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The Newsletter of the Diamondback Terrapin Working Group Volume 2 Issue 2 Spring/Summer 2015

Terrapin Times

Cred

it: Jackie Gu

zy

HARVEST PROTECTION FOR NEW JERSEY TERRAPINS By: John Wnek

N ew Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Commissioner Bob Martin signed Administrative Order 2015-02 on March 1, 2015, placing a moratorium on the harvest of diamondback terrapins in New Jersey through this year’s harvest season which ended on March 31, 2015. The terrapin harvest season in New Jersey runs from November 1 – March 31 each year, so this action

effectively ended harvest for the month of March, after which harvesting is illegal.

The Administrative Order was enacted in response to harvest activity in which 3,522 terrapins were legally sold to an aquaculture facility in Maryland in December 2013, and a recent illegal harvest of 800 terrapins occurred this past winter. During the designated terrapin harvest season, terrapins with a plastron length of five inches or more can be taken without the use of nets, dredges, or trawls. Currently, there is no license or reporting of catch required by the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Marine Fisheries Council that manages terrapin capture in the state. With an open harvest season and lack of reporting requirements, New Jersey was a source of terrapins to an aquaculture breeding facility in Maryland that applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to sell over 14,000 offspring overseas since terrapins are protected under CITES.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report in response to the application questioned the loss of over 3,500 terrapins from New Jersey and how it would impact its terrapin population. As a result of loss of high numbers of terrapins and lack of management regulations, the NJ Fisheries Council voted unanimously to support the closure of the terrapin harvest

season, thus sent a request to Commissioner Martin to sign an administrative order. As part of the Administrative Order, Commissioner Martin charges the Council to make recommendations to the current harvest law to “ensure continued sustainability and protection of the diamondback terrapin in New Jersey.” New Jersey’s terrapins are now at the forefront of management discussions, and there will certainly be changes regarding harvest laws in the Garden State.

DTWG Grant Recipients 3

DTWG Regional Meetings 4-5

Terrapin Pubs & Upcoming Mtgs 6

Meet Your Colleagues: TAMUCC 7

Seized Terrapins 8

Membership Update 9

Membership Form 10

Inside this issue:

John Wnek is a terrapin researcher in New Jersey. He

supervises the Marine Academy of Technology and

Environmental Science and is a member of the DTWG.

Ph

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pro

vided

by Jo

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Wn

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Terrapin Times • Spring/Summer 2015 • The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group • http://www.dtwg.org

OFFICERS AND REGIONAL

REPRESENTATIVES Northeast Representatives

Barbara Brennessel, Wheaton College

Alex Kanonik, Queens College

Mid-Atlantic Representative

Randy Chambers, College of William and Mary

Stephanie Egger, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ

Southeast Representatives

Brian Crawford, University of Georgia

Andrew Grosse, SC Department of Natural Resources

Florida Representatives

Ben Atkinson, University of Florida

Kristen Hart, USGS

Gulf Representatives

Tom Mohrman, The Nature Conservancy

Will Selman, LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

DEDICATED TO DIAMONDBACK TERRAPIN RESEARCH, CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT, AND EDUCATION

The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group was formed in 2004 by individuals from academic, scientific, regulatory and private institutions/organizations working to promote the conservation of the diamondback terrapin, the preservation of intact, wild terrapin populations and their associated ecosystems throughout their range. The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group is committed to and supports research, management, conservation, and education efforts with the above goals in mind.

Senior Co-Chair

Mike Dorcas, Davidson College

Junior Co-Chair

Christina Mohrman, NOAA Environmental Cooperative Science Center

Secretary

Mary Hollinger, Freelance Biologist

Treasurer

Joe Butler, University of North Florida

Past Co-Chairs

Russell Burke, Hofstra University

Willem Roosenburg, Ohio University

Joe Butler, University of North Florida

CONNECT WITH US

@ www.dtwg.org

Find us on Facebook

Join the DTWG Listserv

Terrapin Times is the biennial newsletter of the

Diamondback Terrapin Working Group.

Editor Christina Mohrman

The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group

(DTWG) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Thanks! to our newsletter

contributors: Aaron Baxter, John Wnek,

Jordan Gray, and Nicole Alben.

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Terrapin Times • Spring/Summer 2015 • The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group • http://www.dtwg.org

2015 Grant Recipients

Cassandra Cook (College of William and Mary) - Potential threats to diamondback terrapin

nesting success caused by the invasive reed Phragmites australis

Jordan Donini (Southeastern Louisiana University) - Reproductive physiology of two

populations of diamondback terrapins in the Gulf of Mexico

Janelle Johnson (Grice Marine Lab, College of Charleston) - Observations of trap level

interactions of the diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin, and blue crab, Callinectes

sapidus, to determine optimal BRD design for the blue crab fishery in South Carolina

Kimberly Lull (Green Mountain College) - Diamondback terrapin mortality on a southern

New Jersey causeway: a two-fold approach to conserving a local population

Lindsay Ramirez (Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi) - Does

elevated salinity induce a physiological response in Texas diamondback terrapin

(Malaclemys terrapin littoralis)?

Taylor Roberge (University of Alabama, Birmingham) - Evaluating the spatial and temporal

variation in nesting beach microhabitat in Heron Bay, Alabama

Shantel Swierc (Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi) -

Demographics, distribution, and genetic variation in the Texas diamondback terrapin

(Malaclemys terrapin littoralis) within the Corpus Christi and Aransas Bay systems

We are happy to announce this year’s DTWG grant recipients! Thanks to the generous support of our

members, we awarded $2,850 in grants to support seven terrapin research and conservation projects.

Special thanks to this year’s grant committee—Sarah Finn (Chair), Russ Burke, Steven Pearson, Andrew

Grosse, Kristen Hart, and Tom Mohrman.

DTWG GRANTS PROGRAM

Credit: Aaron Baxter

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Terrapin Times • Spring/Summer 2015 • The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group • http://www.dtwg.org

SOUTHEAST AND GULF COAST REGIONAL MEETINGS

Credit: Christina Mohrman

Credit: Christina Mohrman Credit: Christina Mohrman

The Southeast and Gulf Coast Regional Groups both

hosted successful meetings in early 2015! The

Southeast Regional Meeting was Saturday, March 7th

at the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service

Brunswick Station in Brunswick, Georgia. This meeting

included oral and poster presentations about current

terrapin research in the region and breakout

discussions.

The Gulf Coast Regional Meeting was Thursday,

February 26th at the NOAA Estuarine Habitats and

Fisheries Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. The group

shared state updates, hosted a special discussion with

the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Crab

Subcommittee, and held breakout sessions to discuss

action items for research, management, and education.

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Terrapin Times • Spring/Summer 2015 • The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group • http://www.dtwg.org

The 2nd Annual Greater Savannah Region Diamondback

Terrapin Workshop, held at the Armstrong State University,

was again a great success. The event was hosted by the Biology

Department of the Armstrong State University and the Terrapin

Educational Research Program of Savannah (T.E.R.P.S).

Representing a diverse array of professional organizations,

community partners, educators and personal interests, thirty-

three attendees learned about regional research and

conservation efforts from five guest presenters and engaged in

a lengthy discussion session. The guest speakers included

Chantal Audran of the Tybee Island Marine Science Center,

2ND ANNUAL SAVANNAH TERRAPIN WORKSHOP

Carolyn McInerney of the Skidaway Island Landings Association,

Dr.’s Kathryn Craven and Matthew Draud of the Armstrong State

University and David Zailo of the University of Georgia.

The majority of attendees were from Georgia however the states

of South Carolina, Florida and Alaska were also represented.

Nicole Abeln of the Anchorage Museum and her guest were the

two attendees from Alaska. She most recently found herself as a

husbandry and placement technician for two-hundred and ten chelonians including diamondback terrapins from a

USFWS confiscation. Of other note, two guests representing individual environmental consulting firms were in

attendance. Their attendance was of high importance to regional terrapin conservation efforts as the firms they

represent have been contracted by the Georgia Department of Transportation to evaluate a particular segment of

U.S. Highway 80. This segment, which runs adjacent to the Fort Pulaski National Monument and McQueen’s Island

and connects mainland Georgia to Tybee Island, has long been a major source of terrapin road mortality.

The workshop was covered by local news station

WJCL and Jordan Gray was a guest of WTOC’s

“Mid-Morning Live” program to talk about the

workshop and regional terrapin conservation. In

addition, the days adjacent to the workshop saw

several attendees having the opportunity to

observe terrapins in-situ as guests of T.E.R.P.S’

and Armstrong State University’s mark-

recapture study on a local terrapin population.

In all, there was excellent knowledge shared,

mitigation efforts brainstormed and networks

made to further the preservation of the Carolina

diamondback terrapin in the Greater Savannah

Region.

By: Jordan Gray

Credit: Kate Greene (via Facebook)

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Terrapin Times • Spring/Summer 2015 • The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group • http://www.dtwg.org

NEW TERRAPIN PUBLICATIONS

Akins, C.D., C.D., Ruder, S.J. Price, *L.A. Harden, J.W. Gibbons, and M.E. Dorcas. 2014. Factors affecting

temperature variation and habitat use in free-ranging diamondback terrapins. Journal of Thermal Biology 44:63-

69.

Burke, R.L. and A.M. Calichio. 2014. Temperature-dependent sex determination in the diamondback terrapin

(Malaclemys terrapin). Journal of Herpetology 48(4): 466-470.

*Crawford, B.A., N.C. Poudyal, and J.C. Maerz. 2015. When drivers and terrapins collide: assessing stakeholder

attitudes toward wildlife management on the Jekyll Island Causeway. Human Dimensions of Wildlife: An

International Journal 20(1): 1-14.

*Coleman, A.T., *T. Roberge, T. Wibbels, K. Marion, D. Nelson, and J. Dindo. 2014. Size-based mortality of adult

female diamond-backed terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in blue crab traps in a Gulf of Mexico population.

Chelonian Conservation and Biology 13(2): 140-145.

*Harden, L.A., K.A. Duernberger, T.T. Jones, and A. Southwood Willard. Total body water and water turnover rates

in the estuarine diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) during the transition from dormancy to activity.

Journal of Experimental Biology 217:4406-4413.

Roosenburg, W.M., D.M. Spontak, S.P. Sullivan, E.L. Matthews, M.L.

Heckman, R.J. Trimbath, R.P. Dunn, E.A. Dustman, L. Smith, and L.J.

Graham. 2014. Nesting habitat creation enhances recruitment in a

predator-free environment: Malaclemys nesting at the Paul S. Sarbanes

Ecosystem Restoration Project. Restoration Ecology 22(6): 815-823.

Selman, W., B. Baccigalopi, and C. Baccigalopi. 2014. Distribution and

abundance of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in

Southwestern Louisiana. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 13(2): 131-

139.

Witczak, L.R., J.C. Guzy, S.J. Price, J.W. Gibbons, and M.E. Dorcas. 2014.

Temporal and spatial variation in survivorship of diamondback terrapins

(Malaclemys terrapin). Chelonian Conservation and Biology 13(2): 146-151.

* DTWG Grant Recipient Cover image provided by Andrew Coleman.

May 1—DTWG Grants Program Awards Announced

May 13—Diamondback Terrapin Day (Maryland)

May 23—World Turtle Day

Aug 6-9—Turtle Survival Alliance Meeting in Tucson, AZ

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS

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Terrapin Times • Spring/Summer 2015 • The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group • http://www.dtwg.org

The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, conducts interdisciplinary aquatic research on basic and applied issues, ecological monitoring, and public education/outreach. The paucity of data for diamondback terrapin in Texas suggested that research was needed to ensure the proper management of the species and its estuarine habitats. Starting in 2010, Aaron Baxter and Erin Hill of CCS began working with Texas diamondback terrapin in an attempt to augment our current understanding of the species and to provide resource managers with updated information. With an initial gift of $2,500 from the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (CBBEP), CCS scientists conducted a pilot study to record demographic data for the diamondback terrapin population located in the Nueces

Estuary, just north of Corpus Christi. Information on size, sex ratio, and a population estimate were gleaned from the data collected during the study. But like most research, the questions raised outnumbered the answers uncovered and new topics of interest surfaced. The issue of salt tolerance came into question as terrapins were captured at hypersalnities, and questions regarding home range and movements appeared as recapture data revealed large scale movements of individual terrapins. Since this initial study, the diamondback terrapin program at CCS has grown, expanding into other estuaries and addressing topics such as habitat usage, crab trap bycatch mortality, and the identification of nesting beaches. The majority of this work has been funded by CBBEP, allowing CCS researchers to collect the data necessary for resource managers to make informed decisions. In the hopes of engaging the public, an outreach component was added to the pre-existing Aquatic Education program at CCS, which reaches over 10,000 people annually. Until recently, all terrapin projects have been conducted by CCS staff and volunteers. This year, the program welcomed its first two graduate students, Lindsey Ramirez and Shantel Swierc, who will be looking at physiological stress and genetics for local terrapin populations. While still in its early stages, the steady growth of the diamondback terrapin program at CCS is encouraging, and we look forward to addressing the challenges faced by terrapin populations in Texas.

TEXAS TERRAPINS - Center for Coastal Studies

Aaron Baxter is a Research Specialist at the Center For Coastal Studies, Texas A&M

Corpus Christi and a DTWG member.

By: Aaron Baxter

Visit the Center’s website at: www.ccs.tamucc.edu

Photo provided by Aaron Baxter

Photo provided by Aaron Baxter

T he diamondback terrapin program at the Center for

Coastal Studies has grown steadily since 2010,

providing information to address the challenges faced

by terrapin populations in Texas.

/TexasTerrapinEducationAndResearchProgram

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Terrapin Times • Spring/Summer 2015 • The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group • http://www.dtwg.org

CONFISCATED TURTLES AND NEW COLLABORATIONS By: Jordan Gray

Pictured left to right are Lauren Gallet, Andrew

Neidlinger, Jordan Gray, Nicole Abeln, and Kristin Bishop.

A detailed article on the confiscation is available from the Alaska Dispatch News:

http://www.adn.com/article/20141217/hundreds-smuggled-turtles-intercepted-anchorage-airport

In September of 2014 I began giving assistance on a

collaborative effort with Nicole Abeln of the

Anchorage Museum (AK) and the United States Fish

and Wildlife Service for 210 hatchling turtles

representing several species of terrestrial, fresh and

brackish water emydids. These turtles were

confiscated by the USFWS in August, 2014, en route to

their destination in Chinese markets. My assistance

included providing species identification, husbandry

protocols and techniques, and networking assistance

to disperse the turtles once their quarantine period

had expired. Of the 210 turtles, a large majority were

Northern diamondback terrapins Malaclemys terrapin

terrapin, as well as one ornate diamondback terrapin

Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota.

Nicole and I spent many hours on the phone and

through email for the entirety of the turtles’ stay at

the Anchorage Museum. In addition, several chelonian

specialist groups, including members of the

Diamondback Terrapin Working Group, came together

to find education centers willing to accept and care for

the turtles. Nicole and I have since kept up a friendship

from the experience and I invited her to Savannah,

Georgia this April to participate in the 2nd Annual

Greater Savannah Region Diamondback Terrapin

Workshop. In addition to attending the workshop,

Nicole also got a chance to experience the

diamondback terrapin in its native environs by joining

T.E.R.P.S for our mark-recapture effort on a local

population of Carolina diamondback terrapin

Malaclemys terrapin centrata.

Jordan Gray is a Zoologist in the Natural Encounters

Department at the Houston Zoo and a DTWG member.

Photo provided by Jordan Gray

Nicole Abeln, Anchorage Museum, cares for confiscated

diamondback terrapins.

Photo provided by Nicole Alben

Nicole Alben is an Animal Care Technician at the Anchorage

Museum, Alaska.

Credit: Nicole Alben

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Terrapin Times • Spring/Summer 2015 • The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group • http://www.dtwg.org

2015 DTWG Membership

Facilities that have received confiscated diamondback terrapins for education and outreach:

Anchorage Museum, Alaska • Marine Discovery Center, Florida

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, Florida • Soundwaters, Connecticut

Guana Tolomato Matanzaz National Estuarine Research Reserve, Florida • Galveston Bay Foundation, Florida

Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center, South Carolina (North-Inlet Winyah Bay NERR)

Vero Beach Marine Laboratory, Florida

(information provided by Nicole Alben)

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Terrapin Times • Spring/Summer 2015 • The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group • http://www.dtwg.org

DTWG

MEMBERSHIP

FORM

Greetings to all members of the Diamondback Terrapin Working Group (DTWG)! It is time for your annual membership

renewal. Since 2009 all DTWG membership dues have gone to fund research on terrapins. We usually receive proposals

requesting over $20,000, and our grants committee selects the most promising ones for funding. In past years, we have funded

projects as diverse as testing BRDs on crab pots, genetic diversity, skeletochronology, mark-recapture and home range studies,

to name a few. Obviously, there is a need out there for these funds so please dig down and pay your dues.

We again intend to use all dues collected this year to fund grants, which we will award in spring 2015. We will announce grant

proposal requirements and a deadline date for submission by the end of this year. Of course, the first requirement is that the

awardees be members of DTWG. We anticipate collecting between $1000 and $2000 in dues and all that we collect will go to

these awards. Also remember that membership comes with the privilege of using the Bibliography page on the DTWG website.

Regular Annual Membership $25.00

Student Membership (Must be recommended by a university professor) $10.00

Contributing Member $40.00

Corporation or Society $50.00

Sustaining Member $75.00

Lifetime Membership (Names of Lifetime Members will be added to a list on the website) $300.00

OPTION 1: Renew/Join online and pay with PayPal

Visit our website at www.dtwg.org and click the link at the top of the homepage

OPTION 2: Renew/Join by mail and pay with a check

Please send this form and your dues to: DTWG c/o Mary Hollinger – PO Box 965 – Huntingtown, MD 20639

Name and Affiliation ________________________________________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Office Phone __________________________________ Cell Phone __________________________________

Email ______________________________________________ Fax __________________________________