Today the National Marine Life Center had participated  something outside our normal daily activities of education programs and turtle care. At roughly 3PM , the NMLC crew took a brief moment out of busy schedules to celebrate a quick and joyous moment to release our Black Backed Gull friend.

Our gull friend, formerly known as Winger, was spotted walking along the main street of Buzzards Bay outside the center on June 28th. I had approached him in the middle of the street when I discovered he had a terrible break in his left wing. After some quick thinking, Joanne and I were able to chase the sea gull down the street and wrangle him into a carrier. He was then transported to Cape Wildlife for his medicinal care, since NMLC is not permitted to take care of birds. Nevertheless, Winger spent a little over a month with Cape Wildlife under great care, where we were able to release him back into the wild.

On this very successful event, it was a joyous occasion,  while Winger took his fifteen minutes of fame with us. He make sure to check out his surrounds by walking the park and getting hydrated. Before he was ready to take flight, which he did so nicely! On behalf of NMLC crew: Winger, the best of luck and take great care of that wing!

ANIMAL CARE TECHNICIAN & FACILITIES COORDINATOR (full-time):

The National Marine Life Center seeks a full-time animal care technician and facilities coordinator to work with stranded sea turtles, seals, and (eventually) dolphins.

Responsibilities include:
~ animal husbandry;
~ acting as primary liaison between the veterinarian(s) and animal care staff and volunteers;
~ performing animal health assessments;
~ scheduling procedures;
~ collecting samples;
~ animal handling and restraint;
~ preparing food and feeding;
~ administering vitamins and medications;
~ training and supervising volunteers;
~ cleaning and maintaining the facilities;
~ testing water quality; and
~ maintaining the life support systems.

Additional duties include:
~ presenting educational programs to the public;
~ participating in fundraising activities; and
~ assisting with general office duties.

Requirements:
~ experience rehabilitating sea turtles, seals, and/or dolphins;
~ B.A./B.S. in biology, zoology, or related field, and/or veterinary technician degree/certification, and/or equivalent work experience;
~ excellent verbal and written communication skills;
~ proficiency with standard MS Office software; and
~ must be willing to work weekends and holidays.

E-mail, fax, or mail cover letter, resume, and the names of three professional references to:
Kathy Zagzebski, President & Executive Director
National Marine Life Center
P.O. Box 269
Buzzards Bay, MA, 02532-0269
kzagzebski@nmlc.org
(fax) 508-759-5477

Application deadline: 30 August 2010

The National Marine Life Center is an equal opportunity employer.

Click here for a complete job description.

How time flies when you’re helping turtles! It’s difficult for me to believe that it’s already mid-July, and yet I feel that in the 1 1/2 months I’ve been here, I feel we’ve accomplished a lot.

The center is now bustling with activity, as people bring their kids in to the Discovery Center for Fins and Flippers on Tuesdays and Wednesday and Marine Animal Medical Mystery Wednesdays. The interns and I had a lot of fun with turtle week, and we’ve been getting pretty creative and involved in planning the crafts each week. I feel as if I get as excited about some of the crafts as much as the kids do! Additionally, we have a good number of volunteers who have just started, and who are making the craft prep workload much lighter for us interns. Thanks guys!

Kids Working on Thermometer Turtles

We have also been busy getting ready for the numerous festivals that take place in July. This past weekend, the interns divided up to attend two festivals; the Sandwich Street Fair and the Swan Festival in Wareham. The Barnstable County Fair, the biggest event of the summer, should be a fantastic time! Starting nest weekend, we will have a table set up in the big tent from 12-10pm until Tuesday. In additional to getting a lovely marine animal tattoo (fake, of course!) and getting to see some of the cool whale specimens at our table, come enjoy the music, food, and (best of all) the RIDES! Can you tell I’m excited?! It will be a great time for all.

In heavier news, it is bothersome to me that the oil in the Gulf spill has yet to be capped, and that the test of a new method if being delayed for another day. Why must we keep waiting? Thousands upon thousands of gallons of oil is still escaping everyday, harming our ecosystems… in my opinion we are not moving fast enough. I also just recently read an Associated Press article about how the first Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle eggs evacuated from the Gulf were released in the Atlantic. The article stated:

“…the newborn Kemp’s ridley sea turtles did well after their release.

About 700 sea turtle nests — each containing about 100 eggs — are being trucked from oiled shores along the Gulf to Cape Canaveral, where they’re kept at a climate-controlled facility. The turtles are being released into the Atlantic as they hatch.

Scientists feared that a generation of the imperiled species would die if they hatched and swam into the oil.”

It is comforting to know that so many turtles were saved, but one wonders what the implications may be for future generations of turtles, which have always nested on the same beach, are relocated to a different environment. It seems only time will tell.

In turtle news at NMLC, Patty’s shell is slowly re-growing! Yesterday, Roger’s removed a good deal of dead tissue, and underneath was a dark pigment of shell starting to return. This is very exciting news, and though Patty’s shell now looks very pink and raw, it is nice to know she’s on the rebound. Catch 22 is as feisty as ever, and the interns seem to enjoy his natural sunlight basking treatment (AKA tanning time) as much as he does.

Summer is in full swing at NMLC, but I’ll be sure to send another update soon!

-Dory

I realized on my last blog that I did not really talk too much about the daily duties of an intern. Therefore, this blog will just be a broad recap on some of the recent goings-on at NMLC.

Because some very significant donors came this past Thursday to take a look at the animal hospital, our assigned task for a good part of this week was to have the place looking spick and span rather than a haphazard construction site; after hours of heat, sweat, and dirt, the place looks great. I keep looking at the plan and visualizing how grand it’s going to be when it’s all completed. It will really bring so much to the Buzzards’ Bay area in terms of being a site of interest to attract tourists, but it will also be a stately facility to provide great rehabilitative care to sick or injured marine animals.

I also learned this week how to do a full tank change for Patty. It is a multi-step process that sometimes involves manually hauling heavy water-coolers full of salt water to the bin inside, but when I think of all this turtle has been through, it’s so worth it for her. Feeding is, obviously, also part of the daily routine. But it proved particularly challenging that day. Have you ever tried to crack open a frozen clam? It is probably one of the most frustrating experiences you will ever have. For 30 minutes, I tried (in vain) to extract the hearty meat for Patty that was waiting inside… finally, I had to resort to penetrating what I was starting to believe was a concrete shell with a heavy rock. She did not get her typical ‘clams on the half-shell’ that day, but I believe she was fine with this.

Good Ol' Patty... Who can resist that face?!

Another exciting piece of news from this week was that the water quality for the critter tank had improved enough to allow more fish and some invertebrates to now call it their home. Wednesday we went out with buckets and nets and collected different types of crabs, sea slugs, periwinkles, and sea stars. All will be catalogued, and while we may have our doubts as to what kind of relationship the crabs and sea stars will foster (the crab’s dinner delight?) we’ll just have to wait and see. Regardless, the kids that come into the Discovery Center will probably be very excited to see some new critters on display.

On this same topic, the start of the summer education programs is coming steadily upon us, and as such we interns have been dividing up the work in order to be ready. Since each week represents a marine animal, we have all chose one or two weeks that match up with what we want to do. I have whale week, and will also be assisting with shark week (which, btw, matches up with Shark Week on the Discovery Channel…. So cool! J I am fascinated by whales, for their immense size is enough to be overwhelming! Also, as part of my intern project on Deep-Sea Exploration (more on that in a later blog) I will be researching sunken whales. What is a sunken whale, you ask? Quite simply, a whale that has died and sunk to the ocean floor, something I believe most of us overlook. Far from being morbid, these occurrences actually offer scientists a rare opportunity to witness the deep-sea food chain in action and all those that feed off of the whale’s carcass. In some cases, when the meat has already been polished off, underwater robots may attempt to bring up the skeleton for scientific purposes. It really is quite fascinating, and I will definitely post more when I research it in-depth.

One of the crafts I'm looking at for Whale week (7/26)

Whale week will also include some adorable sock puppet whales for kids, and stories. I am hoping to find some on whale migration, for the distances some species travel are quite unbelievable. Perhaps a kid’s version of Moby Dick would also go along with the craft quite nicely, as well as a mini-lesson on the history of whaling, particularly right here on Cape Cod.

Things should be picking up soon with the programs, and it’s very exciting!

Occasionally, volunteers swabbed the terrapins' shells gently with a dilute veterinary cleansing solution to remove algal growth.

On June 14th our eight diamond-backed terrapin hatchlings are going home! These small turtles, listed as “threatened” by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, hatched too late in the season last year to survive the cold winter.  They’ve spent the past 7 1/2 months in a nice, warm environment at the National Marine Life Center.  Daily, volunteers fed the animals and cleaned their tanks.  Weekly, volunteers weighed and measured the animals.

Dr. Williams examines each terrapin with a veterinary scope.

With the warming of weather, we’ve been preparing the diamond-backs to return to the wild by introducing clams and quahogs to their diet and increasing the salinity of their habitats to match their natural salt marsh environment.  The last step was an exit exam.  NMLC Veterinarian Dr. Williams examined each animal’s eyes, limbs, and shell, took weights and measurements and a full set of identification photographs, and proclaimed the turtles fit for release!

Thank you to the many volunteers who assisted in caring for these young turtles.  Because of you, the animals have a second chance at survival.

The release is open to the public.

RELEASE DETAILS:
TIME:  Monday, June 14, 3:00 pm
LOCATION:  Meet at Great Island Parking Lot in Wellfleet, MA
DIRECTIONS: From Sagamore Bridge:
~ Cross Sagamore Bridge.  Head south on US-6E for approximately 36.1 miles.
~ At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto US-6E/Mid-Cape Hwy
~ Continue to follow US-6E for 11.7 miles
~ Turn left at School Street and continue onto Mill Hill Road for 0.3 miles
~ Turn left at Ryder Court for 0.2 miles
~ Continue onto Holbrook Avenue, and turn right at Chequessett Neck Road for 0.5 miles
~ Take a slight left to stay on Chequessett Neck Road for 1.9 miles
~ Park in Great Island Parking Lot

JUNE IS TURTLE MONTH

Blanding Turtle. Photo by Lori Erb. Via MassWildlife.org.

June is the month when normally aquatic snapping, painted, spotted, red-bellied, Blanding’s and other turtles leave the relative safety of their water world and venture overland in search of nesting sites. With alarming frequency, these ancient reptiles are cut off from traditional nesting areas by an ever increasing network of roads, leaving the turtles vulnerable to high rates of road-kill.

Wood turtle. Photo by Mike Jones. Via MassWildlife.org.

Dubbed the “Killing Grid” by herpetologists studying the dilemma, roads take a terrible toll on female turtles that normally offset low reproductive success rates with long reproductive life spans. Cutting short adult life spans limits recruitment of young turtles in the wild and can ultimately result in the complete loss of local turtle populations. To add to the crisis, roads bring increasing development which translates into loss of nesting habitat and additional losses of turtles and turtle nests to people, and predators associated with human residential areas such as skunks, foxes and raccoons.

Box turtle. Photo by Liz Willey. Via MassWildlife.org.

The solution? On a landscape scale, large tracts of habitat need to be protected to ensure the viability of Massachusetts’ native turtles. The BioMap and Living Waters, created by MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage Program, identifies such tracts and superimposes them on a statewide map creating a “greenprint” for the conservation of biodiversity. State, local and private conservation agencies and organizations use the BioMap and Living Waters maps to guide their habitat protection efforts. Currently, a major effort to update these maps is underway with completion planned for this fall. For more details go to: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/land_protection/biomap/biomap_home.htm Sustainable forest management practices on public and private lands also helps to insure that care is taken to conserve rare species during the planning and implementation of timber sales. Forestry conservation management practices for turtles and other rare species are posted on the web at: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/regulatory_review/forestry/forestry_cmp.htm.

Photo by MassWildlife. Via MassWildlife.org.

On an individual level, citizens can assist turtles moving to and from nesting areas by helping them to cross roadways. While this Samaritan act should never be attempted if any human risk is involved, a successful road crossing can make the difference between nesting now and well into the future, versus no nesting at all. Always remember to help a turtle only when safe to do so and always move the turtle in the direction it is heading. Do not take any turtles to another location or a pond! Snappers may be safely held with one hand on the tail and another hand slid under the turtle to support its weight. Picking them up only by the tail can damage their spine. Painted, spotted and other turtle species can be safely grasped by the sides of the shell. For more useful turtle conservation tips and Turtle FAQs, go to www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/conservation/herps/turtle_tips.htm. Encounters with rare state-protected turtles should be reported to MassWildlife with photo and map documentation. To report a rare turtle species visit www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/species_info/report_rare_species.htm.

Graphic via MassWildlife.org.

Editor’s P.S.:  In adding links and photos to this post, I came across another helpful MassWildlife publication.  Why are turtles in trouble?  May I collect a wild turtle?  May I keep a turtle as a pet?  These and other questions are answered in “General Turtle Information and Conservation Tips.”  Click on the title to download.  ~kaz

As part of a conservation effort led by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), the public is invited to join Mary Griffin, Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game, and MassWildlife staff biologists to help release 115 hatchling Northern Red-bellied Cooters in Middleborough. Originally known as the Plymouth Red-belly Turtle, the Northern Red-Bellied Cooters in Massachusetts are a disjunct population isolated from the next nearest known population located in New Jersey. These turtles are listed as endangered species at both the state and federal levels. They are the Bay State’s second largest freshwater turtle, second only to the snapping turtle.

When: Friday, May 28, 2010 10:30AM

Where: Long Point Road, between Pocksha and Great Quittacas Ponds, Middleborough (see below for directions)

The hatchlings were removed from the wild last fall and paired with partnering educational and scientific facilities from across the state as part of a program called “Headstarting.” Headstarting accelerates growth and reduces the likelihood of death during a turtle’s first year of life. As part of the program, cooperating partners raise the turtles in warm aquarium environments with unlimited food, allowing them to grow faster, and making them less vulnerable to predation when they are finally released. For a fact sheet about these turtles, go to: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/species_info/nhfacts/pseudemys_rubriventris.pdf.

Representatives from the following organizations partnered with DFG on the headstarting project: Zoo New England, Museum of Science of Boston, New England Aquarium of Boston, Berkshire Museum of Pittsfield, Buttonwood Park Zoo of New Bedford, National Marine Life Center of Bourne, the South Shore Science Center of Norwell, and the Thornton Burgess Society of Sandwich. Students from the following schools and colleges also participated in headstarting cooters: Andover High School, Dighton Middle School, Eagle Hill School in Hardwick, Essex Agricultural High School in Middleton, Gloucester High School, Lasell College in Newton, Leominster High School, Minuteman Regional Vocational and Technical School in Lexington, Norfolk Agricultural High School in Walpole, North Quincy High School, Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, and Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School in Easton.

Directions to the Release Site: From Rte 495 take Exit 4 for Rte 105 south. Follow 105 through Lakeville center and past Assawompsett Pond on left and stay straight when Rte. 18 turns to the right. Take left on Long Point Road and follow across causeway between Pocksha and Great Quittacas Ponds to meeting/release site.

An oiled Kemp's ridley sea turtle in treatment at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Photo by the Oiled Wildlife Care Network.

I’ve avoided blogging about the oil spill in the Gulf in part because I’ve felt it’s not my story to tell.  I’ve been doing my part to keep informed, share good information across Twitter and Facebook, and put my name on a NOAA list of potential trained responders available if needed to relieve wildlife response personnel on scene.  As oil continues to gush, however, and more and more questions arise, our local community is looking to the National Marine Life Center for information.  In that light, then, I would like to share with you a wildlife update and links to good, solid information.

As of May 21st, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network reports 3 live externally oiled sea turtles, 10 live externally unoiled sea turtles, and 173 dead externally unoiled sea turtles.  Additionally, they report 18 dead externally unoiled dolphins.

An oiled pelican in treatment at the Louisiana Oiled Wildlife Center. Photo by the International Bird Rescue Research Center.

As of May 23rd, the International Bird Rescue Research Center reports 41 oiled birds were captured and brought to care centers in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.  Of these 41 oiled birds, 11 were released, 10 died, and 20 remain in rehabilitation.  Additionally, they report 316 dead birds, both oiled and externally unoiled.

As I’m writing this, I’m coming to realize I was wrong in thinking the oil spill is not my story to tell.  In our own ways, each of us is impacted by the spill.  As users of oil and its products, each of us is responsible for the need to drill.  As consumers of seafood, as tourists, as coastal residents each of us will face the consequences of the spill now and for years into the future.

So what can each of us do?  Stay informed.  Remember that you vote with your wallet every time you spend money, and do so wisely and thoughtfully.  If you are in a position to do so, volunteer.  Donate to groups helping oiled wildlife.  Spread the word and share good, accurate information.

First, here are the official phone numbers for the Oil Spill.
~ REPORT OILED/INJURED WILDLIFE (866) 557-1401
~ OIL ON LAND / BOOM ISSUES (866) 448-5816
~ TECH/SUGGESTIONS (281) 366-5511
~ DAMAGE CLAIMS (800) 440-0858
~ VOLUNTEERING (866) 448-5816
or visit the State-Specific Web sites below.

State specific volunteer opportunities:
~ Louisiana: http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov/
~ Mississippi: http://www.volunteermississippi.org/1800Vol/OpenIndexAction.do
~ Florida: http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org/
~ Alabama: http://www.servealabama.gov/2010/default.aspx

Here are my favorite websites for oil spill information:
~ Oiled Wildlife Care Network Blog – excellent source of information on wildlife response, on the difficulties of determining whether or not an animal is oiled,  and on the mechanics of wildlife response within the larger Incident Command System (ICS) structure.
~ International Bird Rescue Research Center Blog – on-the-ground reports of oiled wildlife.
~ Deepwater Horizon Response – official website of the Unified Command.
~ NOAA Office of Response & Restoration, Incident News – includes public advisories and press releases as well as NOAA Situation Updates.
~ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Spill Response – additional updates about wildlife response.
~ EPA Response to BP Spill – information from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

This is a great document explaining the plans for marine mammals and sea turtles.
~ Response and Rescue Plans for Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Impacted by the Spill – by NOAA, US FWS, and the Oiled Wildlife Care Network.

And of course there are a variety of information sources on social networks.
~ Twitter:  The official response from the Joint Information Center is @Oil_Spill_2010.  There are a lot of other sites springing up and several of the agencies involved are also “Tweeting” about the spill.  The National Marine Life Center (@MarineLifeCtr) has aggregated some of our favorites into an oilspill list that is open for others to follow.
~ Facebook: The official response from the Joint Information Center is at:
http://www.facebook.com/DeepwaterHorizonResponse?ref=ts

Oil Spill Trajectory Map by the NOAA Office of Response & Restoration

"Lavender" is a Kemp's ridley sea turtle. Kemp's ridleys are the most critically endangered sea turtle in the world. Since admitting our first Kemp's ridley patient in 2005, NMLC has cared for 19 of this species.

Today is Endangered Species Day.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service observes Endangered Species Day “…in order to recognize the national conservation effort to protect our nation’s endangered species and their habitats.”

We’d like to recognize the 74 endangered and threatened species that the National Marine Life Center has cared for over the past six years.  Our mission to rehabilitate marine animals is especially compelling when considering endangered species.  The population numbers of endangered species are so low that every individual matters in that population.  Each individual we can rehabilitate or headstart and release back into the wild helps their population recover.

Fletcher is a loggerhead sea turtle. Currently listed as "threatened", loggerheads' population numbers in the US have continued to decline and they are being proposed for uplisting to "endangered" status. Since accepting our first patient, "Eco", in 2004, NMLC has cared for 2 loggerheads.

Please donate to the National Marine Life Center and help us open our new marine animal hospital so we can save more endangered and threatened marine animals.  Every gift matters.  Thank you.

Northern red-bellied cooters are listed as "threatened" on the federal endangered species list and "endangered" at the state level. NMLC participates in a state-managed "head start" program that has increased hatchling survivability by over 90%. Because of our veterinary expertise, we are often asked to care for animals from the headstart program that need medical attention. Since becoming a partner in the head start program, NMLC has cared for 37 cooters.

Patty is a diamond-backed terrapin listed as "threatened" within Massachusetts. NMLC helps terrapin researchers by overwintering hatchlings and rehabilitating sick turtles. Since admitting our first diamond-backed terrapin in 2008, NMLC has cared for 16 terrapins.

Patty seems to be enjoying the deeper water of her tank.  She explores more and likes to rest on the rocks.

You can visit Patty and see her progress.  NMLC’s Marine Animal Discovery Center is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm throughout the summer.  Click here for directions.  Click here to make a donation to help Patty and other animals in need.