on Jekyll Island whereas others will distribute them among multiple islands. Nesting females are at least 25 years old and very important to the survival of their species. Counting and studying nests allows us to estimate numbers of adult females and determine whether our loggerhead population is increasing, stable, or declining. The long-term data suggest a slowly increasing population, rebounding from dangerous lows at the turn of the century.

Monitoring loggerhead nesting and performing conservation-oriented studies is the responsibility of the JIA Georgia Sea Turtle Center Research Team, which includes two staff members and a talented and dedicated group of AmeriCorps Service Members. This summer, the research will include a new component, work to better understand how nest temperature influences egg development and hatchling characteristics, such as size. After hitting the books and training hard for two months, AmeriCorps Service Members start patrolling the beach in early May.  This is an exciting time as the anticipation of finding the first nest of the season builds day by day!  

From May to July, the GSTC Research Team patrols Jekyll Island’s beaches throughout the night to encounter as many nesting loggerhead sea turtles as possible. These ‘Night Patrols’ allow the team to study females directly, collect nest data, and provide unforgettable experiences for guests in our nighttime Education programs. To ensure that nesting is not interrupted, researchers carefully watch emerging turtles from a distance until they start to lay eggs. At that point, females enter a ‘nesting trance,’ which allows them to be safely examined.

At 6:00 am, a smaller team takes over to perform daily morning surveys. These ‘Dawn Patrols’ cover all of Jekyll Island’s beaches for a thorough accounting of nests laid during the previous night. Dawn Patrol crews also perform a daily check of each nest to document its progress throughout incubation, a process that requires about 50-65 days, depending on nest temperature. Five days after hatchlings emerge, the nest is carefully excavated to assess egg hatching success and collect other information. In addition to valuable data, excavations provide wonderful opportunities for public engagement, including the chance to see a live hatchling.  

These efforts would not be possible without your continued interest and support. We thank you as we strive to learn more about our native wildlife and build towards a more sustainable future. Here’s to a happy and productive turtle nesting season!

To support the ongoing work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, click HERE.

Keeping Jekyll Island Beautiful

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Katherine Doherty, GSTC Research AmeriCorps Member and
Dr. Tom Radzio, JIA GSTC Research Ecologist

For many visitors to Jekyll Island the issue of marine debris may not spring to mind thanks to ongoing efforts of the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) and countless volunteers. In 2013, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) initiated a marine debris volunteer program on Jekyll Island. In addition to coordinating regular clean-up events, ongoing monitoring efforts allow us to understand the specific marine debris issues that Jekyll faces. By encouraging use of University of Georgia’s Marine Debris Tracker App, everyone can contribute to the greater understanding of marine debris worldwide. Even while facing the challenges of COVID-19, there has been a huge push by the Jekyll Island Authority, GSTC, and individuals in the community to continue keeping the beaches clean. In 2020, over 30,000 pieces of marine debris were collected and recorded on Jekyll Island using the tracker app.

Marine debris initiatives on Jekyll Island span the GSTC’s mission of rehabilitation, research, and education.  For example, when turtles are found with ingested fishhooks, the GSTC works to carefully remove them and collect data to better understand the problem and contribute to future solutions.  The GSTC is collaborating with scientists from other institutions to understand this issue and others, such as microplastic in sea turtle nesting beaches, on a global scale.  The Center also pursues other efforts that extend our reach into the local community.  For example, Sea Turtle Patrollers often find children’s toys on the beach.  Rather than being thrown away, these toys are collected and shared with children that are in need. 

The conservation and education work of the GSTC could not be accomplished without the ongoing support of the Jekyll Island Foundation and its donors.  Most recently, a new UTV was purchased for turtle nesting season patrols, marine debris efforts, and much more.  To support the work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, click HERE and add “GSTC” into the comments. To join in or learn more, visit the GSTC’s Marine Debris program.