USCB Biologists Partner in First Terrapin Survey in Beaufort County
Jake Zadik - back left John Alexander - paddle board, Coastal Expeditions Ty Tobias
- Clemson, MS student Katalaya Brandenburg - Fripp InternA small turtle that lives in the salt marsh recently drove scientists from USCB, the Port Royal Sound Foundation and other institutions above their waists in pluff mud.
On Aug. 2, twenty volunteers conducted the first terrapin survey in Beaufort County, using seine nets to catch seven terrapins (four males and three females, all adults) in about two hours. The group photographed the animals, weighed them, measured them and notched the shell of each before returning it to the creek where it was caught. For future studies, notched shells will identify individuals that have been caught before.
The turtle trackers included USCB marine biologist Dr. Tye Pettay and several of his students, a graduate student from Clemson University, and staff from the Port Royal Sound Foundation, Lowcountry Ecological LLC, Coastal Expeditions, and Fripp Island. Their survey site was Wards Creek, near Coastal Expeditions' headquarters on St. Helena Island.
This day was s a test run that may lead to a long-term Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) monitoring project. Additional terrapin surveys could include pristine Pritchards Island, which is owned by USCB.
“We are hoping to replicate this out at Pritchard’s Island and potential other sites in the Port Royal Sound ecosystem," said Chris Keher, Science Program Manager at the Port Royal Sound Foundation and a graduate of USCB. “It’s an understudied animal and an animal that is susceptible to changes in their environment. It’s an indicator species.”
The survey volunteers set up two seine nets to span the length of a creek near Gay Seafood Shrimp Dock, and several people swam towards terrapins to encourage them to move towards the seine nets.
Terrapins are smaller than sea turtles and are the only turtles that live year-round in the Lowcountry’s salt marsh. Like sea turtles, terrapins have special glands allow them to secrete salt through their tear ducts.
Terrapins nest from May to late July. Hatchlings emerge from August through about October. Late nests will hibernate in the marsh; hatchlings will emerge in the spring.
All animals were handled under required permit - Permit #SC-170-2024
Aug. 2, 2024 Terrapin Survey Field Notes
Time and Location:
- Date: 08/02/2024
- Location: Wards Creek
- Start Time: 11:36am
- End Time: 3:21pm
- Low Tide: 1:18pm
- Tide Station: Harbor River Bridge
Sampling Area
Effort:
- Participant Total: 20
- Sampling Method: 2 seine nets (40’ long, 6’ tall, 6’x6’ bag, holes 1.5” wide)
Water Parameters:
- Time: 1:21pm
- Water Temp: 32.6 C
- Dissolved Oxygen: 3.03
- Salinity: 26.03
- pH: 6.88
Weather:
- Air Temp: 32.9
- Cloud Coverage: Partly cloudy to Full Clouds
- Wind: 15+ mph
- Notes: A thunderstorm cell passed through during the middle of sampling.
Participants:
- Chris Kehrer
- John Alexander
- Ty Tobias
- Carey Larrabee
- Tye Pettay
- Wilks Pettay
- Thomas O’Brien
- Makayla Brown
- Jude Roman
- Richard Griffin
- Katalaya Brandenburg
- Claire Folmer
- Mariel Baker
- Cassidy Hutto
- Sophia Truemyi
- Peyton Brock
- Courtney Kimmel
- Jake Zadik
S- USCB -
8-8-2024