The Millstone Times August 2019

KIDS & CAMP Seventh Grade Students Learned About Terrapins By Pam Teel

In June, seventh grade students at Millstone Township Middle School had the unique opportu- nity to give back to the Barnegat Bay, a local lagoonal estuary, and its reptilian residents, the dia- mondback terrapins through Project Terrapin’s Head-Start Program. Through the head start pro- gram, students learned about the terrapin’s environmental status and conservation as they raised and cared for terrapin turtle hatchlings in preparation for their later release into their natural salt marsh habitat in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. This year’s release of the terrapins back to the Barnegat Bay was on Saturday, June 15th at Island Beach State Park. The program showcased benefits for both turtles and students alike. Head-starting fosters a unique experience that connects meaningful community service with academic learning, person- al growth, and civic responsibility, according to teacher Jillian Wasilewski. Over the eight months that students cared for the terrapins, they were asked to keep track of the growth of the terrapins and report back to Project Terrapin each month with measurements. Due to the terrapin’s elusive nature, there is a lack of information about the species and additional information is needed in order to improve conservation efforts. By keeping a classroom log for hatchling growth, students added to their own repertoire of terrapin knowledge as well as the growing database of current terrapin research. Current Northern Diamondback Terrapin research states that terrapins are the only resident turtle in the Barnegat Bay with awesome adaptations to the brackish water environment. Brackish water refers to water that is a unique mixture of freshwater, from local rivers and streams, and saltwater, from our local Atlantic Ocean. This species is named for the diamond-shaped patterns on its top shell, known as the carapace. They are famously recognized by their signature smile shape to their beak and comical mustache-like appearance. Unfortunately, there are many different types of anthropogenic, or human-caused, threats to diamondback ter- rapins. The loss of salt marsh habitat all along the eastern coastline is the number one human-caused threat to terrapins. Marsh loss takes away suitable nesting areas for females and is directly linked to declines in the local terrapin population. In addition, another human-caused threat comes from crabbing. Juvenile and smaller adult male terrapins can easily be caught in blue crab traps, as they are attracted to the bait. Often, terrapins become trapped inside and are not able to surface to breathe for long periods of time, leading to drowning. This is a staggering source of terrapin mortality. In addition, derelict fishing gear or abandoned or free-floating crab traps, called ghost traps are respon- sible for many terrapin’s deaths. Fortunately, Turtle Excluder Devices or TEDs also referred to as bycatch reduction devices or BRDs, can be secured over the entrance holes of commercial-style crab traps in order to limit entrance of terrapins. Additional human impacts are specific to nesting females typically between the months of May to August. As female terrapins are searching for suitable nesting areas, they often have to cross over areas that have heavy boat and automobile traffic. Some areas have posted speed limit and terrapin crossing signs to reduce speed and avoid impact with females, yet every year there continues to be high mortality from both automobiles and personal wa- tercraft. Lastly, terrapins also face the plight of having a large variety of natural predators, such as raccoons, foxes, and large birds. These natural predators commonly eat terrapin eggs, hatchlings, and even nesting females. Although terrapins face many anthropogenic and natural threats, education and conservation are key elements in protecting terrapins in our local area. Millstone Middle School’s participation in Project Terrapin’s head start pro- gram not only allowed students to partake in a citizen science project, but also helped to eliminate egg predation by protecting the eggs and raising the terrapins to a larger size before release into the wild. Please note that head-starting should only be conducted under the supervision of Project Terrapin and popula- tions should be left in the wild and not taken for pets. To ensure the survival of such a beautiful species, Millstone Middle School thanks Project Terrapin for allowing them the opportunity to protect our Barnegat Bay Diamonds.

Hannah Siegel was one of the students who got to experience the head start Terrapin program. Her teacher brought small 2 to 3 inch terrapins into the classroom and the students got to care for them and watch them grow to a size where they could be released into the ocean. “Having the terrapins in our classroom was really fun,” stated Hannah. “We got to watch them grow everyday. Once a week, during lunch, we were allowed to measure them. We mea- sured them from when we got them until the last week we had them and kept a chart of their growth. Letting the terrapins go in the ocean was bittersweet. We were happy they could be free but also really sad that they had to go away forever. Still, this experience was a lot of fun. I learned so much about a ter- rapin’s life and their habits. We also had a contest in class to name the terrapins.” (A special thank you to teacher Jillian Wasilewski for the information.)

72 The Millstone Times

August 2019