Update from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center Experts
Rehabilitation Key to Overall Conservation Program
Dr. Terry Norton Consulting veterinarian for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center From 1995 to 2004, the average annual number of stranded sea turtles in Georgia was 238. Over the past decade, there has been a steady increase of stranded live turtles along the southeastern Atlantic coastline. Since there are no facilities in Georgia in which to rehabilitate the turtles after an initial evaluation, they must be transported long distances to reach a suitable facility, with the closest being located in Charleston, SC and near Daytona, FL. On occasion, these facilities are filled to capacity and the turtles have to be prematurely released or housed in sub-optimal conditions.
Rehabilitation should be part of the overall sea turtle conservation program because the most common age class of turtles to present for rehabilitation consists of older sub-adult and mature adult turtles. These are the most valuable members of the population, because they are either close to or are currently capable of reproducing. An additional reason for the importance of rehabilitation in sea turtles is that most of the illnesses and injuries they encounter are either directly or indirectly caused by humans; therefore, we have an obligation to assist in their recovery. The animal care facilities will include two rooms with multiple fiberglass tanks and filtration systems, a kitchen and walk-in freezer for food storage. Additionally, a fully functional veterinary clinic with dedicated rooms for treatment, surgery, digital radiography, laboratory work, biomedical sample storage, and offices will be a part of the GSTC.
As sea turtle populations continue to dwindle, the more critical it becomes for scientists to ascertain their health status in the wild and to address the health–related problems that could decimate already fragile populations. The GSTC veterinary staff will continue to establish baseline normal biomedical data for wild populations of sea turtles and investigate health issues and specific disease syndromes afflicting sea turtle populations in Georgia.
To fill the need for sea turtle rehabilitation, efforts have been underway for several years to create a facility in Georgia to care for injured and ill sea turtles. Construction of The Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) will begin in early 2006. . The GSTC programs are unique and one of a kind, because of its multifaceted approach to sea turtle education, research and rehabilitation. Furthermore, the GSTC will house a state of the art education program, rehabilitation and veterinary facility. The center will have three primary objectives: Educate the general public about the unique natural history of the sea turtle (especially the loggerhead) and their plight in Georgia and around the world
- Provide veterinary care and long term rehabilitation to injured and ill sea turtle in Georgia and surrounding states.
3) Conduct research on health and disease issues of sea turtles.
Interactive educational programs and exhibits will be a major focus of the facility. For example, visitors entering the center will be tagged with a bracelet, much like a sea turtle, and then follow the turtle’s journey from being an egg in a nest to adulthood living in the ocean and off the coast of Georgia. The process of rehabilitating a sea turtle will be conveyed to the visitor through a series of educational displays and interactive exhibits, including periodic guided tours through the rehabilitation area. In addition, information on the health and disease related research conducted by the GSTC staff will be part of the educational program.
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The Georgia Sea Turtle Center an Important Component in Georgia Department of Natural Resources Conservation Plan
Mark Dodd Biologist and Sea Turtle Project Coordinator for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Sea turtles are trying to tell us something, and the message is clear; human activities are having profound impacts on marine ecosystems worldwide. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is an important component of our conservation plan for the recovery of threatened sea turtle species and the maintenance of a healthy marine ecosystem in Georgia.
All five species of sea turtles found in Georgia- the hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, green, leatherback and loggerhead- are protected by state and federal law, principally by the Endangered Species Act. The fossil record indicates sea turtles have existed for at least 250 million years. Yet the impact of human activities on sea turtles threatens and endangers their existence. The decline of sea turtle populations is of particular concern because of what it tells us about the health of marine ecosystems. Sea turtles complex life histories and place at the top of the coastal marine food web makes them excellent indicators of the health of our coastal marine environment.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR) is responsible for the protection and management of endangered and threatened sea turtle species in Georgia. The proposed Georgia Sea Turtle Center is critical to the recovery and long-term conservation of sea turtle populations for several reasons. First, the proposed center will provide a facility to care for sick and injured sea turtles. Approximately 15 sea turtles are found annually with injuries sustained as a result of human activities such as boating or commercial fishing. Because no facility exists for rehabilitation in Georgia, injured sea turtles are transported to other states. On several occasions over the last year, facilities in Florida were filled to capacity, and we were forced to care for turtles in sub- standard conditions in Georgia.
Second, the facility will provide a place for scientists to study disease patterns in wild sea turtle populations. Several large-scale disease outbreaks have occurred over the last 6 years in the southeastern United States. The center would provide researchers opportunities to assess the health of Georgia’s sea turtle populations.
Finally, the proposed center will provide a unique opportunity for the citizens of Georgia to learn about the plight of sea turtle populations. The educational component of the facility will allow visitors to learn about past and current threats to sea turtles. This experience will be reinforced when visitors view real turtles in various stages of rehabilitation. Currently, no such facility exists in Georgia.
Back to Newsletter The Georgia Sea Turtle Center Educational Plans Underway
by Catherine Arning, Education Coordinator, Georgia Sea Turtle Center
It may still be months before sick and injured turtles will move into the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, but its education department is already looking forward to making a splash with innovative and engaging programs. Catherine Arning, the Center’s new Education Coordinator, hopes to inspire turtle enthusiasts of all ages to join in local conservation efforts.
“Sea turtles are an important part of our unique coastal ecosystem, and I am thrilled to be working with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to raise awareness and foster an appreciation of these threatened and endangered species,” says Ms. Arning. “This is an exciting opportunity for schools, businesses, and individuals throughout our community to take an active role in sea turtle conservation.”
The GSTC plans to launch a new slate of summer programs, including a speaker series, children’s mini-camps, and research opportunities, to coincide with the start of sea turtle nesting season in May. Academic year offerings for 2006-07 will feature hands-on, field-based marine education courses for grades PreK-12. Additional plans include a monofilament fishing line recycling program, teacher workshops, and a “Lights Out for Sea Turtles” summer campaign.
For more information on the Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s education programs, please contact Catherine Arning at (912) 635-4113 or carning@jekyllisland.com.
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