Community y-Based C P Fi Conservat Project # 1 nal Progr tion for G

Transcription

Co
ommunityy‐Based C
Conservattion for G
Gulf of M
Mexico Seaa Turtles
Project # 1
P
1302.13.0037699 Final Progrrammaticc Report
Sub
bmitted to: Nattional Fish and Wildlife Foundation We
ells Fargo En
nvironmentaal Solutions for Communities 2013 Principal Investigattor: Kriste
en Mazzarel la Sea Turttle Conservaation and Reesearch Proggram Mote Maarine Laboraatory 1600 Ken TThompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 342336 Submitted
d March 30,, 2015 MML Technical Report #1878 Easygrants ID: 37699
NFWF/Legacy Grant Project ID: 1302.13.037699
Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities 2013 - Submit Final Programmatic Report (Activities and Outcomes)
Grantee Organization: Mote Marine Laboratory, Inc.
Project Title: Community-based Conservation for Gulf of Mexico Sea Turtles
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Project Period
Award Amount
Matching Contributions
Project Location Description (from Proposal)
05/01/2013 - 12/31/2014
$50,000.00
$549,855.68
Sarasota County, Florida is the major rookery for loggerhead turtles in
the Gulf of Mexico. The central southwest coast hosts a genetically
unique stock of loggerhead turtles.
Project Summary (from Proposal)
Help support the largest community-based marine turtle conservation
project in Florida by engaging volunteers in protecting sea turtle nests,
tracking predators, and reducing light pollution.
Summary of Accomplishments
In 2014, we completed our 33rd year of community-based conservation
with the help of 316 trained volunteers and 14 interns monitoring nests
across approximately 35 miles of some of the densest nesting beaches
on the Gulf Coast of Florida. This year not only were we just short of
the all time nest count record, but depredations and washouts were low
allowing for 2,404 of the 2,461 nests laid to hatch. This makes 2014 our
most productive year in terms of hatchling production. Team leaders
were trained and introduced on each of the five keys we patrol to help
and unite the volunteers and free up staff to train 10 new volunteers to
verify, mark and inventory nests. We also conducted a predator control
study in a predator prone area of privately owned nesting beach where
collaboration with the Casey Key Association (homeowners), the Sea
Turtle Conservancy (funding), our turtle patrol staff (data collection)
and USDA (predator trapping) studied the impact of predator control on
predations of sea turtle nests in areas where other methods had proven
less effective. Finally, our tagging team tagged 190 new turtles,
encountered 77 remigrants and was able to utilize 12 previously satellite
tagged turtles with known histories to provide high quality data to a new
contaminant study. With the high retention of trained volunteers we are
ready for another big nesting season and expect even better success in
25 years when fruits of our labor - the hatchlings from this year return to
nest
Lessons Learned
Citizen science is what they call it when data are collected by
volunteers. It is used for high volume projects but data are not expected
to be high quality. Our volunteers are trained by and work along side of
scientists which increases the quality of the data they collect. Trained
volunteers not only collect the data but they are excellent ambassadors
to the visitors to our beaches every day. Although we could probably
put 10 scientists on ATVs and complete the job in less time; we use
volunteers to involve the community to teach the community, and reach
residents and visitors alike. The diverse background of our volunteerbase not only provides outreach on the beach for turtle patrol but brings
it into the schools, workplaces and community events broadening the
reach of understanding our conservation mission. By listening to our
volunteers and surveying them when we saw problems or had questions,
we have gained valuable knowledge on how to improve our program.
This year our training methods improved with interactive training
sessions and our team leader program created a sense of community for
our volunteers and utilizing their talents to improve productivity and
quality of data. The passion that our staff, volunteers and interns have
towards their "job" is contagious and engages citizens and provides
them incite into how they can help conserve the sea turtles too.
Conservation Activities
Progress Measures
Value at Grant Completion
Conservation Activities
Progress Measures
Value at Grant Completion
Conduct Community-based Conservation Project
Number of volunteers contacted/involved
330
Daily coordination of sea turtle patrols for 6 months
Other (180 days of community based conservation effort)
28,215
Conservation Outcome(s)
Conservation Indicator Metric(s)
Baseline Metric Value
Metric Value at Grant Completion
Long-term Goal Metric Value
Year in which Long Term Metric
Value is Anticipated
agencies will be enhanced
agencies)
visibility of sea turtle volunteers
lectures, etc)
exhibits)
The survival of loggerhead marine turtles will be enhanced
Other (Number of nests monitored, saved, and hatched)
1258
2,404
positive trend for 5 yr
2014
Management and conservation of marine turtles by local, state, and federal
Other (Amount of high quality data provided to 4 local, 2 state, and 3 federal
46% of Gulf of Mexico's loggerhead activities
46%
46%
2014
Training and organization of community conservation volunteers
Other (Four workshops suited for beginning or advance volunteers annually)
250 volunteers
330
300
2014
Public buy-in on marine turtle conservation will be enhanced by daily
Other (Volunteer hours contributed during daily monitoring for 6 months)
17,000 hrs
28,215 hrs
17,000 hr
2014
Understanding of threats to marine turtles
Other (Persons receiving daily emails tracking a satellite-tagged turtle,
500,000 by media outreach
514,500
500,000
2014
Environmental stewardship will be enhanced long-term
Other (Visitors educated at sea turtle exhibits at Mote aquarium and mobile
350,000
600,000
500,000
2014
Final Programmatic Report Narrative
Instructions: Save this document on your computer and complete the narrative in the format provided. The
final narrative should not exceed ten (10) pages; do not delete the text provided below. Once complete, upload
this document into the on-line final programmatic report task as instructed.
1. Summary of Accomplishments
In four to five sentences, provide a brief summary of the project’s key accomplishments and outcomes that were
observed or measured.
2013:
In 2013, we completed the 32nd year of community based conservation with 244 volunteers and 15 interns
trained to monitor nests across approximately 35 miles of beach on Longboat Key, Lido Key, Siesta Key,
Casey Key and Venice. We had the second highest nesting season in Mote’s turtle patrol history with 2247
Loggerhead nests and 1696 Loggerhead false crawls and the highest nesting season for Longboat Key. In
2013, we more than doubled our green turtle record with 30 green nests and 20 green false crawls. With
few washouts and nests lost to predation, this nesting season may be the most productive nesting season in
our history.
2014:
In 2014 we completed the 33rd year of community based conservation with 316 volunteers and 14 interns
trained to monitor nests across approximately 35 miles of beach on Longboat Key, Lido Key, Siesta Key,
Casey Key and Venice. We had the second highest nesting season in Mote’s turtle patrol history with 2461
nests in total, only eight nests short of the 2012 record, and the highest nesting season for Lido Key (98
nests) and Casey Key (1175 nests). We recorded 2448 Loggerhead nests and 2221 Loggerhead false crawls,
as well as nine green turtle nests, two Kemp’s ridley nests and two nests recently confirmed as laid by a
Hawksbill/Loggerhead hybrid female. Only 18 nests were totally washed out in 2014. Due to the lack of
storms we had this season and near-record nest counts, 2014 is likely the most productive year in our history
in terms of hatchling production (surpassing 2013).
2. Project Activities & Outcomes
Activities
 Describe and quantify (using the approved metrics referenced in your grant agreement) the primary
activities conducted during this grant.
 Briefly explain discrepancies between the activities conducted during the grant and the activities
agreed upon in your grant agreement.
Activities
2013:
 244 volunteers were trained in April 2013 during three 2-hour training sessions and one make-up
session.
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Kept open lines of communication with local code enforcement, law enforcement, municipalities,
state agencies, Sarasota county parks and recreation department (for events).
Provided monitoring for 17 beach cleaners on 123 properties including nest marking, monitoring and
morning clearance communications.
Applied flipper tags to 82 loggerhead and 3 green sea turtles and PIT tags to 68 loggerhead and 3
green sea turtles for future identification.
Deployed satellite tags on three nesting female loggerhead sea turtles, which were tracked to
foraging grounds in Cuba, Gulf of Mexico offshore of Florida, and Florida Bay.
Volunteers and interns contributed 24,710 hours of volunteer turtle patrol time between May 1 – Oct
31.
Compiled data from 2013 nesting numbers.
Provided sea turtle nesting reports to FWC for five islands.
Provided sea turtle productivity reports to FWC for five islands.
Provided Nourishment Productivity reports to FWC for two nourishment projects.
Provided report to Longboat Key regarding nest monitoring.
Satellite tagged a rehabilitated adult male loggerhead, released from Lido Key and tracked to Florida
Bay.
Provided a lecture on sea turtle biology and patrol at the Mote Volunteer General Meeting in
November 2013.
Provided Mote docent training related to sea turtles.
Produced a Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program Newsletter in December 2013 which was
distributed to volunteers, colleagues and donors/patrons.
Activities
2014:
 Renewed six FWC Marine Turtle Permits (5 monitoring and 1 research).
 Provided Mote docent training related to sea turtles.
 Developed nest monitoring contracts with beach cleaners, the City of Sarasota, the Town of
Longboat Key, Sarasota County, and Erickson Consulting Engineers, Inc. for the 2014 season.
 Developed and tested new STCRP (online) database with Axe Technologies, Inc.
 STCRP staff members attended the FWC Marine Turtle Permit Holders meeting, FWC State and
Index Nesting Beach Training, FWC Marine Turtle Strandings Training, and the International Sea
Turtle Symposium.
 Developed 2014 beach monitoring protocols and associated volunteer/intern training materials.
 Provided monitoring for 13 beach cleaners on 118 properties including nest marking, monitoring and
morning clearance communications.
 Three hundred seventeen volunteers (211 returning and 106 new) and 13 interns contributed 28,215
hours of their time between May 1 – Oct 31.
 Prepared ATVs and turtle patrol equipment and distributed to beaches and volunteers
 Held four 1.5-2 hour training sessions in April 2014 to train 317 Turtle Patrol Volunteers (106 new,
211 returning – 10 of which were minors)
 Held Annual Run for the Turtles fundraising event in April 2014
 Provided training to Sarasota County employees regarding sea turtle biology, how they can help, and
best beach practices.
 Attended pre-construction meeting for Longboat Pass Flood Shoals Impoundment Basins
nourishment project
 Planned collaborations with J. Perrault, J Seminoff, B. Shamblin, and S Ceriani for sample collection
and with T. Hirama for study of hatchling orientation.
 Collaborated with Sea Turtle Conservancy and the Casey Key Association to conduct a study on
how a predator removal project impacted predation rates on sea turtle nests
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Initiated a volunteer team leader program to unite volunteers on each Key to provide assistance to
their fellow volunteers whether new or in need of extra training.
Sent out parking permission thank you letters for 2013 and Parking Permission requests for 2014
Assisted with preparations and check in for the Mote Volunteer Awards Ceremony.
Cross trained with Dolphin Health Assessments with Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
Meetings with Positive Tracks to discuss partnership for 2015 Run for the Turtles
Coordinated and held Annual Volunteer Potluck Dinner
Produced the December 2014 Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program Newsletter and
distributed it to 586 volunteers, colleagues and donors/patrons.
STCRP staff took Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteers out to Casey Key at night to observe nesting turtles
for educational purposes during a 5-day period in July 2014.
Mote assisted FWC in testing a new type of turtle friendly streetlight by providing data on nests
hatching in the area to be used for the study test site.
Mote met with Longboat Key Police Chief Pete Cumming to discuss the disorientations/lighting
issues on Longboat Key.
Attended pre-construction meeting for Venice Nourishment Project in November.
Attended pre-construction meeting for Longboat Key Permeable Adjustable Groins in October.
Grant submitted to Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program “Southwest Florida loggerhead rookeries as
long-term collaborative tagging experiment”
As part of the STCRP Tagging Program, Dr. Justin Perrault collected data for three research projects
during the 2014 nesting season (using nesting females on Casey Key). These projects included the
study of: 1) Red Tide toxins in nesting females and eggs; 2) contaminants in hatchlings and post
hatchlings; and 3) heavy metal concentrations in satellite tagged turtles.
Mote Staff registered to attend and submitted poster presentation for Southeast Regional Sea Turtle
Meeting, Jekyll Island, GA Feb 4-7.
Attended meeting with new Town of Longboat Key Code Enforcement
Presented 2013 nesting season numbers and predator problems at Casey Key Home Owners
Association Meeting
Attended and Participated in Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Marine Turtle
Permit Stakeholder meeting
End of Season Reports submitted:
 FWC State Nesting Beach Survey Reports (10)
 FWC SNBS Productivity Reports (7)
 FWC Nourishment Productivity Reports (3)
 Final Nourishment Report to Erickson Consulting Engineers for Geotextile Container project on
Casey Key
 Draft of Longboat Key North End Nourishment and weekly subsample report
 Draft of Longboat Pass Flood Shoal Impoundment Basins report
 Draft of summary report to Sarasota County for nesting on Siesta and Casey Keys
 Compiled raw data for nests on Siesta, Casey and Lido Keys and submitted to Sarasota County
 Compiled raw data for nests on Longboat Key and submitted to Town of Longboat Key
 FWC Permit Reports
Outcomes
 Describe and quantify progress towards achieving the project outcomes described in your grant
agreement. (Quantify using the approved metrics referenced in your grant agreement or by using
more relevant metrics not included in the application.)
 Briefly explain discrepancies between what actually happened compared to what was anticipated to
happen.
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Provide any further information (such as unexpected outcomes) important for understanding project
activities and outcome results.
Outcomes
2013:
 Although turtle nesting season officially begins on May 1, the first nest was documented on
Longboat Key on April 29, 2013 and the last nest was documented in Venice on September 2, 2013.
 In 2013, 241 volunteers returned, 10 served as substitutes, 10 patrolled more than one island, 132
volunteers have been patrolling for up to 5 years, 73 have patrolled for 6-10 years, and 36 have
patrolled for 11-25 years. Our longest patrolling volunteer has patrolled for 25 years. 10 volunteers
were 18 years old or under and patrolled with their parents or a mentor.
 Documented 2247 loggerhead nests, 1696 loggerhead false crawls, 30 green nests and 20 green false
crawls. This was the 3rd highest nesting season in our 32 year history of protecting sea turtles, the
highest nesting season for green sea turtles and due to the lack of storm events washing out nests,
likely the most productive (hatchling production) year.
 Observed 102 individual nesting females on 135 encounters including 22 returning nesting females.
85 individual nesting sea turtles were tagged including 80 new sea turtles.
 Of note, ‘Salty’ returned 25 years after her initial tagging in 1988 and 2013 was the 10th year she has
nested on Casey Key.
 Documented 28 adult disorientations and 4,175 hatchling disorientations on a total of 188 nests in
2013.
 Nearly 1000 runners and walkers participated in the 2013 27th Annual Run for the Turtles.
 Nearly 800 participants registered for the Life’s a Beach Triathlon.
 23-year turtle patrol volunteer Tommy Vaughn-Birch was awarded the Guest Service Excellence
award by Visit Sarasota County.
Outcomes
2014:
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All-time record nesting years for both Casey Key and Lido Key.
First-ever loggerhead/hawksbill nesting female recorded for our region.
Although turtle nesting season officially begins on May 1, the first nest was documented on Casey
and Longboat Keys on May 6, and the last nest was documented on Lido on September 6.
Nesting season completed in November 2014 when last nest was excavated
In 2014, 211 volunteers returned, and there were 106 new volunteers. Our longest patrolling
volunteer has patrolled for 26 years. 10 volunteers were 18 years old or under and patrolled with
their parents or a mentor.
Documented 2448 loggerhead nests, 2221 loggerhead false crawls, 9 green nests, 9 green false
crawls, 2 Kemp’s Ridley nests, and 2 Loggerhead/Hawksbill hybrid nests. This was the 2nd highest
nesting season in our 33 year history of protecting sea turtles, and due to the lack of storm events
washing out nests, likely the most productive (hatchling production) year
Kemp's ridley nested on Venice
Tagging personnel had 459 encounters with individual sea turtles (265 different loggerheads, 2
different green turtles); tags were applied to 228 turtles of which 190 were new turtles (neophytes);
and 77 of the turtles encountered were remigrants (one was a remigrant from 1987).
Documented 24 adult disorientations and 8,537 hatchling disorientations on a total of 285 nests in
2013.
Nearly 800 runners and walkers in the 28th Annual Run for the Turtles.
Nearly 800 participants registered for the Life’s a Beach Triathlon.
3. Lessons Learned
Describe the key lessons learned from this project, such as the least and most effective conservation practices or
notable aspects of the project’s methods, monitoring, or results. How could other conservation organizations
adapt their projects to build upon some of these key lessons about what worked best and what did not?
Volunteer based data is considered citizen science, but when combined with Mote scientists doing the training
and detailing the data to be collected, it gains quality. Trained volunteers not only collect the data but they are
excellent ambassadors to the visitors to our beaches every day. The process is not extremely high tech but it
reaches a huge cross section of the public on a personal basis every day. It is also great publicity for the
Aquarium where visitors can go and learn about other important marine organisms.
Remember your demographics! When planning for the Siesta Key Crystal Classic fundraiser, organizers wanted
our volunteers to be involved and volunteer for the event. Our volunteer base has an average age of 65;
therefore they are more apt to volunteer if given short shifts, out of the sun and the ability to sit down from time
to time, rather than helping park cars, for example, which requires standing in the hot sun for 4 hour shifts.
You don’t have to report to an organization to assist them. For example, nearly all our volunteers help remotely
by patrolling a section of beach that is up to 50 miles away from Mote Marine Laboratory; but they are essential
volunteers for us to cover all 35 miles of beach every morning searching for turtle crawls.
Remember, however, most of our volunteers aren’t on turtle patrol for the science. We polled our volunteers
and found that many of them are primarily volunteering for the exercise, because they like mornings on the
beach, or because they just like sea turtles. We realized that we need to do some explaining about the why’s
(like what the data is used for) and not just the how’s of collecting data so that we instill pride in data collection
by letting the volunteers know how their data collection will help sea turtles in the future.
Sea turtle nesting season means implementation of lighting regulations and other marine turtle ordinances
require beach furniture to be removed from the beach on a nightly basis. Pre-season handouts delivered by
volunteers a month prior to nesting season are an excellent way to remind beachfront properties of the
upcoming turtle nesting season. We meet with property managers and provide them with enough table
tents/posters/door hangers, etc. for all of their rooms so they are prepared to uphold the local marine turtle
ordinance and provide educational information to their guests during sea turtle nesting season. Visitors to the
beach may not agree with how dark the beaches are until they learn that shutting off or shielding lights and
removing obstacles on the beach will help to conserve endangered sea turtles.
Your volunteers have great ideas! Asking for feedback at the end of the season often leads to some great
suggestions and also excellent people willing to help implement those ideas. The 30% of volunteers that
provide feedback at the end of the season are the doers and often know how to recruit other doers. Keep them
involved and you are giving them the satisfaction they are looking for when they signed up to volunteer.
Be clear with your instructions. Provide Examples and provide the ‘why’s’ when things are complicated.
Volunteers do not always think like scientists, so be clear with all the details of data collection and training..
Providing both a PowerPoint presentation at the start of the year and a detailed manual – including photos or
diagrams in each - help volunteers retain the information they learn and gives them a place to take notes.
Hands-on training is the best but it’s not always feasible to get together with every volunteer. We have found
that interactive training sessions with open book questions, or pop questions throughout the presentation that
everyone can answer and ask questions about, work well to weed out the problematic procedures and make sure
everyone is on the same page.
When all else fails, look outside the box. Predation has been on the rise on Casey Key and over the past few
years we have purchased and applied hundreds of cages and screen to protect nests from predators either when
they are first laid or after they are partially destroyed by a predator. Caging takes an extraordinary amount of
extra time and the problem just seemed to be spreading. Therefore, this year, we offered to do a sea turtle
presentation at one of the Casey Key Association (CKA) meetings in the winter when most homeowners were
in town. We presented information on the nesting season on Casey Key as well as our quandary about the
growing predation problem. The CKA offered to form a committee to distribute information about how
homeowners can help (by keeping garbage can lids closed and taking in cat food at night), implementing a
predator control program and collect permission slips from the homeowners. The Sea Turtle Conservancy took
care of funding and hiring a USDA trapper. Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol collected data on nests that were
depredated and provided the information to the trapper for locating predator hot spots as well as compiled the
data at the end of the year to submit a report to both the STC and the CKA. The collaborative study between
homeowners, Mote, and a funding source was a sentinel study on how predator control can be conducted on a
privately owned beach.
4. Dissemination
Briefly identify any dissemination of lessons learned or other project results to external audiences, such as the
public or other conservation organizations.
Dissemination
2013 and 2014:
RESULTS PROVIDED
 Results of the nesting year were posted to the Mote Environmental Updates on a weekly basis
throughout nesting season.
 Provided interviews and press releases throughout entire nesting season which addressed how to
help sea turtles, 2013 and 2014 nesting trends, and other local sea turtle related issues.
 Results of the nesting season and program procedures were shared with the Mote Volunteer Docents
as part of their training at the aquarium in Fall and Spring of each year.
 Results of the nesting season and program successes were shared in a presentation for the Mote
Volunteer General Meeting as in Fall and Spring of each year.
 Provided tagging data for 2013 and 2014 to the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research which
maintains the repository of tags issued by the Cooperative Marine Turtle Tagging Program.
PRESENTATIONS (annual, unless otherwise noted)
 Presented Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles lecture to University of Alabama Birmingham
class (Professor Thane Wibbels)
 Presented for College of Charleston graduate students Marine Tetrapods class (Dr. Dave Owens)
 Presented and held night time educational turtle walk for Wooster School Learning with
Loggerheads program under Marine Turtle Permit #155
 Presented to Pine View Elementary School class (Beverly Templeton); received check for $306
(2014)
 Presented to Longboat Key kids camp (2013)
 Presented on Nokomis Public Beach to the Junior Lifeguard program (2013)
 Presented using props and a book to the Temple Beth Sholom Schools’ summer camp to teach three
and four year old campers how to help protect sea turtles. (2014)
 Presented “ Turtle Talk and Turtle Walk” hosted by the Venice Library
 Presented to 35, Grace United Methodist Church Summer Camp, participants (5-7 year olds).
Included firsthand look at sea turtle nests in the area.
 Longboat Key Turtle Watch nest openings were held ~15/year educating 2,322 members of the
public in attendance
 Turtle walks lead by Mote volunteers on Longboat Key (~9/year) with groups ranging from 3-40 – a
total of 184 in attendance in 2014.
PRESENTATIONS ON TRAPPING PROJECT
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Presented nesting season results to the Casey Key Association (CKA) and hired trapper. Also
provided depredation numbers and causes as well as predation prevention methods used.
Presented the results of the trapping project at the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting in March
of 2014 as a scientific poster shared with colleagues.
The poster, additional results, and lessons were shared with the Sea Turtle Conservancy who
provided the funding for the trapping in an effort to identify the need for funding ongoing/repeated
predator control methods to protect sea turtle nests.
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
 Manned an educational outreach booth at the Life’s a Beach Triathlon 2013 and 2014
 Manned an educational outreach booth for the Siesta Key Crystal Classic 2013 and 2014
 Manned an educational outreach booth for Lakewood Ranch Music on Main
 Manned an educational outreach booth at Longboat Key Open House to assist Longboat Key Code
Enforcement
 Distributed educational materials (table tents, door hangers, posters, postcards, etc.) to ~200
beachfront properties in 2013 and 2014
 Developed an educational nest sign for placement on nests in 2014. Employs pictures to educate the
public on how to protect the nests such that they are understandable to both native and non-native
speakers.
MISCELLANEOUS
 Held free morning public turtle walks on Longboat Key in June and July 2013
 Conducted 24 public nest openings in 2013 and 2014 which were attended by 3,122 members of the
public.
 Girl scouts present project (nest display for outreach programs)
 LBKTW continued to promote its Sea Turtle Defenders Club. The Club is geared towards kids and
is made up of members who have signed a pledge to take action to help prevent the extinction of sea
turtles.
5. Project Documents
Include in your final programmatic report, via the Uploads section of this task, the following:
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2-10 representative photos from the project. Photos need to have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi
and must be accompanied with a legend or caption describing the file name and content of the
photos;
report publications, GIS data, brochures, videos, outreach tools, press releases, media coverage;
any project deliverables per the terms of your grant agreement.
POSTING OF FINAL REPORT: This report and attached project documents may be shared by the
Foundation and any Funding Source for the Project via their respective websites. In the event that the
Recipient intends to claim that its final report or project documents contains material that does not have to be
posted on such websites because it is protected from disclosure by statutory or regulatory provisions, the
Recipient shall clearly mark all such potentially protected materials as “PROTECTED” and provide an
explanation and complete citation to the statutory or regulatory source for such protection.
Photo Captions:
Seasonal Technician, Alexis Ferrera at Sea Turtle Outreach tent and Mascot (Mote volunteer, ) at Life’s a
Beach Triathlon, 2013.
Longboat Key Turtle Watch Nest Opening – Mote volunteer educating the public on nesting turtle and
hatchlings at sunset, Longboat Key, 2014
Longboat Key Turtle Watch Nest Opening – nest excavation by volunteers Tim Thurman and Melissa
Herron as members of the public learn about how to protect hatchlings by turning off your beach facing
lights. Many hatched shells indicates a good hatch from this nest, Longboat Key 2014.
Panoramic view of Run for the Turtles; annual fundraiser for the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research
Program, organized and coordinated by Mote’s Turtle Patrol staff and volunteers, April 2014
A big turnout of Turtle Patrol volunteers for end of season kudos, presentations and nest numbers at the
annual Turtle Patrol Appreciation Potluck dinner at Mote Marine Laboratory, Fall 2014
Green sea turtle nest excavation with volunteers and members of the public, Casey Key, 2014
Intern, Shelby Hoover conducts a nest excavation with volunteers counting eggs and members of the
public learning about nest success on Siesta Key 2014.
STCRP Newsletter #18, December 2014
Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program (STCRP)
Mote Marine Laboratory
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34236
Tel. 941-388-4331
Dear STCRP Volunteers, Partners, Collaborators, and Friends:
We had another amazing nesting season! Mote Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteers and STCRP staff members documented 2461
sea turtle nests on the beaches surveyed by Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol Program. Of those, 2448 were loggerhead, 9 were
green, 2 were Kemp’s ridley, and 2 are undetermined (we are awaiting the results of genetic testing). We missed the
record for the most nests laid in a single season by eight nests (the record year was 2012)! However, Lido and Casey
Keys both had record numbers of nests this year, 98 and 1175 respectively.
Only 18 nests were totally washed out in 2014 — compared to the 1,022 nests
that washed out in the record setting year of 2012 (due to tropical storms Debby
and Isaac). Due to the lack of storms we had this season and near-record nest
counts, 2014 may be the most productive year in history in terms of hatchling
production!
Kemp’s ridleys are day time nesters (though sightings are rare on the beaches we
monitor) and both of the females that nested this year were actually seen on the
beach! The Kemp’s ridley that nested on Casey Key (photo at right) was seen
by STCRP Seasonal Technician, Tori Erb and the one on Venice was observed
by a member of the public (see Adam Sando’s video of the Kemp’s nesting at:
http://www.mysuncoast.com/videos/local_news/kemps-ridley-turtle-nesting-onvenice-beach/html_90101aa6-53e0-565a-95e9-79a1edebc76a.html). The other
exciting news is that two of our documented nests may actually be
loggerhead/hawksbill hybrid nests! There is more on this later in the newsletter.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) scientists, the results of the 2014 nesting season
in Florida are encouraging and provide a positive outlook for the future. Overall, loggerhead nest counts in 2014 were
slightly higher than in 2013. Loggerhead nest numbers in Florida show a complex pattern: nest counts have increased,
then decreased, then increased again. Despite the variable pattern, the overall trend in this species’ nest numbers is
positive. Green turtle nesting trends in Florida show an exponential increase over the last 26 years, although counts in
2014 were much lower than last year. This was expected because green turtle nesting patterns tend to follow a two-year
cycle with wide year-to-year fluctuations. Green turtle nest counts set two record highs in 2011 and 2013. Although
nesting at a much lower level than loggerheads, the nest counts for leatherback turtles reached a new record high in the
state in 2014, showing a slight increase over the previous high in 2009. The trend in leatherback nesting also shows an
exponential increase over the last 26 years.
The sea turtle monitoring, research, rescue, and rehabilitation described/depicted in this newsletter was conducted under
FWC Marine Turtle Permits issued to members of the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program and Mote Marine
Laboratory.
If you would like to make a contribution to support the conservation efforts of the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research
Program, please contact Kathy Klingensmith at kak@mote.org.
We hope you enjoy reading more on the above topics and others in the remainder of this newsletter!
What’s New in the STCRP?
Dr. James (“Buddy”) Powell – STCRP Program Manager
For more than 40 years Buddy has worked to help save manatees and
other endangered species around the world, and his efforts have
resulted in protected coastal areas in Florida, West Africa, Central
America, and now Cuba. His approach integrates science and
education to unlock solutions to conservation issues. In the 1970s,
Buddy worked for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as a Biologist
and Manatee Specialist. In 1986, he moved to West Africa where he
studied manatees and forest elephants for the Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS) and was pivotal in establishing several coastal
protected areas. He and his wife, Maureen, moved to Belize in the
1990s where they managed WCS’s Glover’s Reef Marine Research
Station. They then returned to Florida where Buddy administered Florida’s research program on marine mammals and sea
turtles for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In 2001, he became Vice President for Aquatic
Programs at Wildlife Trust. In 2008, Buddy co-founded Sea to Shore Alliance (Sea2Shore). The organization was created
to form a partnership of scientists and citizen volunteers with the expertise, passion, and vision to help reverse the
degradation of our aquatic coastal environment and loss of species and diversity. He is currently also serving as an adjunct
Senior Scientist for Mote Marine Laboratory where he joined the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program as
Program Manager in 2014.
Buddy received his Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Florida, his Masters of Marine Affairs
from the University of Washington, and his PhD from the University of Cambridge in England. He was the recipient of
the prestigious Pew Award in Marine Conservation in 2000; has been featured on “Champions of the Wild” and National
Geographic’s “Wild Chronicles” documentaries; and has been honored with multiple awards (e.g. USGS 2001 Florida
Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Leadership Award) and certificates. Buddy has authored two books, numerous
scientific publications, and popular articles.
Karen Schanzle- STCRP Staff Biologist
Karen Schanzle joined the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program as a
Staff Biologist in March of 2014. Since 2005, she has worked with sea turtles on
both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida conducting nesting surveys and
responding to strandings. For the past four years, Karen worked for the marine
turtle subsection of Imperiled Species Management with the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Her focus with FWC included sea
turtle lighting issues and providing comments on coastal regulatory activities.
Karen has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Southeast Missouri State
University and a Master of Science in Marine Biology from NOVA Southeastern
University.
Volunteer Team Leader Program
This year we implemented a new Volunteer Team Leader Program on each key to
help with volunteer training and communications. Team Leaders offered “on the
beach” Turtle Patrol training each week for their fellow volunteers and used email
to help develop a sense of community amongst the Turtle Patrol Volunteers on
their respective Keys. We plan to continue this program into future years and improve it as needed based on the feedback
we receive. We wanted to extend our sincerest thanks to our leaders: Jeanne Panka; Jon Prettyman; Jo and Carrol Dzina;
Debbie Klinger; Merrilee Scarano; Noella Santerre; Howard Cowan; Patti and Garry Brady; and Peg Magee for being
brave enough to take on this task in the first year of inception and making it successful!
Nest Protection Sign
Due to the significant increase in the number
of nests on our beaches in recent years, and
the corresponding increase in human
interaction with those nests (human digging
around nests, removal of stakes, use of
flashlights during nest hatchings, etc.), we
decided we needed another educational tool
to help us educate the public on the proper
way to interact with sea turtles and their
nests. Currently an FWC sign is posted on
each nest (yellow sign on left). However, as
a result of our interactions with beachgoers,
we determined that some people were not
taking the time to read the existing nest sign
or they could not read it because they were
non-English speaking tourists. So, we
decided to create an additional sign that did
not require “reading” in order to get our
points across.
John Cassell, a former STCRP Intern, came up with the design for the new sign, and with the help of Stacy Alexander and
Lawson Mitchell of Mote’s Department of Community Relations and Communications, we were able to get that design
ready for printing (orange sign on right). Longboat Key Turtle Watch very generously provided the funds to print 1,000
of these new signs and we are happy to say they made their debut on beaches all over Sarasota County in the 2014 nesting
season. Thank you John, Stacy, Lawson, and Longboat Key Turtle Watch for helping us make this new sign a reality!
Nest Replica
In early 2014, Girl Scout Troop 250 from Venice
decided to build a model of a sea turtle nest for the
STCRP for their Bronze Award Project. The STCRP
wanted a nest model to use for educational purposes at
public events. The Girl Scouts, with help from their
parents, used both their creativity and building skills
to produce a beautifully encased replica of a sea
turtle nest (see photos at left). One of the
requirements for the nest model was that it
had to be both durable and mobile, and the
girls succeeded on both accounts. Portions of
the nest replica are made with race car parts,
so it is definitely sturdy enough to make the
trips back and forth to the beach! The model
made its debut at the Life’s a Beach Triathlon
and was displayed again at the Siesta Key
Crystal Classic. The response to the nest
replica was amazing - the girls did such a
great job making it look realistic that we were
constantly explaining to people that the turtles
inside were not real! You did a fantastic job
ladies, thank you for generous contribution to our
program!
STCRP Numbers - Summary of Nests and False Crawls on Mote Patrolled Beaches
In the table below, “LK” is the abbreviation for Kemp’s ridley and “Ei” is the abbreviation for Hawksbill (and references
the two potential hawksbill/loggerhead nests pending genetic confirmation).
2014 Nesting Numbers Loggerhead
Nests NNE
21
72
55
40
106
103
97
53
Longboat Manatee Totals
279
268
Longboat Sarasota VTP
54
43
X
53
41
1
12
9
2
31
30
3
42
36
4
73
99
Longboat Sarasota Total
265
258
Lido Key
1
35
16
2
7
15
3
39
42
4
17
21
Lido Total
98
94
Siesta
WHISP
17
20
1
7
26
2
11
8
3
4
25
4
20
39
5A
113
92
5B
54
43
6A
19
23
6B
36
24
Siesta Total
281
300
Casey Key
1
38
23
2
89
43
XN
84
143
XC
59
79
XS
123
104
3
109
72
4
105
90
5
112
115
6
116
95
7
156
78
8
107
127
68
57
9
Casey Total
1166
1026
Venice
1N
106
81
1S
15
20
2
60
41
3
61
40
4
35
29
5
23
21
6
59
43
Venice Totals
359
275
Grand Total
2448
2221
Key
Longboat Manatee
Zone
A
B
C
D
*Pending genetic confirmation
Green
Ei*
LK
Nests NNE Nests Nests
1
1
1
1
2
4
1
1
4
2
1
1
1
8
8
1
2
1
9
9
2
2
1
2
Total
Nests
22
55
106
97
280
54
53
12
31
42
73
265
35
7
39
17
98
17
7
11
4
20
113
54
19
36
281
38
91
88
59
124
110
105
112
116
156
108
68
1175
108
15
60
62
35
23
59
362
2461
Total
NNE
72
40
103
53
268
43
41
9
30
36
99
258
16
15
42
21
94
20
26
8
25
39
93
43
23
24
301
23
44
147
81
105
72
90
115
95
78
127
57
1034
81
20
41
40
29
21
43
275
2230
STCRP Numbers - Disorientations
Each year throughout the State of Florida, artificial lighting adjacent to a nesting beach causes nesting females and
hatchlings to become disoriented and wander inland instead of towards the water. These disorientation events are
documented along every key in Sarasota and reported to local code enforcement and state agenices to assist in resolution
of the lighting issues. Nests are recorded as disorientations when at least one hatchling was determined to have gone the
wrong direction due to lights or when an adult female travels inland or parallel to shore after nesting or attempting to nest.
The main causes of disorientation events reported this season include condominium lights (interior and exterior), singlefamily home lights (interior and exterior), and skyglow. To determine the percentage of disorientations by key in 2014,
the number of nests that disoriented was divided by the total number of nests per key. This number is an estimate as the
total number of nests that hatched was not included in the calculation. The graph to the left and the table below present
disorientation data for the 2014 season. The data shows that disorientations remain a persistent concern across our patrol
areas.
DISORIENTATIONS
# of Hatchling Disorientations
Longboat Key (Manatee County)
88
Longboat Key (Sarasota County)
77
Lido Key
25
Siesta Key
26
Casey Key
37
Venice
31
Total # of Hatchlings Disoriented
2712
2556
717
356
1554
654
# of Adult Disorientations
2
2
6
8
5
1
This season, Staff Biologist Karen Schanzle taught the STCRP interns about FWC lighting survey techniques and
methods for resolution of problematic beachfront lighting. The training included conducting a mock lighting survey to
identify potential lighting issues along Lido Key. Lighting issues identified during the survey were documented in a mock
report along with solutions for modifying the lights to minimize the impact to marine turtles. During the lighting survey,
interns noted how prominent interior lighting issues are along the beachfront. In the photos below, non-compliant interior
lights are shown in addition to pool lights identified by the yellow arrow. Lighting surveys are conducted each season by
Code Enforcement Officers from each municipality to ensure that beachfront properties are complying with the local
ordinances. The interns learned a lot and we hope to use the results of the lighting survey to improve the pre-season
educational literature sent to the properties on Lido Key in 2015. Thanks to STCRP Interns Shelby Hoover, Kelli Wright,
Erin McCarthy, and Kara Koenig for compiling these data!
STCRP Numbers - Depredations
Depredation events occur when an animal digs into a nest and destroys eggs. The most common predators along Sarasota
County beaches are raccoons and armadillos. This year coyotes also topped the list by destroying eggs in 44 nests on
Venice. Casey Key had the most depredations overall (227 nests), primarily by armadillos and raccoons, many of which
were considered “total depredations” with complete loss of eggs from the nest chamber. Siesta Key had the fewest
depredations (five nests). Despite the relatively low number of depredations on Lido Key this season, Lido had the
highest percentage of total depredations. Below, the graph on the left shows the total number of nests depredated on each
Key, while the graph on the right shows the percentage of nests that were considered total depredations. STCRP places
cages and screens made of welded wire fencing material over nests that have been depredated to prevent further egg loss.
These are “self-releasing” which means hatchlings can fit between the wire and travel to the water without removing the
cage/screen. One hundred twenty-four cages and 166 screens were applied to nests this year. Thanks to STCRP Intern
Ian Perkins-Taylor for compiling these data!
STCRP Numbers - Abandoned Egg Chambers
When a nesting female emerges from the water to lay her
eggs, she may dig a few body pits before she nests or before
she returns to the water without laying her eggs, in what is
known as a non-nesting emergence. An abandoned egg
chamber (AEC) results from the female turtle digging a
partial or full nest cavity with no subsequent deposit of
eggs. The exact reason for abandoned body pits and egg
chambers is often not known. Possibilities could include
human harassment, obstacles such as buried rocks, beach
furniture, step revetments, sand moisture conditions, or back
flipper injuries. The Seasonal Technicians, Tori and Alexis,
worked on a project assessing the number of AECs
documented over the past six years (2009-2014) on each
Key to determine if there was an increase in AECs during the 2014 nesting season. The rate of AECs was calculated by
dividing the total number of crawls with AECs by the total number of crawls documented (nesting and non-nesting
emergences). The above table identifies the change in percentage of crawls containing an AEC between the five year
average (2009 – 2013) and the 2014 nesting season. In 2014, the total change across all keys was less than 1% indicating
that the number of abandoned egg chambers has not significantly increased or decreased in the past six years. Thanks to
STCRP Seasonal Technicians, Alexis Ferrera and Tori Erb for compiling these data!
Summer Tagging and Related Research – Dr. Justin Perrault
This year the nighttime tagging program was led by Dr. Justin Perrault. He was assisted by two interns Anna Gubbins and
Angela Tupper, and one REU student, Kate Bauman. There were 459 encounters with nesting sea turtles, and 267 of those
encounters were with different individual turtles, two of which were green sea turtles. Two hundred twenty-eight
individual turtles were tagged and 190 of those were females who have not been seen before (neophytes). Seventy-seven
of the turtles that were encountered were remigrants, turtles we have observed in prior years. Thirteen of our previously
satellite tagged females returned this season, most notably Spunky who was originally tagged in 1987, and forages in the
Florida Keys over the winter. Assuming the age of maturity at approximately 30 years old for loggerheads, Spunky would
be at least 57 years old (since our program did not start tagging until 1987, Spunky may have nested prior to that which
would make her even older)!
Dr. Justin Perrault also collected data for three research projects during the 2014 nesting season (using the nesting females
on Casey Key). These projects included the study of: 1) Red Tide toxins in nesting females and eggs; 2) contaminants in
hatchlings and post hatchlings; and 3) heavy metal concentrations in satellite tagged turtles. Below is a summary of the
findings from each of these research projects.
Harmful algal blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, occur
almost annually on the Gulf Coast of Florida. These blooms release a
group of neurotoxins referred to as brevetoxins (commonly known as
Red Tide) that result in massive fish kills, increased mortalities of marine
animals, and adverse effects on human health. This study examined the
persistence of brevetoxins in biological tissues of nesting loggerhead sea
turtles over a year after the last major Red Tide event, which occurred in
May of 2013. Since marine turtles are thought to be breeders that fast
during the nesting season, toxins stored in the turtles’ fat from past events
could be released as their lipids are metabolized. Blood and scute
samples from nesting loggerhead females were collected during nightly
patrols from May–July 2014 along Nokomis Beach of Casey Key on the
Florida Gulf Coast. These samples were analyzed for brevetoxin
exposure and indicators of immune system health. All sampled nesting
females tested positive for brevetoxin exposure. Low levels of brevetoxin
were found in the scute samples, indicating that this could be a site for toxin elimination. One individual nesting female
was found to have a toxin load indicative of recent brevetoxin exposure, perhaps from exposure to a bloom that was
forming towards the end of the nesting season. Finally, six eggs from nesting turtles were analyzed for brevetoxin
exposure as well. Preliminary results indicate that brevetoxin concentrations in the plasma are positively correlated with
concentrations in the eggs, indicating that brevetoxin in the plasma was likely derived from metabolized fat stores and not
recent exposure to brevetoxins. The presence of brevetoxins in the eggs will continue to be monitored in order to
determine the effects on reproductive success.
Worldwide, loggerhead sea turtles have experienced a substantial population decrease
resulting from a variety of anthropogenic practices, including pollution, which makes
population rebound difficult. One of the possible causes of low hatchling survival in
loggerheads is the impact of persistent organic pollutants (POPs, e.g., PCBs, DDTs),
heavy metals and natural toxins (e.g., brevetoxins). The risks that these compounds
pose to marine turtles are high, yet an understanding of the risks is hindered by a lack
of data for these organisms A number of studies document potential negative effects of
contaminants on adult sea turtle health; however, further research is needed regarding
how contaminant concentrations change as hatchling and post-hatchling marine turtles
metabolically absorb their lipid-rich yolk sacs (the yolk sac sequesters a large number
of POPs and other contaminants). A sample of 20 hatchlings was collected from five
nests during the 2014 nesting season. Blood was drawn from a subset of these
hatchlings on the day of hatching, at five days post-hatching, and at 10 days posthatching. Samples from two nests have been analyzed for brevetoxin concentrations
and it was found that brevetoxin concentrations in hatchlings increased through time
(concentrations were lowest at hatching and highest on day 10) indicating that toxin
concentrations are stored in the yolk sac and increase as a result of yolk metabolism.
Fossil fuel use and large scale dumping of toxicant-laden byproducts have well-documented impacts on diverse
ecosystems. Of particular concern are the effects of toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, selenium, and
thallium) on wildlife, which stem from industrial sources. Upon completion of the nesting season, Gulf of Mexico
loggerheads return to one of five potential foraging grounds and exhibit a strong philopatry to these foraging sites. Blood,
scute, and unhatched egg samples from previously satellite-tagged Gulf of Mexico female loggerhead turtles will be
analyzed for toxic elements in an effort to determine if toxicant concentrations differ by foraging locale. This research will
improve current understanding of toxicant loads in Gulf of Mexico loggerheads and will allow biologists and veterinarians
to more effectively monitor wild populations, treat rehabilitation turtles, and understand health challenges. Maternal
exposure to these contaminants just prior to and during egg formation may result in subsequent transfer to developing
embryos. Exposure to these contaminants could negatively impact health and reproductive success, which has critical
implications for the long-term survival of threatened loggerhead populations. This project is in the early stages. Currently,
12 blood, scute, and egg samples have been collected from previously satellite-tagged loggerhead turtles. Sampling will
continue into the 2015 nesting season to increase the sample size.
Hybrid Sea Turtles
According to recently published reports and observations by individuals workings with sea turtles, hybridization of sea
turtle species may not be as unusual as previously thought. Hybridization occurs when animals of different species mate to
produce offspring that is different from each parent. Genetic analysis has confirmed hybridization of all marine sea turtle
species in Florida waters except for leatherbacks. Documented cases of hybrid sea turtles are becoming more common,
though it is not known if there really are more hybrids or whether people who study turtles are getting better at
recognizing them (both adults and offspring). Because so little is known about hybrid sea turtles, there are many
unanswered questions that people who study sea turtles are trying to figure out. For example:

Can hybrid offspring reproduce?



Is hybridization occurring because of declining populations (difficulty finding a mate of the same species)? Or, is
it because of issues with the ratio of males to females in the mating areas?
Do hybrid offspring have the characteristics and feeding behaviors of both parents or just one? Would this present
an evolutionary advantage for future generations?
How is migration and nesting behavior affected by hybridization?
In May, we received photos from Bill Arkilander, who was
cruising in the Gulf of Mexico and observed what he thought
were two sea turtles mating. He sent the photos to our program
and asked for more information about the turtles. What a surprise
it was when we discovered that his photos revealed a green sea
turtle mating with a loggerhead (photos to the right and below)!
What an amazing thing to witness, what could be hybrids in the
making!
And there’s more! During Turtle Patrol in June, a
female sea turtle was discovered stuck in the rocks at
Humphris (South Jetty) Pak in Venice. She was
rescued and released by Mote Marine Laboratory’s
Stranding Investigations Program. It was later
determined, by closer examination of the rescue effort
photographs, that the turtle was a possible hybrid - a cross between a loggerhead and a hawksbill! This was very exciting
news because this is the first hawksbill turtle of any kind (hybrid or full-blooded) to nest on Mote-patrolled beaches in 32
years! Also, if she is a hybrid, she had survived to adulthood and was reproducing!
The feature in the photos that caught our eye was her head. It was smaller and shaped differently than that of a
loggerhead. It had the more distinctive parrot-like beak of a hawksbill. Additionally, her carapace (shell) was the
characteristic tortoise-shell pattern of hawksbills (for which they used to be harvested). This female is believed to have
laid two nests, side by side, in the thick vegetation alongside a foot path leading through pine trees; another characteristic
of hawksbills – nesting in dense vegetation and high nest site fidelity. We are delighted to report that both nests produced
a significant number of live hatchlings. The hatchlings also displayed some possible hawksbill characteristics – four
lateral scutes on their carapace and scutes that were somewhat imbricated (overlapping, another distinguishing feature of
hawksbills). There can be wide variations in the physical characteristics between turtles of the same species, so it is
possible that she was not a hybrid, but the anomalies were enough to warrant further investigation. Since hawksbills are a
very rare species for our area, they usually nest near coral reefs in warmer waters, we collected samples (hatched eggs,
unhatched eggs, and dead hatchlings) from each of her nests for genetic testing. The samples have been sent to FWC and
we are anxiously awaiting the results of those tests. Below are photos of the potential loggerhead/hawksbill adult female
and one of her offspring.
Sea Turtle Care & Hatchling Hospital — Holly West and Amber Avestruz
The summer of 2014 proved to be a busy year once again in Mote’s Hatchling Hospital. The Hospital received over 1,000
more patients this year than in 2013, with a grand total of 2,693 hatchlings! This is the highest number of patients to come
through the hatchling hospital in a single season. In addition, 227 patients were admitted to the hospital tank for long
term-care, which was also a record for the Hatchling Hospital. This year’s patients were almost entirely loggerhead
hatchlings, with only five green hatchlings brought in.
With the increase in patient numbers, we had to make some changes in the hospital. Thanks to the continued funding and
support from Longboat Key Turtle Watch, we were able to install a second medical tank to care for the large number of
admitted hatchlings. This new tank is bigger than our current one, providing more space for the babies, and allowing us to
separate hatchlings if needed. This medical tank is off exhibit; however, our current medical tank is still located in the sea
turtle exhibit area and allows guests to view patients.
We also utilized the help of many volunteers this year. It was not uncommon to have over 100 hatchlings in our hospital
tanks at a time, and feeding all of those babies can take several hours each day. We are very grateful to the staff, interns,
and volunteers for all of their assistance this year! We had another successful season with a 73% release rate of patients
back into the wild.
Stranding Investigations Program — Gretchen Lovewell and Rebeccah Hazelkorn
As of December 5th, 2014, Mote’s Strandings Investigation Program had responded to 88 sea turtle strandings
representing three species (51 loggerheads, 29 green sea turtles, 5 Kemp’s ridleys, and 3 carcasses that were not
identifiable to species) and spanning eight counties in Florida. Of those, 32 turtles stranded alive: 14 loggerheads, 13
greens, 3 Kemp’s ridleys, and 2 unidentified turtles (releases by the public without pictures). Ten of the turtles responded
to or admitted to the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital were green sea turtles with fibropapilloma tumors. Forty-five sea
turtles showed signs of human interaction. Thirteen turtles had fishing line and/or hooks or evidence of prior ligature
present at the time of stranding. Twenty-three turtles had evidence of watercraft injury. Five turtles had both a watercraft
injury and signs of fishery interaction. Four turtles were adult nesting turtles that had to be rescued due to entrapment in
beach furniture or rock sea walls.
In the photo on the left below, Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteer Ashton Pennell keeps a stranded sea turtle moist while
awaiting help from the Mote Stranding Investigations Program. The turtle has wedged herself head first into the rocks
and cannot back out to escape. On the right, Gretchen Lovewell orchestrates the rescue of the same turtle. This is potential
loggerhead/hawksbill hybrid turtle discussed earlier in this newsletter.
Turtle Hospital – Kathy Klingelberger & Lynne Byrd
During 2014, the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital treated 38 patients of different
ages within three different species (loggerheads, greens, and Kemp’s ridleys). Fifteen
of the patients were successfully released. Only three patients were deemed nonreleasable and one is still waiting for a permanent home.
In December, two loggerhead sea turtles rehabilitated by the Hospital were released
from Lido Key. During the release, Mote caregivers were joined by a group of wellwishers, including a local law enforcement officer who helped rescue one of the
turtles. Loggerhead sea turtles “Al” and “Kalani” stranded during the summer of
2014 and were treated at Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital for lethargic
loggerhead syndrome — a condition caused by blood parasites that can leave sea
turtles listless and vulnerable to predators and other dangers.
Al, a 93-pound turtle,
stranded on August 18th in
the waters off Turtle Beach
on Siesta Key. Al was
discovered by, and later
nicknamed after, Sarasota County Sherriff’s Deputy Eric
Alvarez. Alvarez spotted the turtle while on marine patrol, and
he immediately called Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program.
Mote staff joined Alvarez on his boat to recover the turtle.
Kalani, a 188-pound turtle, stranded on July 17th in Boca Grande. A member of the public reported the turtle to state
wildlife officials, who designated a volunteer to bring the turtle to Mote.
Both turtles, originally found listless and depleted, made a full recovery. Al — known as the feistier of the two — looped
back along the beach a few times before heading out into the waves. Kalani made a beeline out to sea. Their release is a
testament to Mote’s great animal rescue and rehabilitation team, and to everyone in the community who has supported
their work.
STCRP Fundraising
Run for the Turtles – April 5, 2014
Our 28th Annual Run for the Turtles was held April 5th on Siesta Key Public Beach. The Run is a joint effort between
Mote, the Manasota Track Club, and Sarasota County Parks and Recreation and raises funds for the Mote Sea Turtle
Conservation and Research Program. Once again we had great weather and a super turnout. We had 798 participants in
the 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk and 5K events this year. With generous support from our sponsors and the registration monies
collected, we raised $14,000 after expenses.
The team winner for the second year in a row
was the group from Life Care Center of Sarasota.
The overall winners of the 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk
were Dylan Hull and Grace Bridgeman. Kyle
Donovan and Heather Butcher were the overall
winners of the 5K. A great big THANKS goes
out to all of the volunteers who regularly help
both before and on race day. An event this size
could not be successful without our regular cadre
of wonderful staff and volunteers from all areas
of Mote.
We would like to once again thank the sponsors
who made this event possible, including:
Brighthouse Networks, ABC 7, SNN Local
News 6, Mote Scientific Foundation, New
Balance, Koala Tee, Kumar and Linda
Mahadevan, IBC Insurance Consultants,
Westbridge Veterinary Clinic, and Ignite 360
Fitness.
This year we received a very special email after the race that we feel compelled to share with our readers to show how
special the annual Run for the Turtles is for those who participate (we have not included full names to protect the privacy
of the people involved).
Three years ago, I invited a guy I was interested in to come run the race with me. It was
our "first date.” Yes, not a typical first date, but we both enjoy running and love Siesta
Key. We had an amazing time at the race and Jeff placed third in his age group! We
spent the rest of the day on the beach getting to know each other and as it is said, "The
rest is history!" We have been at the race each year carrying on the tradition of our first
date and Jeff has been placing each year too.
The Turtle Run holds a very special place in our hearts as the place that “started it
all.” This year though was the absolute best!
As I was approaching the finish line, I could see Jeff waiting for me, so I started running
faster to "finish strong.” Then I heard my mother calling my name, cheering for me and
holding a sign that read my name. She wasn't supposed to be there and completely
confused me, but I kept running towards Jeff. Then I saw my father holding up his phone
(recording me) and cheering me on, he wasn't supposed to be there either. Completely
confused at this point, I crossed the finish line and saw Jeff holding up two more signs -"Will You” and "Marry Me?" It was the greatest surprise of my life!! Out of breath,
crying with joy, and surprised beyond belief, this was the most perfect moment. Oh, and I
said YES!
Perfect day, place, and time. I couldn't ask for anything more!
We are hoping to have our wedding next year, the same Saturday as the race, so all of
our friends and family can run it with us before our ceremony that evening.
Please join us for the 2015 Run for the Turtles! It will be our 29th year of raising awareness and funds for sea turtle
conservation. This family friendly event will be held on April 4, 2015 on Siesta Key Public Beach.
This year, Mote has partnered with the Positive Tracks
organization to encourage youth to get involved in philanthropic
endeavors, and in this case, to help raise money for our Sea
Turtle Conservation and Research Program. Positive Tracks
will match each dollar (up to $37,000) raised by youth ages 23
and younger leading up to and culminating with the Run for the
Turtles. Information about this fund raising campaign can be
found at www.mote.org/positivetracks. If you have young
children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbors, etc. that
you think might be interested in participating in this campaign,
the website provides information on how they can get involved.
Our goal is to provide kids with an opportunity to partake in sea
turtle conservation efforts through philanthropic activities.
Online registration for the 2015 Run for the Turtles event is now open at http://www.active.com/sarasotafl/running/races/29th-annual-run-for-the-turtles-2015?int=. We also have a Facebook page
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Run-for-the-Turtles/287554347937975) that contains updates and a link to the online
registration. Registration forms can also be downloaded from the Mote website http://www.mote.org/turtlerun).
As always, there will be souvenir shirts for those that pre-register, lots of door prizes, entertainment, food, and drink. We
hope you will join us for a beautiful morning on the beach to help kick off the 2015 sea turtle nesting season.
Life’s A Beach Triathlon, Lido Beach -- September 13, 2014
On September 13th, a Life’s a Beach Triathlon was
held on Lido Beach and the Endeavor Racing
organization generously donated $1 from each paid
entry to the STCRP. Thanks to Kip Koelsch and all the
members of the organization for putting on a wonderful
event to benefit our program!
Representatives from the Sea Turtle Conservation and
Research Program and Shelley (the Mote sea turtle
mascot) were at the event educating the participants
and members of the public about sea turtle conservation.
Carissa Heuer deserves an enormous thanks for donning the furry, full body Shelley costume in the summer heat in order
to greet the triathlon participants as they crossed the finish line! An additional thanks to Carissa’s mom Sara (shown
above with Carissa) for working her magic with safety pins so that her teenage daughter could wear the adult costume
safely and for her assistance manning the STCRP educational booth at the event.
Next year, we are hoping for a big turnout from Sea Turtle
Conservation and Research Program supporters! You can
help support sea turtle conservation, get some exercise, and
have a whole lot of fun at the same time! The date for next
year’s event is September 12, 2015 and online registration is
available at:
http://www.lifesabeachtriathlon.com/2015_Sarasota.php.
Register early as they are expecting the 2015 event to sell
out!
Siesta Key Crystal Classic — November 14-18, 2014
The Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master
Sand Sculpting Competition is one of the
two major fund raising events for the Sea
Turtle Conservation and Research Program.
This year the event was held from
November 14th-18th at the Siesta Key
Public Beach, and hosted 24 of the world’s
top master sand sculptors. Morgan Rudluff
and Abram Waterman took first place with
their sculpture “Keyless” which featured an
angular man and dog locked outside a
round house inhabited by smoothlysculpted ladies and cats (photo at right).
This year, the Sea Turtle Conservation and
Research Program set up an educational
booth inside the venue in conjunction with
Mote’s Membership Services Department, and had volunteers assisting at Mote Mobile in an effort to educate the public
about sea turtle biology and conservation (thanks to Sarah Stern for allowing our volunteers to join her volunteers at Mote
Mobile!). The STCRP volunteers who worked at the educational booth and Mote Mobile did a wonderful job getting the
attendees excited about sea turtle conservation. A huge thanks to: Sue McClymont, Carol Janetzke, Elaine Wheeler, Cass
Weisman, Coquina Homer, Patti Brady, Cassandra Gonzmart, John Russert, Tiff Conner, Ann Tannen, Janet Ray, Jeanne
Panka, Darralene Duggins, Diane McKissick, Denise Tarutis, Thomas Thornton, Lauren Marmaro, Sean Murray, and
Norma Pennington for spreading the word! A very special thanks goes out to Jamie Jalwan and Aly Busse for doing an
outstanding job of coordinating the hundreds of other Mote/STCRP volunteers and staff members who worked at the
event and for handling all of the associated logistics. The event was a success as a result of everyone’s willingness to
donate their time and resources for sea turtle conservation.
The STCRP is also very grateful to the community, event organizers, and partners/sponsors of the Siesta Key Crystal
Classic for continuing to name our program as a beneficiary of the event. This year’s event is expected to provide
additional funding for our program and will help us continue our conservation efforts in 2015.
Longboat Key Turtle Watch Makes Its Largest Ever Donation to the STCRP
The holidays came early for the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program thanks to Longboat Key Turtle Watch
(LBKTW), which made its largest-ever annual donation to our program (and others at Mote as well). LBKTW volunteers
presented a $1975 donation check to the STCRP in December, while wearing Santa hats and reindeer antlers for extra
good cheer! LBKTW donates each year to Mote’s sea turtle conservation and public education efforts, which are primary
missions that the two nonprofit organizations share in common.
The donation will help secure GPS units for marking the location of sea turtle nests; battery chargers and covers for allterrain vehicles used to patrol nesting beaches; and web-hosting services for Mote’s scientific data, which is vital for
understanding and conserving sea turtle populations.
“Our 60 members are very proud to make these donations to Mote, and we hope to continue increasing them in the
coming years,” said Cyndi Seamon, a LBKTW member who also volunteers with Mote. “We can do this because of the
wonderful sea turtle supporters in our community who participate in our events, purchase our T-shirts and otherwise do
their part for sea turtle conservation and education. We can’t wait to work together with Mote once again during the 2015
sea turtle nesting season.”
Longboat Key Turtle Watch volunteers patrol the Manatee County portion of Longboat Key — the northern tip of the 35mile region where Mote coordinates sea turtle conservation. LBKTW volunteers also conduct education and outreach to
help the public keep local beaches turtle-friendly.
Thank you to all the members of LBKTW for the incredibly generous donation to our program!
STCRP Volunteers – The Heart and Soul of Our Program
Three hundred seventeen volunteers (211 returning and 106 new) and 13 interns contributed 28,569 hours of their time,
valued at $644,231, to make the 2014 nesting season a success!
STCRP Volunteers help out in many ways, not just patrolling the local beaches. We want to take this opportunity to thank
all of our volunteers for the amazing job they do at the many and varied tasks they perform in support of our program and
Mote in general.
Distribution of Educational Materials to Resorts/Condominiums
Judie and Dennis Lutsky; Cyndi Seamon; Jo and Carrol Dzina; Ann Tannen; Debbie
Klinger; Howard and Kate Cowan; and Patti and Garry Brady distributed sea turtle
educational materials to more than 200 beachfront properties from Longboat Key to Venice
prior to the start of nesting season. Thanks to all of them for hauling around all those
materials and knocking on all those doors!
Volunteer Board
Jeanne Panka served as the STCRP’s liaison to the Mote Volunteer Board. Jeanne, thank
you for sharing STCRP news with the rest of Mote and patiently waiting each month for us
to get our information to you (at the last minute)!
Reserved Parking for Mote Staff
For the third year in a row, John Sullivan, a Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteer,
secured a reserved parking spot at his Venice condominium complex for
use by STCRP staff when responding to turtle activities. And once again,
it’s official! Thanks John!
Datasheet Printing
A big thank you to Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteer Laura Lucas for
getting our datasheets printed at a discounted rate at Office
Depot. We could not have documented the 4691 crawls we had
this season without your help!
Apprentice Sea Turtle Patrollers
We have a growing number of Turtle Patrol volunteers who are
18 years of age and younger, so we want to acknowledge them
here and thank them for their willingness to participate in the
preseason training and get up early for Turtle Patrol during
their summer vacations. Thanks kids! You are the future of the
STCRP!
Longboat Key Turtle Watch (LBKTW) Educational Outreach
Despite having her normal meeting place demolished (the Hilton on Longboat Key), Connie Schindewolf was able to
come up with a contingency plan and once again conduct morning public “Turtle Walks” on Longboat Key each Saturday
in June and July. Connie took over leading these walks from Paula Clark and has been at the helm for eight years, and is
assisted by her daughter Jamie and fellow LBKTW member Jackie Williams. This year, 184 members of the public (in
groups ranging in size from 3-40 people) joined Connie on her walks. On one Saturday, six nests and five false crawls
were documented; another group saw the signs of a hatch and disorientation; and two other groups were able to observe
excavations. There was a lot of activity to show the public this year and the attendees were very interested and
appreciative. Well done Connie, Jamie, and Jackie!
Freda Perrotta, assisted by other members of Longboat Key Turtle Watch, conducted 15 public nest openings which were
attended by a whopping 2,322 individuals. What an amazing turnout, kudos to all the members of LBKTW for promoting
sea turtle conservation in an educational and enjoyable manner!
In addition to the public turtle walks and nest openings, LBKTW
continued to promote its Sea Turtle Defenders Club. The Club is
geared towards kids and is made up of members who have signed a
pledge to take action to help prevent the extinction of sea turtles.
The members learn how they can directly help sea turtles survive
and they are invited to attend sea turtle nest excavations and other
sea turtle activities conducted by the Longboat Key Turtle Watch
organization. The pledge the kids take is shown on to the right.
Longboat Key Turtle Watch members also set up an educational booth at the Longboat Key Open House.
Additional Educational Outreach by Turtle Patrol Volunteers
In addition to the educational outreach done by LBKTW, the following Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteers engaged in activities
to raise public awareness of sea turtle conservation issues.
Tommy Vaughan-Birch took props and a book to the Temple Beth Sholom Schools’ summer camp to teach three and four
year old campers how to help protect sea turtles. She showed the campers how to leave the sand flat after a day at the
beach so that hatchlings could easily make it to the water. Tommy also took a stuffed sea turtle with a belly that opens up
so that she could show the kids how plastic bags, fish hooks, bottle caps, and soda wrappings can hurt sea turtles if eaten.
“Miss Tommy’s” presentation was reported in two of the local community newspapers. Way to go Tommy!
The Venice Public Library held its annual Turtle Talk and Turtle Walk in the second week of June. Patti Brady and Bette
Boysen conducted the Turtle Talk at the library, while John Baranowski and Garry Brady conducted the Turtle Walk on
the beach a couple days after the Talk. Both events were well attended and included participants aging from preschoolers
to adults. On the Turtle Walk, the participants were lucky enough to see a new crawl and a nest. The attendees were quite
interested in learning about sea turtles and their associated conservation issues, plus they had a lot of great questions. Our
volunteers received numerous compliments on the presentations they made, so congratulations on a job well done Patti,
Bette, John, and Garry!
In July, Gene Stover made his annual sea turtle presentation to 35 (5-7 year olds!) Grace United Methodist Church
Summer Camp participants. Once the presentation was over, he loaded the kids onto a bus and took them down to the
beach for a firsthand look at sea turtle nests in the area. Needless to say, this portion of the Summer Camp is a big hit with
the kids. Thank you Gene for your continuing efforts to get all members of the Venice community involved with sea turtle
conservation!
Stake Painting
Once again, STCRP Volunteer Gene Stover along with Lori Blitch (Leader of Girl Scout Troup 250 from Venice) took on
the enormous task of organizing the painting of thousands (5000+) of nest marking stakes. Many trunk and truck loads of
stakes were delivered to Venice for painting. Gene enlisted the help of Key Goodsen, a student from the Venice Student
Leadership Academy to help build a stake painting station at Grace United Methodist Church, that was later used by other
members of the Leadership Academy for painting stakes (under the direction of a watchful sea turtle, see photos below).
Girl Scout Troop 250 of Venice, along with their parents, constructed a similar stake painting station at the Blitch
residence in Venice and painted nearly 2000 stakes! Luckily they had a lot of space (see photos below).
Many thanks go out to Gene Stover, Lori Blitch, Girl Scout Troop 250 from Venice (along with their parents), the kids
from the Venice Student Leadership Academy, and Grace United Methodist Church Community Service Volunteers for
their willingness to take on this project each year. Painting stakes is a tedious and never ending process, so we consider
ourselves extremely fortunate to have found groups/individuals that are willing to do this for us. We want all of you to
know that even though you might not be out surveying the beach for sea turtle activities, we consider you an essential part
of our program. Thank you!
Volunteer Potluck Dinner
Each year the STCRP organizes a potluck dinner for its volunteers. It provides a chance for the STCRP to acknowledge
volunteers and thank them for their hard work throughout the season. It also gives volunteers an opportunity to meet other
volunteers that they may only know as a name on a schedule. For the second year in a row, the event was held in the New
Pass Room at Mote at the end of October, so the attendees were treated to a great view of the sun setting in addition to lots
of delicious food prepared by their fellow volunteers.
More than 150 people (an all-time record!) attended
the dinner and we continued the tradition we started
two years ago of hosting an interactive game for the
attendees. This year we played Sea Turtle Bingo
which was fun for all because it was not just a test
of knowledge, but required luck as well! We once
again held a silent auction and a raffle. This year’s
raffle prize was a beautiful painting of sea turtle
hatchlings done by STCRP Volunteer Noella
Santerre. Ashton Pennell, one of our apprentice
Turtle Patrollers, selected the winning raffle ticket,
and presented the painting to winner Greg Fiore.
Jeff Hollway, Suzanne McClymont, Kelli Carter, Sara Myers, John Russert, Maureen Snyder, Sarah Stern, Peg Magee,
Lucy Tobias, Alexis Ferrera, and Kristen Mazzarella all made generous donations of items for the silent auction. The
STCRP raised an amazing $892 from the raffle and silent auction.
STCRP Volunteers Thomas Thornton and Jack DeCaprio also got
involved in the evening’s activities. Thomas set up an educational
display about marine debris and Jack raised money for the STCRP
by making sunglasses that he found on the beach during his Turtle
Patrol shifts available for a donation!
A special thanks goes out to Seasonal Technicians Tori Erb and
Alexis Ferrera, as well as to Interns Ian Perkins-Taylor, Shelby
Hoover, and Kelli Wright for creating the wonderful centerpieces
(see photo below), preparing the Sea Turtle Bingo game, and their
invaluable assistance at the event itself. STCRP Intern Kara
Koenig did a fantastic job of organizing and labelling photos for
the potluck slideshow, great job Kara!
Thanks to all the attendees for making it such a wonderful evening!
In Memoriam
It is with great sadness that we report the loss of four people who were a part of our Turtle Patrol family…
Orville Clayton (Founder of Longboat Key Turtle Watch)
Orville Clayton lived 99 years and when several of us visited him for his birthday in June, he could still talk turtles. He,
with several others, started the Longboat Key Turtle Watch in 1969. In that first year, they had a total of nine nests and
that was on the entire Key not just the north end. Orville was instrumental in getting fires banned on the beach, a lighting
ordinance, and the TED law passed. When I started walking with Orville in 1984, they were still digging up every nest,
putting the eggs in Styrofoam coolers, and hatching them on their lanais! After that we went to a hatchery and finally
marking nests on the beach. In the early 80's, Jeff Patton from Mote approached Longboat Key Turtle Watch about
helping them start a turtle monitoring program. Soon after that, the Sarasota County end of Longboat was turned over to
Mote. Over the years Orville taught us procedures, but more than that, taught us a respect for nature. He taught us to
respect the research of the times and always to follow the guidelines of the organizations in charge because they have the
big picture perspective for the species. "Top Turtle" Orville Clayton was loved by many and will be greatly missed.” Connie Schindewolf
Mary Bry (Turtle Patrol Volunteer 1984-2006)
Mary Bry and her husband Bob were Turtle Patrol Volunteers for 21 years from 1984-2006. After retiring from the “on
the beach patrolling,” they generously let members of the STCRP use their property for beach access, parking, and
equipment storage. They were Turtle Patrol volunteers on Casey Key from the very beginning. When Mary joined the
program, she patrolled the beach in a dune buggy with the one of the founding members of the Casey Turtle Patrol group.
They were just learning about loggerheads, their nesting habits, the predators, and all the things that seem so
commonplace today. Twenty-five years ago, only a few were privileged to know about and work in the program.
Unfortunately, none of the current STCRP staff members got to know Mary well, but it is obvious that sea turtles were a
very important part of her life, and Bob paid tribute to Mary’s love of sea turtles by erecting a memorial plaque next to a
bench overlooking the beach on Casey Key (see photo below).
Robert Wessner (Turtle Patrol Volunteer 2003-2013)
Bob was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is survived by his wife of thirty years, Grace, who is also a Turtle Patrol Volunteer.
He adopted and loved Grace's five children. He also ran a successful business in New England until he retired to Florida.
Bob loved to dance; almost every Saturday night he and Grace could be found at the Payne Park Community Center
dancing to waltzes, jitterbug, mambos and sambas. He gardened; traveled; and loved to entertain, cook, and play afterdinner games with the many friends and family who visited. Bob gave up golf and tennis to walk Siesta Beach looking for
turtle tracks at 6 a.m. with Grace. He was a very friendly, caring gentleman who was always hospitable whether at his
house or on Siesta Beach. He and Grace never turned down a chance to substitute for other volunteers in the Turtle Patrol
Program.
Our fondest personal memories of Bob, and Grace of course, are when they called after the International Coastal Cleanup,
all excited because they had picked up 388 cigarette butts in a quarter mile stretch of Siesta Beach. That part of Siesta has
never been cleaner! Another memory relates to the Run for the Turtles. Each year Grace rides her bike to the event and
helps get the food ready for the runners. At the end of the event, she gathers up the leftover food to take to those in need.
Needless to say, carrying all that food on her bike was not an option, so Bob would always come to her rescue in the car.
He was her knight in shining armor (literally). They were a great team and he will be sorely missed.
Marty Jacobs (Turtle Patrol Volunteer 2008-2013)
When Marty was a kid in New York he hung out with children from the Nathan family who own the famous Nathan’s hot
dog stand in Coney Island. His crew would run by the front of the store that had vats of mustard and ketchup setup for the
customers and would swipe their fingers through the mustard. While licking their fingers they continued around the
corner, out of reach from the protesting adults. Marty used to swim out past the breaking surf in the mornings with his
father. He was also an award winning photographer. One of his shoots was in Machu Picchu. Additionally, several of his
cookbooks have won the prestigious James Beard Award and he was kind enough to give me a couple. The biggest hit in
my family was a rather elaborate cake. Quite a project, but well worth the effort. He was especially interested in grass
roots cooking that ranged from Cuban fare to North American Indian Cooking. He owned a ski business and built a rustic
house in upstate New York on the border of a nature preserve.
You learn a lot about people when you meet them for years in the early morning hours on Casey Key. We shared the
amazement of finding newly laid green turtle nests and watching hatchlings dashing for the Gulf. Marty was often on the
beach, in the dark, when I arrived. He carried a bag that had his flash light, flags, and notebook. When his doctor advised
him not to drive because of heart issues, his wife Linda became his chauffer. Marty refused to give up patrolling. Marty’s
was a life well lived. He was a kind and fascinating man who dedicated his later years to sea turtle conservation. How
could you not love him? I miss Marty. -Howard Cowan
Moving On To New Foraging Grounds
Seasonal Technicians
Each nesting season the STCRP utilizes 1-2 Seasonal Biological Technicians to supplement the STCRP staff during the
busiest portion of the nesting season. This year we welcomed back Alexis Ferrera and Tori Erb who were both Interns in
2013.
Alexis Ferrera (left) graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Biology. After
interning in our program last summer, she went on to intern at the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital, and then came back
to our program in March. When she is not at Mote, she enjoys shelling, scuba diving, and baking treats for the STCRP
staff. She plans to attend graduate school this fall to continue studying Florida’s sea turtles.
Tori Erb (right) graduated from Wake Forest University in May with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She reunited with
the STCRP team in June for her second season of Sea Turtle Patrol. When she is not in school or on Patrol she enjoys
being outdoors kayaking, scuba diving, and hiking. She plans to attend graduate school to further her education in Marine
Biology and maybe even find a career studying sea turtles!
College Interns
In addition to Seasonal Biological Technicians, the STCRP staff also provides conservation-based internships for 10-15
college students each year. We had a great group of hard working, fun-loving interns this year. They were an integral part
of our Turtle Patrol Program and we are grateful for all the assistance they provided. Good luck to all of you as you
embark on new adventures in your lives!
Additional Program Support (Not Previously Mentioned)
We are extremely grateful for the donations made to the STRCP by the following organizations and individuals.
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Pineview Middle School - general program support
Harold M and Adeline S. Morrison Family Foundation - general program support
Wells Fargo - National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant
Axe Inc. Technologies - database software development and support
Wells Family - turtle patrol flags
Pfizer Foundation/Milton and Stephanie Kruk - general program support
Friends of Venice Public Library & Patricia Maurer/Venice Public Library - general program support
Phillip Cady - general program support
Joshua Stoffan - general program support
Karim Foster - general program support
Michael K Forbes - general program support
Erle Miles - general program support
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John R Vincent - general program support
Chickamauga Elementary School - general program support
Nancy Matthews - general program support
Salvo Family - general program support
Mariash Family - general program support
Mitchell Family - tagging program support
Rita Lamoreaux - tagging program support
Virginia Walsh - general program support
Deborah Klinger - Rite in the Rain field notebooks
Kate Carter - Rite in the Rain field notebooks
Virginia Miller - office supplies
Jim Grimes and Sarasota County - GPS equipment
Gene Stover - paint for stake painting
Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc. - general program support
Carol Golder - general program support
Aili P. Singer - general program support
STCRP Staff Educational Outreach (Not Previously Mentioned)
Throughout the year, STCRP staff members were also involved in educating non-STCRP volunteers, school children,
beach operations personnel, and members of the public. Below is a summary of the outreach activities conducted by staff
members:
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Casey Key Association - presentation on protocol changes, nesting numbers, disorientations, and depredations
Sarasota County Staff Members - sea turtle educational presentation
Sarasota County Junior Lifeguard Program - sea turtle educational presentation
Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteers - nighttime turtle watch
Pineview Middle School, 6th grade - presentation on the STCRP
College of Charleston, Dr. David Owens’ Graduate Students - presentation on sea turtle biology/STCRP
University of Alabama, Dr. Thane Wibbels’ Undergraduate Class - presentation on sea turtle biology/STCRP
Wooster School Field Studies Program and MML Sea Turtle Collaborative - Teaching with Turtles
Spring and Fall Mote Aquarium Docents & General Volunteer Meetings - presentation on sea turtle biology/STCRP
STCRP Collaborative Research Projects
Integrating Stable Isotope Analysis and Hatchling Productivity Assessments to Infer Relative Importance of
Loggerhead Foraging Areas, Year 2
(Simona Ceriani, Ph.D., Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)
In recent years there has been growing interest in using stable isotopes as a tool to study migratory connectivity and
identify foraging areas of marine turtles. Florida hosts ~90% of all the loggerhead nesting activity in the Southeast USA,
yet few research groups encounter nesting females at night. In contrast, thousands of nests are marked to assess hatchling
production through an extensive nesting survey program in Florida. The 2014 nesting season marks the second year of a
statewide project aiming to conduct a comprehensive geographic assignment of feeding areas used by loggerheads nesting
in Florida. To do so, non-viable eggs were collected at time of excavation and frozen for stable isotope analysis. This
study provides a non-invasive and non-destructive method of sampling a relatively large percentage of the loggerhead
population nesting in Florida and represents the most comprehensive geographic assessment of feeding areas to date.
Conservation funds are limited and there is a need to prioritize where funds should be spent in order to maximize
conservation outcomes. Understanding relative importance of feeding areas will allow us to make more informed
management decisions by focusing mitigation and by-catch reduction measures to areas that are loggerhead hotspots.
This work was funded in whole by a grant awarded from the Sea Turtle Grants Program (14-010R). The Sea Turtle Grants
Program is funded from proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. Learn more at
www.helpingseaturtles.org. The STCRP Staff and Interns collected samples, during excavations, for the study described
above.
Publications By STCRP Collaborators
Ceriani, S.A., J.D. Roth, A.D. Tucker, D.R. Evans, D.S. Addison, S.R. Sasso, L.M. Ehrhart, and J.F. Weishampel.
(Submitted). Carry-over effects and foraging ground dynamics of a major loggerhead breeding aggregation. Marine
Biology.
Vander Zanden, H.B., Tucker, A.D., Bolten, A.B., Reich, K.J., Bjorndal, K.A. (2014). Stable isotopic comparison
between loggerhead sea turtle tissues. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 28: 2059-2064.
Vander Zanden, H.B., Tucker, A.D., Hart, K.M., Lamont, M.M., Fujisaki, I., Addison, D.S., Mansfield, K.L., Phillips,
K.F., Wunder, M.B., Bowen, G.J., Pajuelo, M., Bolten, A.B., Bjorndal, K.A. (In press). Determining origin in a migratory
marine vertebrate: a novel method to integrate stable isotopes and satellite tracking. Ecological Applications
doi/abs/10.1890/14-0581.1.
Perrault J.R., Schmid, J.R., Walsh, C.J., Yordy, J.E., Tucker, A.D. (2014). Brevetoxin exposure, superoxide dismutase
activity and plasma protein electrophoretic profiles in wild-caught Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in
southwest Florida. Harmful Algae 37: 194-202.
Hardy, R.F, Tucker, A.D., Foley, A.M., Schroeder, B.A., Giove, R.J., Meylan, A.B. (2014). Spatiotemporal occurrence of
loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) on the West Florida Shelf and apparent overlap with a commercial fishery. Canadian
Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 71: 1924-1933. doi 10.1139/cjfas-2014-0128.
Sources of Sea Turtle Information
New Books
A Worldwide Travel Guide to Sea Turtles (Marine, Maritime, and Coastal Books, sponsored by
Texas A&M University at Galveston)
By Wallace J. Nichols, Brad Nahill, and Melissa Gaskill
Sea turtle populations around the world are endangered, and in recent years tourism has been a
critical element in worldwide efforts to save them. More travelers seek meaningful experiences that
bring them close to nature and wildlife, and opportunities to interact with and help sea turtles now
exist at locations around the globe, from remote beaches to urban labs. In A Worldwide Travel Guide
to Sea Turtles, a scientist, a conservationist, and a journalist have come together to provide a guide
to the places where people can view sea turtles and participate in authentic conservation
projects. Covering five continents and including the South Pacific and Caribbean, the authors direct readers to the parks,
reserves, and research sites where they can responsibly observe turtles in the wild, especially nesting beaches where
people can see female sea turtles lay eggs and hatchlings make their harrowing journey from nest to sea. Options for onsite lodging and other amenities are included, if available, as well as details of other nearby attractions that travelers may
wish to include in their itineraries.
Posters
The Florida Sea Turtle Life History Posters Project was funded by a grant from the Sea Turtle License Plate
Program. This project involved the development and distribution of a life history poster for each of the five
species of sea turtles found in Florida. PDFs of the posters can be downloaded and printed from the following
website: http://www.conserveturtles.org/florida.php?page=seaturtle_posters.
Online Resources
Sea Turtle Resources
http://www.seaturtle.org
http://www.conserveturtles.org/
Other Local Sea Turtle Patrol Groups
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring – http://islandturtlewatch.com
Longboat Key Turtle Watch – http://lbkturtlewatch.com
Coastal Wildlife Club – http://coastalwildlifeclub.org
FWC Marine Turtle Conservation Guidelines
http://www.myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/sea-turtles/conservation-guidelines/
Turtle Tracks Video
http://vimeo.com/21465721
FWC Wildlife Lighting Information
http://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/lighting/
Lighting Toolkit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiCvME7rgGc
Light Pollution http://www.tourdeturtles.org/flash/LightPollution.swf
Why We Love Sea Turtle Patrol
Why do we love Sea Turtle Patrol? Each morning when you head out to the beach, you know you are in for a new
adventure. No two days are ever the same and you never know what awaits you, good or bad. Many of our Volunteers,
Interns, and Staff Members had surprises waiting for them on their beaches including (believe it or not) a message in a
bottle and…
Nesting female caught under beach furniture
Blue Tailed Skink
Nesting Green sea turtle
Alligator swimming in the Gulf
Eight foot Goliath Grouper
Upside down plane (fortunately no injuries)
Red Rat Snake in the wrack line
Leucistic hatchling (you’ll have to look that one up!)
Enjoy the photos of some of our discoveries…
We Hope You Have Enjoyed Hearing About Our
Year, See You Next Season!
Buddy, Kristen, Karen, and Kathy
(Photo Taken by 2014 STCRP Intern Kara Koenig)
STCRP Newsletter #17, December 2013
Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program
Mote Marine Laboratory
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34236
Tel. 941-388-4331
Dear STCRP Volunteers, Partners, Collaborators, and Friends:
2013 was the second highest sea turtle nesting season along Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast in the three decades
that Mote and its Sea Turtle Patrol team have been monitoring the beaches here. Not only was the number of
loggerhead nests a near-record (record: 2462 nests in 2012), but the number of green sea turtle nests more than
doubled the prior record. We had 2247 Loggerhead nests and 1696 false crawls (one nest is potentially a
Kemp's ridley nest, but will require genetics to confirm). In addition, there were 30 Green Nests and 20 false
crawls.
We know the local nesting patterns because of Mote’s long history of turtle conservation on Florida’s west
coast. Mote has monitored sea turtle nesting for 32 years from Longboat through Venice — and it’s only
through long-term monitoring programs like this that we can understand overall population trends for sea
turtles. That’s because they are long-lived species that take decades to mature. For example, it will take about
30 years for the hatchlings born on our beaches this year to return to nest as adults.
The local trends are mirroring what’s happening statewide, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC). The FWC collects data from hundreds of surveyors monitoring nesting on
Florida’s beaches and, in this way, can keep track of overall nesting trends and manage sea turtle populations.
According to FWC:


The number of green sea turtle nests in Florida this year was more than double the count of the previous
highest year: more than 25,000 green turtle nests were laid on 26 index beaches in 2013.
Loggerhead sea turtles, the most prevalent sea turtle species on Florida’s shores, accounted for 44,810
nests on index beaches this year, down from 2012’s near-record count of 58,172 nests.
While these increases might have many causes, it’s exciting to consider how our local conservation and
education efforts may be helping with this positive change. More detailed information regarding the trends in
loggerhead and green turtle nesting throughout the state of Florida can be viewed at:
http://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/nesting/.
Only 39 washouts were recorded in 2013 — compared to 1,022 nests that washed out in 2012 due to tropical
storms Debby and Isaac. It is possible that due to the lack of storms we had this season and near-record nest
numbers, 2013 may be the most productive year in terms of hatchling production in our 32-year history.
However, predations from raccoons and armadillos were high this year.
Over 250 volunteers and 15 interns contributed 24,710 hours of their time (valued at $547,080) to make the
2013 season a success!
We hope you enjoy reading more on these topics and others in the remainder of this newsletter!
The Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Staff (STCRP) Staff

2013 Summary of Loggerhead & Green Turtle Nesting on Mote Patrolled Beaches

Key
Longboat Key
Manatee County
Longboat Key
Sarasota County
Lido Key
Siesta Key
Casey Key
Zone
A
B
C
D
Total
VTP
X
1
2
3
4
Total
1
2
3
4
Total
WHISP
1
2
3
4
5A
5B
6A
6B
Total
1
2
XN
XC
XS
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Total
LOGGERHEADS
Nests
False Crawl
18
36
62
61
110
111
137
66
327
274
77
27
57
44
8
9
42
43
36
27
93
67
313
217
15
18
12
12
34
39
7
13
68
82
24
14
6
17
5
4
2
32
22
46
134
53
60
26
26
30
48
30
327
252
46
10
90
40
88
74
38
79
82
68
114
57
61
51
88
45
87
54
82
78
77
80
43
29
896
665
Nests
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
1
1
2
10
3
2
1
0
1
4
0
1
2
2
0
0
16
GREENS
False Crawl
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
2
5
2
2
0
0
0
5
0
1
1
0
0
1
12
Key
Venice
Grand Total
All Keys
Zone
1N
1S
2
3
4
5
6
Total
LOGGERHEADS
Nests
False Crawl
90
70
15
14
44
23
64
34
20
11
31
15
52
42
316
209
2247
1699
Nests
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
30
GREENS
False Crawl
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
20

Lighting

Nests are recorded as disorientations when at least one hatchling was determined to have gone the wrong
direction due to lights or when an adult female travels inland or parallel to shore after nesting or attempting to
nest. The top causes of disorientation are condominium lights (interior and exterior), skyglow, and single-family
home lights (interior and exterior). The disorientation percentage is calculated by dividing the Nests Disoriented
by the Total Nests Per Key. The following is a summary of disorientations for the 2013 season.
To the right are photos of a beach front property before
and after appropriate modifications had been made in
compliance with local marine turtle ordinances. Thank
you to all of the Code Enforcement Officers that work
with our program to get these kinds of changes
implemented!

Research — Summer Tagging & Satellite Tracking

We had 135 encounters with nesting sea turtles, observing 102 different individual turtles (three of which were
green sea turtles). We tagged 85 individuals, had 80 new individuals and 22 remigrants. Three nesting females
were satellite tagged and are now at their foraging grounds (Blair – Cuba, Riptide – near Ponce de Leon Bay,
and Seeyalater – off the coast of Homossassa). Their migration to these foraging grounds can be seen on their
respective websites at: http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?project_id=700
"Salty" returned 25 years after her initial tagging in 1988 (this is the 10th year we have seen her, the last time
being in 2010).
Marilyn, a nesting female tagged in 2010, is still transmitting signals after a record breaking 1281 days! This
record tracking history was achieved because her transmitter was programmed to extend the battery life by
transmitting every other day. Marilyn also has a data recording tag that will give three years’ worth of dive
behavior data. These data are vital to illustrate the concerns about the overlap of bottom longline fisheries at
resident foraging areas on the West Florida Shelf. You can track Marilyn on the following website:
http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?tag_id=85505.
Images courtesy of Greg Nelson (2013)

Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Mote Marine Laboratory Research Partnership

Mote STCRP and Conservancy of Southwest Florida scientists have been studying Kemp’s ridleys since 2003.
There are many questions about the mysterious life history of this species — for instance, what types of habitats
are most important, what prey do they eat in different locations, and where they go during different times of the
year. The Mote-Conservancy research partnership has focused on answering these questions.
Dr. Tony Tucker and Dr. Jeff Schmid (Conservancy of Southest Florida) made a third and final research trip to
Charlotte Harbor in mid-May. At the conclusion of their study, over 100 Kemp’s ridleys had been netted and
sampled (for diet, isotope, and genetic samples) and 21 individual turtles were satellite tagged/tracked. The
satellite tags were used to determine what these turtles do in the ocean during a vulnerable and challenging
stage of their lives (you can view the migration patterns of the tagged turtles at
http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?project_id=569). We learned that they migrate south in cold winters, but stay
within Charlotte Harbor in warm years. Small turtles stayed inshore, but adult-sized animals were more likely to
roam out of the Harbor. Red tide is inferred to have affected at least one animal. Most of the Kemp’s ridleys
studied in Charlotte Harbor fed on spider crabs or other hard-shelled prey. A displacement experiment
demonstrated that these turtles can find their way home.
The project spanned 10 years beginning with a grant from the Mote Scientific Foundation to former Program
Manager, Jerris Foote. The project was continued by Dr. Tony Tucker in different phases with the Earthwatch
Institute and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission support. Permits and boats were later
transferred from Mote to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida as the project continued with major support
from the Sea Turtle Grants Program and the National Save The Sea Turtle Foundation.
Citizen-funded science was also represented with generous donations from Naples Best Addresses; Turtle Club
Restaurant; Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation; the Brooks Fishing Club; Pineview School; Jan
Bachrach; Christopher and Jeannie Smith; David and Vicky Smith; Wayne and Rebecca Medland; Thomas and
Vickie Snead; and Richard and Beverley Smith. We are also grateful to Don and Dorothy Gulnack of Demere
Key and Dr. Aaron Adams of the Charlotte Harbor Field Station.

Murph

When Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program got a call about a sea
turtle that looked to be tangled up in line earlier this summer, they sprang
into action to check out the report and rescue the turtle if needed. What
they discovered off Turtle Beach in south Sarasota County was a large
loggerhead that appeared to be tethered to something underwater. While
the turtle could surface for air, it couldn’t get free. Unfortunately, the
wind whipped up and drove the Mote team off the water before they
could rescue the animal. A few days later, after the wind died down
enough for Mote Stranding Investigations Program Manager Gretchen
Lovewell and Biologist Rebeccah Hazelkorn to safely rescue the turtle, they enlisted the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission Law Enforcement Marine Patrol and helicopter, Sarasota County and
Longboat Key marine patrols to help.
With the helicopter hovering above and providing a much-needed set of eyes to spot the turtle, the rest of the
team motored out to the right spot and found a whopping 300-pound adult male loggerhead, one of the largest
turtles ever rescued by Mote. He was entangled in three types of fishing line and hooks. It was not possible to
disentangle him on the scene, the entanglement was too severe, so he was brought back to the Mote Sea Turtle
Hospital. At the hospital, Rehabilitation and Medical Care Coordinator Lynne Byrd assessed the situation,
finding that the turtle had fishing and crab trap line tangled around his neck and flippers and even had two large
shark hooks caught in his shell.
Because the turtle was rescued on Memorial Day, he was nicknamed “Murph” in honor of Navy Lt. Michael
Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005. Every Memorial Day, Crossfit gyms nationwide host a
“Murph” workout, which Rebeccah Hazelkorn from Mote’s Stranding Investigations had done the morning of
the rescue, so thought the name was a fitting tribute to a fallen
officer.
Murph also turned out to be a great candidate for additional
research because studies involving adult male loggerhead sea
turtles are rare. That’s because the elusive and nomadic lifestyles
that sea turtles live makes it extremely difficult to know where the
males spend their time in the wild. While females return to shore
to nest, the males never come ashore again, unless they happen to
be sick or injured and are rescued by an organization like Mote.
That means it can be difficult for resource managers tasked with
protecting this threatened species to enact rules to save them.
Thanks to Mote’s efforts tagging adult females over the years,
we’ve been able to develop a pretty good picture of where they
travel and the threats they face at sea, but much less is known
about what the males do in the wild. Without that knowledge you
can’t get a really good understanding of the entire species.
In the past, Mote has been able to tag four adult male hospital
patients with satellite transmitters that have provided location
information about the animals’ travels in the wild. The tag put on
Murph will also show information about his diving patterns.
Information about his diving and surfacing behavior can give us
an idea of what the turtle is doing. Is he diving? Resting on the bottom? Or even breeding with females? This
tag will give us some insights on that knowledge. We can also compare the information we gain from this tag to
information from healthy male turtles that were tagged with similar transmitters on the East Coast of Florida to
gauge his recovery. The transmitter will also give temperature readings for the waters he travels through. We
believe that he is the first male loggerhead on Florida’s west coast tagged with a transmitter that provides
information about temperature and depth, in addition to location. Murph was released into the Gulf of Mexico
off Lido Beach on October 7th. Kristen Mazzarella, STCRP Program Manager, will be presenting an analysis of
Murph’s tag data as a poster at the International Sea Turtle Symposium in April 2014.
Mote thanks the following individuals and organizations for providing the funds to tag Murph and supporting
the satellite time so we can collect the data:






The Sara Roberts Foundation
Stephen and Tabitha King
The Wooster School
In honor of Ruthie Cohen
Ann Anderson
West Coast Inland Navigation District

Sea Turtle Care & Hatchling Hospital — Holly West and Amber Avestruz

It was a record year in Mote’s Hatchling Hospital! We had a total of 1587
hatchlings, the majority of which were loggerheads. We had a good nesting year
for green turtles, and as a result, saw 152 green hatchlings in the hospital, which
is more than we have seen in past years. We also admitted 135 patients to the
hospital tank for long-term care, a number that is more than double our previous
record.
While every year we see hatchlings come in for a number of reasons, including
disorientation, predation, lethargy, and excavation, the most common reason they
are brought in is because of depredations. Over 600 of our total patients this year
were found in depredated nests, and 99 of these were admitted for long-term care.
Typically with depredations, the predators dig up a nest before hatching,
rupturing the eggs and leaving hatchlings with missing or compromised yolk sacs. This type of injury can often
take several weeks to heal. These hatchlings are put on a course of antibiotics, have their injuries cleaned daily,
and are monitored closely. They are fed a variety of tiny pieces of shrimp, krill, and fish and then transitioned to
a nutritionally complete pellet diet when they are eating well. Each hatchling admitted is given a letter and
number (which is painted on their carapace with nail polish) to track their progress.
Our longest critical care patient this year was a little green, B3. He was
brought in at the end of August along with several others from the same
nest that had been dug up by a predator and invaded by fire ants. His
wound took a very long time to heal, and during that time he developed
some buoyancy issues which veterinary staff are working to resolve. He
moved into the care of the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital at the end
of December and hopefully will be released not long after the new year.
We would like to thank Longboat Key Turtle Watch for their kind
donation and support again this year. Their donation will help to
purchase necessary medical supplies and medications for the hatchling
hospital. And with recent upgrades to our hospital, which were made
possible by a generous donation from the Kukanza family, we were able
to successfully release 70% of our patients back into the wild.

Turtle Hospital – Kathy Klingelberger & Lynne Byrd

The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation
Hospital experienced a fairly
normal year in 2013 with 36
patients to date including
Loggerheads, Greens, and Kemps
Ridleys. Twelve of these patients
suffered from fibropapilloma
tumors (all Greens). Thanks to
wonderful treatment and care by our staff, interns, and volunteers, 23 sea
turtle patients were returned home to their natural habitats. Of those released turtles, 12 were Loggerheads, 8
were Greens, and 3 were Kemps Ridleys. Six of the released Greens had recovered from papilloma tumors.

Stranding Investigations Program — Gretchen Lovewell

From January 1 through December 15, 2013, the Stranding Investigations Program responded to or assisted
with 58 sea turtle strandings spanning nine counties in Florida, including 22 loggerheads, 25 green sea turtles, 8
Kemp’s ridleys, 1 leatherback, and 2 carcasses that were not identifiable to species. Of those, 27 turtles
stranded alive: seven loggerheads, fourteen greens, and three Kemp’s ridleys, one leatherback, and two
unidentified turtles (releases by the public without pictures). Twenty-eight sea turtles showed signs of human
interaction. Eight turtles had fishing line and/or hooks present at the time of stranding. Seventeen turtles had
evidence of watercraft injury. Three turtles had both a watercraft injury and had ingested fishing line.
Fourteen of the turtles responded to or admitted to the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital were green sea turtles
with fibropapilloma tumors.

Technology Updates

This year, Mote also tested a new tool for documenting nest locations: a
submeter GPS. Using this type of GPS to document sea turtle nests allows
members of the Sea Turtle Patrol to find “lost” nests — that is, nests that
were marked with stakes, but the stakes were later lost in weather events
like extremely high tides or tropical storms. Remarking nests is important
so that they can remain protected as storm recovery takes place on
beaches.
This tool gives 11 to 22-inch accuracy for the latitude-longitude locations
recorded for nests on the beaches. Therefore, the nest can be re-found and
re-posted with more precision and ease. In the past, when nests needed to
be re-found, stakes were re-posted with a 15-foot radius because of the
lower accuracy of the STCRP regular handheld GPS devices.
Logistics limits the ability of the STCRP to record all nest locations using
the submeter GPS — since there is only one device, it is not possible for it to be
used to cover all 35 miles of beach that are monitored, but it will prove to be
invaluable for recording the locations of nests in high priority areas.
The submeter GPS was purchased in part through the Sea Turtle Grants Program,
which is funded through proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License
Plate.
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Fundraising Events
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Run for the Turtles – April 6, 2013
Nearly 1,000 runners and walkers hit the beach to help endangered and threatened sea turtles during Mote’s
27th Run for the Turtles on April 6th, on Siesta Public Beach. The Run, a joint effort between Mote, the
Manasota Track Club, and Sarasota County Parks and Recreation provides major support for the STCRP. At the
event, participants and scores of friends and supporters brightened up Siesta Public Beach before sunrise,
starting with a warm-up workout with Mote mascot, Shelley the Sea Turtle, followed by a one-mile fun
run/walk and a 5K run sanctioned by the Manasota Track Club. Paula Clark pulled off another excellent event,
coordinating between Manasota Track Club and Mote Marine Laboratory. And as usual, a terrific group of
volunteers made staff members’ jobs much easier and contributed once again to the success of the event.
The Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program would like to thank the sponsors who made this event
possible, including: ABC 7, Bright House Networks, Mote Scientific Foundation, United Natural Foods, Inc.,
Zephyrhills and New Balance.
Please join us for the next Run for the Turtles! It will be our 28th year of raising awareness and funds for sea
turtle conservation. This family friendly event will be held on April 5, 2014 on Siesta Key Public Beach. Online
registration is now open at: http://www.active.com/sarasota-fl/running/distance-running-races/run-for-the-
turtles-2014. We also have a Facebook page that contains updates and a link to the online registration. You may
also download a registration form from the Mote website (http://www.mote.org/turtlerun).
As always, there will be souvenir shirts for those that pre-register, lots of door prizes, entertainment, food and
drink. We hope you will join us for a beautiful morning on the beach to help kick off the 2014 sea turtle season.
Life’s A Beach Triathlon, Lido Beach -- September 14, 2013
Life’s A Beach Triathlon was named one of the best new sports events in 2013 by Sports Travel Magazine! On
September 14th, a Life’s a Beach Triathlon was held on Lido Beach and the organization generously donated $1
from each paid entry to the STCRP. Nearly 800 people registered for the event, so it was quite a success all the
way around!
Representatives from the Sea Turtle Conservation and
Research Program and Shelley (the Mote sea turtle mascot)
were at the event educating the participants and members of
the public about sea turtle conservation. A great big thanks to
John Russert (and his family), a Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteer,
for donning the full body, furry green Shelley costume in 90+
degree heat!
And thanks to Jon Prettyman as well for his assistance with
the STCRP educational booth at the event.
Next year, we are hoping for a big turnout from
Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program
supporters! As you can see from the pictures, you
can help support sea turtle conservation, get some
exercise, and have a whole lot of fun at the same
time! The date for next year’s event is already set
— September 13, 2014 — and online registration
is already available at:
http://www.lifesabeachtriathlon.com/2014_Saraso
ta.php.
Register early as the 2013 event sold out!
Thanks to Kip Koelsch and all the members of the
Life’s A Beach Triathlon organization for putting
on a wonderful event to benefit our program!
Siesta Key Crystal Classic — November 15-18, 2013
The Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sand Sculpting Competition is one of the two major fund raising events
for the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program. This year the event was held on November 15-18 at the
Siesta Key Public Beach and hosted 20 of the world’s top master sand sculptors. Karen Fralich and Dan Belcher
took first prize for “Brainstorm (An Ode to Caffeine),” which features a wild-haired thinker holding a
caffeinated drink and also shows the structure of a caffeine molecule. The People’s Choice Award went to “Pint
of No Return.”
As in prior years, the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research
Program set up a table alongside of Mote Mobile to help educate
the public about sea turtle biology and conservation. The STCRP
volunteers who worked at the educational table were awesome
(Carol Janetzke, Patti Robinson, Lore Caldwell, Jack DeCaprio,
David Dennehy, Mary Brugger, Jeanne Panka, Sue Hargis-Spigel,
Sandy Fulkerson, and Janet Ray), as were the hundreds of other
Mote/STCRP volunteers and staff members who worked in other
positions at the event. A huge thanks to all of you!
The STCRP is also very grateful to the community, event organizers, and
partners/sponsors of the Siesta Key Crystal Classic for continuing to name
our program as a beneficiary of the event. The proceeds provide substantial
funding for our program and will enable us continue our conservation efforts
in 2014.
“Brainstorm (An Ode to Caffeine)”
“Pint of No Return” - People’s Choice Award
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Volunteer Facts
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The Types of Volunteers in our Program
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Remigrants (Returning volunteers): 241
Strandings (Volunteers that did not return in 2012): 45
Hanging offshore (Volunteers who only serve as substitutes): 10
Non-Site Fidelic (Volunteers who patrol more than one key): 10
Multiple Resites (Volunteers who have been patrolling for many years):
1 – 5 Years: 132 6 – 10 Years: 73 11 - 25 Years: 36
Stumpies (Volunteers who were injured, moved, or dropped out): 14
Apprentice Sea Turtle Patrollers
We have a growing number of Turtle Patrol
volunteers who are 18 years of age and
younger, so we want to acknowledge them
here and thank them for their willingness to
participate in the preseason training and get up
early for Turtle Patrol during their summer
vacations. Thanks kids! You are the future of
the STCRP!
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Volunteer Activities
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STCRP Volunteers help out in many ways, not just as Sea Turtle Patrollers. We want to take this opportunity to
thank all of our volunteers for the amazing job they do at the many and varied tasks they perform in support of
our program and Mote in general.
Distribution of Educational Materials to Resorts/Condominiums Prior to the Start of Nesting Season
Judie and Dennis Lutsky; Cyndi Seamon; Ann Tannen; Debbie Klinger; Patti and
Garry Brady; and Gene and Lorry Stover distributed sea turtle educational materials
to more than 200 beachfront properties from Longboat Key to Venice! Thanks to all
of them for hauling around all those materials and knocking on all those doors!
Reserved Parking for Mote Staff
For a second year in a row, John
Sullivan, a Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteer,
secured a reserved parking spot at his Venice condominium complex for use by
STCRP staff when responding to turtle activities. And once again, it’s official!
Thanks John!
Longboat Key Turtle Watch (LBKTW) Educational Outreach
Connie Schindewolf of Longboat Key Turtle Watch led 9 public “Turtle Walks” on Longboat Key during the
2013 nesting season. 184 members of the public joined Connie on her walks. In addition, Freda Perrotta,
assisted by other members of Longboat Key Turtle Watch, conducted nine public nest openings which were
attended by approximately 800 people. Now that’s educating the public!
During nesting season, LBKTW volunteer Tim Thurman discussed sea turtle issues on a local Anna Maria
Island radio station. Thanks for keeping the conservation conversation going Tim!
LBKTW also set up an educational booth at World
Ocean Day and Mote’s very own Dr. Michael Crosby
stopped by to hear what they had to say!
Additional STCRP Educational Outreach
In addition to the educational outreach done by
LBKTW, the following Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteers
engaged in activities to raise public awareness of sea
turtle conservation issues.
Tommy Vaughan-Birch gave a presentation on the STCRP to the Gulf
Coast Chapter of Former Agents of the FBI as well as to the staff of the
Hyatt Residences on Siesta Key. Tommy was also the recipient of the
“Guest Service Excellence” award given by Visit Sarasota County as
one of their 2013 National Tourism Week Awards. Tommy has been an
outstanding Mote volunteer for more than 23 years. She brings the
oceans to life for visitors as an Aquarium docent, monitors local sea
turtle nesting as a member of Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol, teaches new
volunteers about coastal ecology and serves as a community
ambassador through Mote’s Speakers Bureau. In 2012 alone, she gave
more than 30 presentations to a total of about 2,000 people. We are
proud and grateful to have Tommy as a Turtle Patroller and
spokesperson for our program!
John Baranowski and Paul Kehoe participated in the Venice
Library’s summer program for kids by doing both a Turtle Talk
and Turtle Patrol Walk. Both events were hits with the kids
and their parents (75-100 people attended each event). Great
job John and Paul!
Volunteer Board
Tommy Vaughan-Birch and Carol
Janetzke served as the STCRP’s
liaisons to the Mote Volunteer
Board. Thanks to both of you for
sharing STCRP news with the rest
of Mote!
Stake and FDEP Monument Painting
Gene Stover, an STCRP volunteer from
Venice, took on the monumental task
of organizing the painting of thousands
of nest marking stakes. Truckloads of
stakes were delivered to Venice so that
the following groups could partake in
the painting of the stakes:
Grace United Methodist Church Summer Camp participants,
Girl Scout Troop 250 from Venice (along with their parents),
Cub Scouts from Venice (along with their parents),
Student Leadership Academy Builders Club. and
Grace United Methodist Church Community Service Volunteers.
Everyone did a great job painting the stakes and saved the STCRP staff/interns bundles of time by taking on this
project. Thanks to Gene and everyone involved in painting the stakes – we could not have done it without you!
An extra special thanks to Gene for feeding our hungry interns at the Grace United Methodist Church Pancake
Breakfasts after loading/unloading all those stakes!
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Volunteer Events
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Volunteer Potluck Dinner
On October 25th, the STCRP held its annual Sea Turtle Patrol
potluck dinner. This year’s dinner was held in Mote’s New
Pass Room, a new venue for the event. The attendees were
treated to a great view of the sun setting in addition to lots of
delicious food prepared by our very own volunteers. More than
100 people attended and we continued the traditions we started
last year of hosting an interactive game for the attendees (this
year it was Sea Turtle Jeopardy), raffling off a beautiful photo
taken by one of our volunteers, and giving the attendees a
chance to bid on a variety of “turtle loot” in a silent auction.
The evening was successful on every front! The volunteers had fun and
were well-fed, and the STCRP raised an amazing $885 from the raffle
and silent auction. A great big thanks to STCRP volunteer, David
Dennehy, for donating the wonderful photo of the hatchling (see above)
which he took and then had enlarged/printed on canvas for the potluck
raffle. William Klick, one of our younger Turtle Patrollers, selected the
winning raffle ticket and presented the prize to Mary Brugger. Thanks
to all the attendees for making it such an enjoyable evening!
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Moving on to New Foraging Grounds
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Dr. Tony Tucker – STCRP Program Manager
Dr. Tony Tucker departed for Australia in June. He accepted a position as a Senior Research Scientist with the
Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). His new position will involve
frequent ventures to the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of remote northwestern Australia to establish new
research agreements with Indigenous Australians in order to conduct field work on flatback, loggerhead, green,
and hawksbill sea turtles.
In his ten years at Mote, Tony brought strong scientific direction to our Sea Turtle Conservation and Research
Program and published extensively on his research. His work in Sarasota County was closely followed by turtle
biologists worldwide and by state and federal wildlife agencies that designate sea turtle critical habitats. His
ecological studies revealed new data on how loggerhead turtles move within and among seasons, data which is
critical to identifying migration corridors, the number of nests laid by a female in a year, and site
fidelity. Fellow researchers within Florida, as well as in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Oman, Cuba, India,
Panama, and Bangladesh came to Tony for advice during his tenure as STCRP Program Manager. He remains a
member of the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group charged to assemble a comprehensive Global Red List for
Loggerhead Turtles that are now classed into 9 distinct population segments
“Mote and the STCRP formed a huge part of my career as a
biologist. The coordination of citizen scientist volunteers
was balanced by the opportunity to conduct independent
research. That rare combination helped in accomplishing
valuable work that bettered the overall picture for sea turtle
conservation in SW Florida. I’ll miss my Sarasota friends
and have cherished memories of all that is so great about
living here.”
Tony will keep his ties with Mote as an Adjunct Scientist to
foster new opportunities under the Mote banner for a next
generation of scientific experts, particularly graduate
students who can assist in sea turtle research in Sarasota
County or Charlotte Harbor.
Sarah Hirsch – STCRP Staff Biologist
Sarah Hirsch departed from her Staff Biologist position with the STCRP to start
a new chapter of her life at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno, FL.
Sarah graduated from Wake Forest University in 2007 with a Bachelor’s in
Biology and a minor in Environmental Science. After getting her degree, she
took a water quality internship with the US National Park Service at
Assateague Island. Sarah started at Mote as a STCRP intern in 2008 and we
were so impressed by her skills that we asked her to return in 2009 as a
Seasonal Biological Technician. Again, she did not disappoint. So, at the end of
the 2009 season when we heard that one of our full-time biologists was leaving,
we already knew who we wanted to replace him.
Sarah was a critical component of our program for 5 years and has become
friends and mentor to many of our "clutches" of interns and volunteers alike.
Besides being a Marine Turtle Permit Holder and the duties associated with that
role, she was in charge of our database and program equipment. In 2011, Sarah
helped develop and implement a computer program that downloads a portion of
our existing sea turtle database onto a handheld device. A person in the field
can then use this device to query sea turtle tagging records to make real-time
decisions as to whether a turtle is a good candidate for carrying expensive tags.
Sarah has dug many large holes and walked miles in the soft sand under the hot sun and in the midst of tropical
storms. We were very sad to see her leave, but thank her for all she has done to make our program what it is
today. We wish her well in her new endeavors.
Seasonal Technicians
Each nesting season the STCRP utilizes 1-2 Seasonal Biological Technicians to supplement the STCRP staff
during the busiest portion of the nesting season. This year we welcomed back Kenzie Crocker who was an
Intern in 2012 and enlisted the help of experienced Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteer Mike Herron.
Kenzie now lives in Sarasota and will be graduating from Emory University with a degree in Neuroscience and
Behavioral Biology. She enjoys running with her dog Meiko, cooking vegan meals, and reading adventure
books. Her future plans include becoming involved with the business side of a conservation-oriented nonprofit
organization and promoting public awareness of endangered species.
Mike Herron is originally from St. Petersburg, Fl. When he retired from his job in Michigan he moved back to
Florida where sunrise beach walks became part of his daily routine, as every day offered him something new to
discover. While on these walks, he would encounter members of Longboat Key Turtle Watch and became very
interested in what they were doing. The rest is history as they say! Mike is now a permitted volunteer who
patrols seven days a week. Turtle Patrol and environmental issues are his passions – if he’s not dealing with
turtle-related activities, he’s picking up trash on the beach. Mike's favorite turtle activity is verifying nests. He
is known as the "turtle whisperer" amongst his fellow patrollers because of his uncanny ability to locate sea
turtle eggs, he welcomes the challenge!
College Interns
In addition to Seasonal Biological Technicians, the STCRP staff also provides conservation-based internships
for 10-15 college students each year. We had a great group of hard working, fun-loving interns this year. They
were an integral part of our Turtle Patrol Program and we are grateful for all the assistance they provided.
Good luck to all of you as you embark on new adventures in your lives!
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Other STCRP Collaborative Research Projects
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Integrating Stable Isotope Analysis and Hatchling Productivity Assessments to Infer Relative Importance
of Loggerhead Foraging Areas (Principal Investigators – Simona Ceriani, PhD Candidate, Department of
Biology, University of Central Florida
In recent years, there has been growing interest in using stable
isotopes as a tool to study migratory connectivity and identify
foraging areas of marine turtles. Sampling on the nesting beach is
relatively easy as the turtles are accessible to researchers. Recently,
using a combination of satellite telemetry and stable isotope analysis,
we demonstrated that red blood cells and unhatched eggs can be used
to assign foraging areas of loggerheads nesting at the Archie Carr
NWR, Florida (Ceriani et al. 2012, Ceriani et al. submitted ). Florida
hosts ~90% of all the loggerhead nesting activity in the Southeast
USA, yet few research groups encounter nesting females at night. In
contrast, thousands of nests are marked to assess hatchling production
through an extensive nesting survey program in Florida.
Thanks to several collaborators in the State of Florida, we collected
and are analyzing non-viable eggs from a subsample of loggerhead
nests that were marked as a part of the hatchling productivity
assessment program conducted by Fish and Wildlife Research
Institute (FWRI) in 2013. Non-viable eggs were collected at time of
excavation and frozen for stable isotope analysis. We used the same
unbiased sampling protocol used by FWRI to obtain samples that are
representative of the loggerhead population nesting in Florida. This study provides a non-invasive and nondestructive method of sampling a relatively large percentage of the loggerhead population nesting in Florida and
represents the most comprehensive geographic assessment of foraging grounds to date.
Using unhatched eggs to assign females to foraging grounds provides an opportunity to: (1) sample at a much
larger scale, fostering collaborations among research groups, (2) obtain information that is more representative
at the population level, and (3) begin understanding the relative importance of foraging areas and how each
foraging ground contribution changes among years. Conservation funds are limited and there is a need to
prioritize where funds should be spent in order to maximize conservation outcomes. Understanding relative
importance of foraging grounds will allow us to make more informed management decisions by focusing
mitigation and by-catch reduction measures to areas that are loggerhead hotspots.
The STCRP Staff and Interns collected 41 samples (containing hatched shells
and unhatched eggs) during excavations, in addition to collecting nine freshly
laid eggs for the study described above.
This work was funded in whole by a grant awarded from the Sea Turtle Grants
Program (13-028R). The Sea Turtle Grants Program is funded from proceeds
from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. Learn more at
www.helpingseaturtles.org.
Effects of maternal transfer of anthropogenic and natural contaminants on reproductive success in
loggerhead and green sea turtles from western Florida -- Dr. Justin Perault, Postdoctoral Fellow in the
Marine Immunology Program, Mote Marine Laboratory
Worldwide, loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) have experienced a
substantial population decrease resulting from habitat degradation, legal and illegal harvest, fisheries bycatch,
and anthropogenic pollution; these issues make it difficult for marine turtles to rebound from population
decline, especially since they are slow to reach maturity and have relatively low survival during early life
stages. One of the possible impacts that affects survival of
loggerhead and green turtles is the impact of toxic elements
(e.g., arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, selenium, thallium),
persistent organic pollutants (e.g., polychlorinated
biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, chlorinated
pesticides) and natural toxins (e.g., brevetoxins from red
tides), which could accumulate in these long-lived
organisms. The risk that these toxicants and toxins pose to
marine turtles is high, yet the understanding of the risks is
hindered by the lack of data for these organisms, although
environmental pollutants are regarded as a top research
priority for marine turtles.
Contaminants can bioconcentrate and bioaccumulate from
both water and prey and can interfere with reproductive
success, as birds and reptiles are known to transfer
contaminants to their offspring via the yolk. A number of
studies show that risks from contaminants exist to marine
turtles and that further research is needed to determine
health-related trends, effects on hatching and emergence
success and other hazards to these organisms. The
objectives of my studies are to (1) establish maternal
transfer of toxic elements, persistent organic pollutants and
brevetoxins in loggerhead and green turtles from western Florida, (2) determine if toxic elements, persistent
organic pollutants and brevetoxins are stored and eliminated in the scutes of nesting loggerheads and green
turtles, (3) establish health parameters in nesting individuals (plasma protein, biochemistry, complete blood
counts, superoxide dismutase activity, etc.) and (4) determine if toxic elements, persistent organic pollutants and
brevetoxins are related to reproductive success in these species. The results of these studies can be used to
further promote the protection of marine habitats that are used by Florida’s marine turtles.
Dr. Perrault worked with members of the STRCRP Nighttime Tagging Program in order to collect data and
samples for the project referenced above. In addition, STCRP Staff and Interns working on morning Turtle
Patrol also collected egg samples (during excavations) for this project.
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Additional Program Support (Not Previously Mentioned)
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We are extremely grateful for the donations made to the STRCP by the following organizations and individuals.
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Wooster School — satellite tag/tracking sponsor
Pineview Middle School — satellite tag/tracking sponsor
Morrison Foundation – general program support
Longboat Key Turtle Watch — funding for educational materials, PIT tags, and flipper tags
Wells Fargo — NFWF grant
Axe Inc. Technologies – software development
Seaturtle.org — online adoptions of satellite tracked turtles
Tom and Rosemary Costello — general program support
Gulf Coast Medical Group (Terri Pizzi and her co-workers) – general program support
US Tent Rental – general program support
Virginia Walsh – general program support
SUNY – college intern sponsorship
Deborah Klinger – Rite in the Rain field notebooks
Virginia Miller – office supplies
Dr. Tony Tucker – field work supplies and artifacts for the silent auction
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STCRP Educational Outreach (Not Previously Mentioned)
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Throughout the year, STCRP staff members were also involved in educating non-STCRP volunteers, school
children, and members of the public. Below is a summary of the outreach activities conducted by staff
members:
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Casey Key Asssociation – presentation on sea turtle nest depredations on Casey Key
Casey Key Association Picnic – sea turtle educational table
Pineview Middle School, 6th grade – Learning with Loggerheads curriculum
Orion Magazine – interview with editors
College of Charleston, Dr. David Owens’ graduate students -- presentation on sea turtle biology/STCRP
University of Alabama, Dr. Thane Wibbels’ undergraduate class -- presentation on sea turtle
biology/STCRP
Heinrich Ecological Services, George Heinrich’s students – presentation on sea turtle biology/STCRP
Longboat Key Kiwanis -- presentation on sea turtle biology/STCRP
Federation of Longboat Key Condominiums -- presentation on sea turtle biology/STCRP
University of Alabama, Birmingham -- Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles class
Wooster School Field Studies Program and MML Sea Turtle Collaborative -- Teaching with Turtles
Longboat Key Club Kids Camp – presentation on sea turtles
MML Aquarium Docents, General Volunteer Meeting, Siesta Key Crystal Classic Training – presentations
on sea turtle biology/STCRP

Publications by STCRP Staff and Students

Tucker, A.D., B.D. MacDonald, and J.A. Seminoff. 2014. Foraging site fidelity and stable isotope values of
loggerhead turtles tracked in the Gulf of Mexico and Northwest Caribbean. Marine Ecology Progress
Series doi 10.3354/meps10655
Borgwardt C., T. Tucker, and K. Mazzarella. 2013. Meeresschildkröten als Opfer der
Strandbeleuchtung. Pp.138-155 in T. Posch, Franz Hölker, T. Uhlmann, A. Freyhoff, (eds). Das Ende der
Nacht: Lichtsmog: Gefahren - Perspektiven - Lösungen J. Wiley (2nd edition).
Reed, RN, TM Luhring, and AD Tucker. 2013. Determination of age, sex, and reproductive condition. Pp. 219228 in Graeter, G. J., K. A. Buhlmann, L. R. Wilkinson, and J. W. Gibbons (Eds.) Inventory and
Monitoring: Recommended Techniques for Reptiles and Amphibians, with application to the United States
and Canada. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Technical Publication IM-1, Birmingham,
Alabama.
Tucker A. D., K. Mazzarella, S. Hirsch, K. Klingensmith, W. Katz, Z. Bass, C. Leonard, K. Ferenc-Nelson,
J. Foote, G. Tatge, J. Grimes, H. Berna, M. Osterhoudt, K. Heuberger, K. Leonard, C. Steed and J.
Rogers. 2013. Is a major Florida loggerhead rookery in the Gulf of Mexico experiencing decadal population
oscillations? Proc. 33rd Annual Symp. Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Tech. Mem NMFSSEFSC-645: 244.

Upcoming Events

 February 21-23 -- Florida Marine Turtle Permit Holder Meeting in Deerfield Beach, FL
(http://www.fmtphm.org/index.php)
 April 5 -- Run for the Turtles
 April 10-17 -- 34th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation in New Orleans, LA
(http://iconferences.seaturtle.org/)
 April 26 – Mote Sea Turtle Patrol Preseason Training in Mote’s Immersion Cinema
 2014 Statewide (SNBS) and Index (INBS) Nesting Beach Survey Workshops (see attached schedule)

New Sources of Sea Turtle Information

Books
The Biology of Sea Turtles, Vol. 3.
Editors: Jeanette Wyneken, Kenneth Lohmann, John Musick.
March 25, 2013- 475 pages.
Since the first volume of The Biology of Sea Turtles was published in 1997, the field
has grown and matured in ways few of the authors would have predicted—
particularly in the areas of physiology, behavior, genetics, and health. Volume III
presents timely coverage of emerging areas as well as the integration of approaches
and information that did not exist even a decade ago. The book assembles the
foremost experts in each topic to provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive book on sea turtles available
today.
Posters
The Florida Sea Turtle Life History Posters Project was funded by a grant from the Sea Turtle License Plate
Program. This project involved the development and distribution of a life history poster for each of the five
species of sea turtles found in Florida. Poster sets were provided to Florida sea turtle groups, rehabilitation and
educational facilities, schools, environmental centers, libraries, and other groups requesting the materials. All
posters have been distributed; however the PDFs of the posters can be downloaded and printed from the
following website: http://www.conserveturtles.org/florida.php?page=seaturtle_posters.
Online Resources
Sea Turtle Resources
http://www.seaturtle.org
http://www.conserveturtles.org/
Other Local Sea Turtle Groups
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring – http://islandturtlewatch.com
Longboat Key Turtle Watch – http://lbkturtlewatch.com
Coastal Wildlife Club – http://coastalwildlifeclub.org
FWC Marine Turtle Conservation Guidelines
http://www.myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/sea-turtles/conservation-guidelines/
FWC Wildlife Lighting Information
http://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/lighting/
Turtle Tracks Video
http://vimeo.com/21465721
Wildlife for the Workforce https://isurus.mote.org/~kristen/Wildlife101/
Lighting Toolkit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiCvME7rgGc
Light Pollution http://www.tourdeturtles.org/flash/LightPollution.swf
2013 presented multiple challenges for the STCRP
(new protocols and staff departures), but our interns
and volunteers persevered and made it another
productive and fun-filled year. We are incredibly
appreciative for everyone’s patience, understanding,
and unwavering dedication to sea turtle
conservation during 2013.
See you next season!
Kristen and Kathy
Friday's News@Mote: 6-14-13
Contact: Hayley Rutger, 941-374-0081, hrutger@mote.org
Wells Fargo Awards Grant for Sea Turtle Research at Mote
Wells Fargo recently awarded a $50,000 grant to Mote Marine Laboratory for research and outreach designed to benefit sea
turtle conservation.
The grant is part of Wells Fargo’s 2013 Environmental Solutions for Communities grant program, which helps communitybased nonprofits support land and water conservation, energy efficiency, infrastructure and educational outreach in
communities where Wells Fargo’s customers and team members live and work.
Mote is an independent, nonprofit Lab dedicated to today’s research for tomorrow’s oceans, with a major focus on serving
communities and natural environments of Southwest Florida.
nd
Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program, currently in its 32 year, conducts long-term studies on sea turtles in
their ocean habitats and at nesting beaches of Sarasota County, which host the highest density of loggerhead sea turtle
nesting on the U.S. Gulf coast. Mote’s research findings are shared with resource managers and the public to inform and
support conservation of these threatened and endangered reptiles.
“Wells Fargo is proud to support Mote Marine Laboratory, a nonprofit that leads internationally significant research while
keeping the health of our local marine life at heart,” said Greg Natiello, a financial advisor for Wells Fargo and member of
Mote’s Advisory Council. “We’re confident our contribution will go a long way to benefit sea turtles, a vital part of marine
ecosystems on Florida’s west coast and an icon of marine conservation worldwide.”
The Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grant program is funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and
administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). “We sought out the best ideas and programs to protect
and conserve the environment for local communities,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF, in a Wells
Fargo press release. “Through Wells Fargo’s generous contributions, these community-based projects will provide immediate
benefits to local ecosystems and will help build and strengthen environmental stewardship ethics.”
Founded in 1955, Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 research organization based in Sarasota, Fla., with field stations in eastern
Sarasota County, Charlotte Harbor and the Florida Keys. Donations to Mote are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Mote is dedicated to today’s research for tomorrow’s oceans with an emphasis on world-class research relevant to
conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, healthy habitats and natural resources. Research programs include
studies of human cancer using marine models, the effects of man-made and natural toxins on humans and on the environment, the health of wild fisheries,
developing sustainable and successful fish restocking techniques and food production technologies and the development of ocean technology to help us
better understand the health of the environment. Mote research programs also focus on understanding the population dynamics of manatees, dolphins, sea
turtles, sharks and coral reefs and on conservation and restoration efforts related to these species and ecosystems. Mote’s vision includes
positively impacting public policy through science-based outreach and education. Showcasing this research is The Aquarium at Mote, open
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 365 days a year. Learn more at www.mote.org.
Contact: Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236. (941) 388-4441 or info@mote.org.
STCRP PRESS RELEASES FOR 2013 and 2014
2014
Fifth Annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic A Success
Mote 11/17/14
Sand Sculpting Competition kicks off on Siesta Key
ABC 7 (local TV) 11/14/14
World Master Sculptors converge for 5th Siesta Key Crystal Classic
Bradenton Herald 11/12/14
Sand sculpting offers unique opportunity for a different art experience
Examiner.com 11/09/14
Young Floridians: Sea Turtle Conservation at Mote Needs YOU!
Mote 11/03/14
Strong nesting sweason for sea turtles
Longboat Key News 10/12/14
Sea turtles trending
Sarasota Herald-Tribune 10/10/14
Banner year for sea turtles
Sarasota Herald-Tribune 10/09/14
Good news on sea turtle nests
Herald Tribune 10/08/14
High nesting numbers show 2014 turtle power
Your Observer 10/08/14
Near-record Turtle Nesting Concludes on Longboat through Venice
Mote 10/01/14
First Sea Turtle Hatch of 2014 on Longboat Key
Mote, 06/25/14
Trapped Turtle Highlights Need to Clear and Stack Beach Furniture
Mote, 06/17/14
28th Annual Run for the Turtles to Benefit Endangered Species
Mote, 04/05/14
Mote’s 28th Run for the Turtles Makes Great Strides for Endangered Species
Mote, 04/04/14
2013
Turtle Nesting Update: Greens Break Local Record, Loggerheads Finish Strong
Mote, 2013
First Sea Turtle Nest of 2013 Found on Longboat Key
Mote, 2013
Mote's 27th Annual Run for the Turtles
Mote, 2013

Community y-Based C P Fi Conservat Project # 1 nal Progr tion for G

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