There is a new shell forming under the pink tissue we call the pseudo-shell, this is good news but at this point the new shell is not uniform or sturdy enough to adequately protect Patty.  In fact a large part of what makes a turtle shell protective is the hard covering of the shell which is made of keratin (like our hair and nails), and we have not seen evidence of new growth for this layer, yet.

Additional findings will be made available in Rounds Notes, but in the meantime Patty continues to eat well and as soon as the last dead bone comes off we can take her off antibiotics.  As we approach the one year mark for her rehabilitation it’s also a good time to reflect on the positive effect we’ve had with Patty.  Her back legs are much stronger and she is able to move around her tank.  Her eye’s have cleared and she can see and find food.  She has survived the loss of her shell and we have evidence of new shell growth.  We are also learning about the regenerative properties of turtles in general, so indeed Patty has had a lot to teach us.

Click here for pdf internship announcement

We had two wonderful interns for the summer of 2009.  Our two interns were Amanda Chilson currently a sophomore at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island and Chelsea Scudder currently a senior at St. Mary’s College in Maryland.  Over the three months with the National Marine Life Center Amanda and Chelsea became like staff.  We were able to rely on them to oversee volunteers, run education programs and also take care of the patients we had. Amanda and Chelsea both designed projects for our summer Discovery Center and Education Programs.

Chelsea remarked about her internship, “As for the internship it was an awesome way to spend my summer. I learned so much about taking care of the animals and maintaining water quality.  Everyone at NMLC was incredibly nice and knowing I was contributing to helping the animals make it back to the wild was a highly rewarding feeling.”

Below are pictures of Amanda during an education program and Chelsea’s project from Summer 2009. Thank you ladies!

Amanda reading to a group of captivated children during Whale Week 2009

Chelsea designed, painted and constructed this board! Many children and adults have become a sea turtle, seal or whale! Thanks Chelsea!

Education Internship

The National Marine Life Center (NMLC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of stranded sea turtles, seals, dolphins, porpoises, and small whales, and to advance scientific knowledge and education in marine wildlife health and conservation.

Responsibilities

Education interns will assist with environmental education programs, including on-site programs, off-site programs, fairs, and festivals.  Interns will assist in giving public presentations to guests of NMLC to educate them on marine animals, conservation, and NMLC. Interns will be in charge of maintaining a coastal critter tank, including maintaining water quality, collecting and identifying the coastal animals.  Other duties include, but are not limited to, assisting in the gift shop, assist with various office projects, creating displays for the exhibit center, and helping to create lesson plans and activities that are aligned with the Massachusetts State Frameworks. Each intern will work on a project; at the end of the internship the intern will present the project to the staff, volunteers and public members, this project will be aligned with the Massachusetts State Frameworks. There maybe an opportunity for hands on work with the patients of National Marine Life Center, but is not promised. Positions are unpaid.

Qualifications

• The internship is open to students who are currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an accredited college or university.
• Preference will be given to students or recent graduates working towards biology, environmental studies, education, or other related fields.
• Intern should demonstrate good communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Students that are adaptable, responsible, hard working, willing to learn, and have an attention to detail are encouraged to apply.
• Must be able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Interns must be able to commit to at least three months, start and end dates are flexible due to school schedules.  Summer interns should be available around May 25th – around September 1^st.
• Interns must work a minimum of 20-40 hours per week.
• Must have own transportation.  Housing is not provided, but NMLC will offer suggestions.

To Apply:

Please send a cover letter, resume, and a letter of recommendation by March 31, 2010 to:

Joanne Nicholson
Executive Assistant & Outreach Coordinator
National Marine Life Center
120 Main Street, P.O. Box 269
Buzzards Bay, MA 02532
jnicholson@nmlc.org
phone: (508) 743-9888
fax: (508) 759-5477
www.nmlc.org

Students viewing a radiograph ("x-ray") of a sea turtle.

This February Vacation Week, we welcomed nine students from throughout Barnstable and Plymouth counties to participate in “Turtle T.L.C. & Seal S.O.S.”  Created with Jr. TECH, a program of the Cape Cod Technology Council, the workshop aims to promote “STEM” skills while teaching kids about marine animal rehabililitation.

Using a sea turtle model, students learned what medical and husbandry data are recorded in the "animal's" chart.

STEM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math” and the National Marine Life Center partners with Jr. TECH and other organizations to incorporate these important skills in our education programs.

Students tossing "squid" at "sea turtles" in "rehabilitation tanks". The data recorder is an important job!

Students this week learned about marine animals, strandings, and rehabilitation.  They fed “squid” to “sea turtles” and calculated grams “eaten”.  they conducted an experiment on waters of different salinities to see when ice would form.  They analyzed medical data to determine which “sea turtle” would receive a satellite tag.  They tried to “eat” M&Ms® and Skittles® when “entangled.”  (The quotes are around words/ideas that were simulated through various hands-on exercises and activities.  There was no exposure to live animals during the workshop.)

Using a handheld refractometer to check the salinity of a water sample.

Students played Marine Animal Twister and Marine Animal Concentration and Marine Animal Jeopardy.  They laughed and learned and also shared great ideas with us, their instructors.

The saltier the water, the less likely it was to freeze.

You can join us for two new Junior Tech workshops during April Vacation Week!

Discover Dolphins! will be held Monday, April 19 to Wednesday, April 21 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the National Marine Life Center.  Geared towards grades 6 and 7, in this workshop we will take a journey around the world (in only three days!) to discover all the different species of dolphin, winding up on an in-depth exploration of the dolphins that inhabit the waters off Cape Cod. We will investigate dolphin anatomy and physiology, and explore the adaptations dolphins employ to survive as a mammal in the harsh environment of the ocean. Join us and discover everything you could ever want to know about dolphins! Please note that there is no exposure to live animals.  The price is $99.  Click here to register online.

Why’d they do that? Investigations of marine animal behavior! will be held Wednesday, April 21 to Friday, April 23, 2010 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon at the National Marine Life Center.  Geared towards grades 7 and 8, in this workshop we will ask questions such as:  Why do whales breach? Do sea turtles hang out together? Why does a seal play dead? Do dolphins play? Did you every wonder why marine animals behave in certain ways? Compare and contrast behavioral strategies of different marine animal species. Learn principles of animal behavior including focal animal sampling and group or scan sampling. Discover how scientists use satellite telemetry to study animal movement. Investigate animals in the wild aboard a whale watch with Capt. John Boats on the last day! Friday’s whale watch location and time will be provided during the workshop.  The price is  $115.  Click here to register online.

Dr. "Sea" Rogers Williams introduces visitors to the diamondback terrapin hatchlings.

Weekdays at 11 am, we offer an update about our patients and the opportunity to visit our headstarting diamondback terrapin hatchlings and red bellied cooter hatchlings.  Free, suitable for all ages.

Children painting t-shirts during "Fins & Flippers Club"

Weekdays at 2 pm, we offer “Fins and Flippers” club where participating children listen to a story about marine animals and then do a related craft project.  We request a $3 donation/child ($1 for members) to cover expenses.  All ages welcome.  Most suitable for ages 3-8.

From the Discovery Center, visitors can glimpse into the clinic where diamondback terrapin "Patty" is being treated.

Admission to the Marine Animal Discovery Center is FREE this week, and we’re open 10 am to 5 pm through Sunday, February 21.  Stop by and learn more about marine animals, strandings, rehabilitation, and the National Marine Life Center!

Diamondback Terrapin. Photo by Don Lewis, turtlejournal.com.

JOIN US on Saturday, February 13, 10 am – 2 pm, for our Open House celebrating turtles and other marine life!

Explore the Marine Animal Discovery Center, make a marine animal valentine, enjoy arts and crafts and games and refreshments, tour our new marine animal hospital.  Visit Patty the Diamondback Terrapin and meet the eight red-bellied cooter hatchlings and eight diamondback terrapin hatchlings in “headstart”.

$5/person suggested donation, members FREE. Join as a member when you arrive and get in free! Your entrance and membership donations will help us open our doors to the marine animals we all love.

120 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
(508) 743-9888

Jan Maliszewski & Michael Andrus filming in the animal clinic. Photo by Aaron Frutman, DGA Productions.

The National Marine Life Center was a film set today as DGA Productions from Watertown, MA filmed a promotional video for us.  Interesting lighting transformed ordinary spaces into brilliant backdrops for interviews of NMLC volunteers and staff.  Thank you to Jan Maliszewski, Michael Andrus, and Aaron Frutman for your expert videography and for making the day FUN!

Lighting the interview with NMLC Trustee Barb Schneider. Photo by Aaron Frutman, DGA Productions.

DGA Productions is donating the video, including filming, editing, and production pro-bono.  Says Jan, who visited NMLC with his kids over the summer, “this is an important project and we want to do what we can to help.”  Thank you!

Jan Maliszewski discusses the next shot with Kathy Zagzebski. Photo by Aaron Frutman, DGA Productions.

Jan Maliszewski and Michael Andrus filming Kathy Zagzebski on the mezzanine of NMLC's new marine animal hospital. Photo by Aaron Frutman, DGA Productions.

Zig (left) and Harry (right) touch up the surface around one of the sea turtle tanks.

With a degree in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Harry loves to figure out the perfect product for the situation at hand.  He has patented at least one mixture, and has come up with innovative applications for many others.  At first, most of his work was in industry – waste water, paper mills, utility companies.  One day he was asked to consult on a zoo application, and suddenly a sideline in the zoo and aquarium industry was born.  Harry says he enjoyed working on the National Marine Life Center job because he is excited to use his experience to help the animals.

A job well done! Harry (left) and Zig (right) of Specialty Coating Solutions.

Siegfried (Seig) Fritz helped Harry with the job at NMLC.  With a degree in Art from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, Sieg finds he can apply some of the skills and principles of floor sealing to his art.  He also enjoyed visiting several of the art galleries in Falmouth while here.  (Like Harry, Sieg currently lives in North Carolina.)  Sieg said he looks forward to returning to NMLC once we open for patients!

Thank you Harry and Sieg of Specialty Coating Solutions for your stories, your good humor in cold weather, and your excellent workmanship!