Sea Turtle, Inc. News Issue 3, 2014 June 15 Are Jellyfish Coming to STI? By Keeley Zimmerman You may have heard the rumors, but I am here to confirm that, yes, we are working on a jellyfish tank at Sea Turtle, Inc. in collaboration with the Gladys Porter Zoo. This tank will hold Aurelia aurita, more commonly referred to as moon jellyfish. You have probably seen these guys washed up on the shores ofour beaches, as they are prevalent in coastal waters worldwide. Once the tank is ready, we hope to grow the jellyfish here. We have run into a few challenges in regards to temperature regulation and circulation of the tank. Moon jellyfish cannot handle temperatures in the high 70s and Moon Jellyfish. Teresa Shumaker photo. above. Hot temperatures will cause the jellyfish to fall apart and water. It is important that air disintegrate. We have addressed bubbles are not present within the this issue by purchasing a chiller system, and the jellyfish are not that will constantly cool down the sucked down the drain. water during the summer months. All of these things could Another concern is that jellyfish potentially injure or kill the tanks need to be free of corners, jellyfish. Therefore, this process is sharp protrusions or substrate that a lot of trial and error. could be destructive to their fragile Food cultures will also need to be bodies. Jellyfish are comprised of prepared ahead of time. Moon more than 95% water, so bumping jellyfish eat phytoplankton and are into objects can be very generally fed brine shrimp in detrimental. In order to avoid captivity. Culture cones will need damage to the jellyfish, tanks to be built to cultivate the brine typically have a circular flow that shrimp. As you can tell, this is a keeps the jellyfish from being long process in uncharted territory pushed into the sides of the tank. for us at Sea Turtle, Inc. We are working on a design that Why jellyfish? will allow the jellyfish to skim the Sea Turtle, Inc. goal isn't to educate sides of the tank in a circular people just about sea turtles, but motion, but we also need to ensure also about the environment they that the jellyfish will not be live in and the organisms they eat. See JELLYFISH on Page 3 overpowered by the flow of the News bytes • Sea Turtle, Inc. volunteers and staff have found 19 nests on our beaches so far this season, which spans from April to early July. The total nest count for the entire coast ofTexas is about 90. However, if you think those numbers are great, prepare to have your shell rocked. In Mexico, where over 99 percent of the Kemp's ridley sea turtles nest, sea turtle conservationists have found over 10,000 nests since April. That's amazing Despite the impressive numbers, this is 50 percent below normal along the entire Gulf Coast. • Beginning Monday, June 16, our Summer Camp will start. Due to limited space, spots for the camp sold out fast. We look forward to expanding our facility so we can accommodate more children in the camps each year. Go to page 7 to learn more about our plans for expansion. • We recieved an endangered Texas Tortiose from the Gladys Portor zoo. Stop by to say "hi" to our newest turtle! ! Upcoming Events • June is National Ocean Month • Aug. 23, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. SPI Beer Fest “Drinking with the Turtles” pre-party at Clayton's Beach Bar and Grill. A family event; children are welcome. • Sept. 6, from 6 to 10 p.m. Sea Turtle, Inc.'s Annual Fundraiser Recognition corner By Megan Chilcutt Executive Director Jeff George, in the blue shirt, shows the 2014 interns how to tag a turtle before its release back ino the wild. Teresa Shumaker photo. Sea Turtle Hospital Patient Updates By Theresa Madrigal There are currently 31 sea turtle patients in various stages of rehabilitation at Sea Turtle, Inc. Each sea turtle came in with various injuries, some external and some internal. There are seven juvenile Hawksbill sea turtles. Six are scheduled to be released later this year. The seventh, Tiny Tim Baker, is the most critical patient at the facility. He stranded around a week ago and is very weak. He is able to swim and eat a little but currently requires supplemental tube feeding to obtain proper nutrition. There are three Loggerhead sea turtles: Fred (a non-releasable adult), Johnny Football (juvenile), and Dazzling (hatchling). Johnny Football is scheduled to be released shortly, while Dazzling will need to grow in size for a few years. There are four Kemp's Ridley sea turtles. Three posthatchlings, one non-releasable juvenile named Hang-Ten, and Cooper another juvenile that will be released this summer. There are also sixteen Atlantic Green sea turtles. All except five (Allison, Merry Christmas, Boudreaux, Erika, and Gerry) are scheduled to be released this summer or fall. Page 2 Many of us who live on South Padre Island, or in the area, have been to BurgerFi®. The burgers are outstanding. Their focus is allnatural, free-range beef because it tastes better, and it's better for you – with no chemicals or additives. Beyond the food, BurgerFi® remains in the forefront of environmentally sustainable practices, and includes earthfriendly elements, like chairs that are made from recycled Coke bottles, tables made out of compressed recycled wood, and large fans that use 66% less electricity. BurgerFi® maintains a low carbon footprint, and maintains strict recycling programs for oil, cardboard, bottles and cans. Their unofficial motto is, “Every day is Earth Day at BurgerFi®.” The philosophy of BurgerFi®, as raising the bar for the common hamburger and the quintessential American meal, is exemplified by the General Manager at our local restaurant. His name is Donald Kramer, goes by Donny, and he is one of the warmest and most passionate people you are likely to come across. His personality overflows with positive energy, and fortunately for Sea Turtle, Inc., he has a soft spot for the work we do for endangered sea turtles. BurgerFi®, and Donny, truly go above and beyond in their generosity and support for our organization. We have a large donation box with a sea turtle display in the center of the counter, and each month we are able to add those funds to our overall donations, all of which helps us continue to operate and carry out our mission. Donny also encourages his staff to recommend to patrons to donate their change to us, which, especially in the busy summer months, is a considerable contribution for Sea Turtle, Inc. Also, back in March, before the restaurant had its grand reopening, Donny invited all Sea Turtle, Inc. staff and significant others to come for a free lunch. He wanted to do training for his staff, and graciously allowed us to be his guinea pigs! Recently, Donny offered to use BurgerFi® as the location for a Sea Turtle, Inc. fundraiser. We hope to take him up on his offer sometime in the fall! Sea Turtle, Inc. would like to extend a big thank you and recognition to both BurgerFi® and Donny Kramer this month for their ongoing generosity and support! Our community is made better with them in it. Turtle Art with Art Space Make Your Own Guardrail Turtles for Turtle Drive! Space is limited, as there are only 100 turtles that can go on the guardrail wall along our newly constructed road. Turtle Drive is our new road on the north side ofSea Turtle, Inc. The road will eventually lead to our new Education Center, Amphitheater, and tanks. For $400 sponsorship, you can design your own turtle, with a personalized plaque. You get to create the design, Sea Turtle, Inc. News the color, and go into ArtSpace to personally glaze your turtle. A fun family idea might be each member designs a flipperandtogetherthe family customizes the body! The possibilities are limited only by your imagination! This special offer is possible thanks to ArtSpace, who will oversee the making of each guardrail turtle. Please contact Megan Chilcutt at megan.chilcutt@seaturtleinc.org to create your very own guardrail turtle. June 2014 June is National Ocean Month By Teresa Shumaker Each year the president declares June as National Ocean Month — what a wonderful month to declare for our oceans. School is out and the oppressive Texas heat hasn't arrived yet. So get out, and enjoy our big blue... but, wait! Before you head out to the beach, remember this: if we just enjoy our oceans and don't also take care of them... we are all in for a world of hurt. Here are some ways to help: For the ocean to be healthy, and recover from pollution, it needs vibrant ecosystems. You might feel powerless in preventing large problems like oil spills, but you can make a big impact on the ocean from your purchases this summer, and year-round. Find out where your seafood came from, was it sustainably caught? Do those fishermen implement practices to reduce bycatch, such as sea turtles? If they don't, ask them why not. Try to meetyourlocal fisherman, and spend your money wisely. The organic food movement gained ground because consumers chose to purchase organic goods. We as buyers make a big impact when we choose to spend our hard earned dollars wisely. Also, don't just ask at your local supermarket, ask at restaurants, too. Two good websites to start are http://thisfish.info and www.nrdc.org/oceans/seafoodguide/ Also, the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Jellyfish From Page 1 Aleatherback sea turtle's diet consists of only jellyfish, while other species, like the loggerhead, eat jellyfish only part of the time. Our jellyfish display willnotonlyeducatevisitors aboutthis abundant organism found in our oceans — the jellyfish may also be used as food and enrichment for sea turtles at STI, simulating their natural Page 3 Ocean facts • Only about 10 percent of the oceans have been explored by man • The ocean covers 70 percent ofthe planet and holds over half of all life on Earth • The oceans contain 97 percent of the planet's water and they are responsible for rainfall worldwide • Majority of the world's volcanic activity, about 90 percent, happens in the oceans. • Antartica's volume of ice is equivalent to the volume of water in the Atlantic ocean • The Pacific Ocean covers almost onethird of the planet • The deepest part in the ocean, in the Mariana Trench, is a mile deeper than the height of Mount Everest For more interesting ocean facts, go to http://marinebio.org/marinebio/facts/ Turtle Tidbits • The Kemp's ridley is the smallest species of sea turtle, averaging about two and half feet in length. • The Kemp's is also the rarest and most endangered of all the sea turtles. • Sea turtle females will lay more than one nest per nesting season. • Most Kemp's ridley females nest every other year. Sea turtle muscles are has a great Seafood Watch App for •stronger than a human's. Apple and Andriod devices. With that app, you have a handy fish buying guide in your pocket at all times. Here are some quick tips: Memberships • All three of the above mentioned One of the most exciting ways to sources recommend buying wild support Sea Turtle, Inc. is to caught fish over farmed, as fish become a member. Your farming has a large environmental membership will add funds to the new capital building campaign, impact. • Fish caught using hook and line is and in return will keep you the best method to catch fish with the linked to activities at S.T.I. least impact to animals accidentally Our $5,000 underwater webcam caught. The second best method is (thanks to a grant from The Brown Foundation of Houston) pots and traps. • Avoid eating the five most will give you access to view overfished species are shrimp, tuna, some of our turtles at any time salmon, tilapia, and polluck (it from the luxury of your home, or usually isn't labeled, but is in fast any computer. food, fish sticks, and imitation crab). Once logged into our website as a member, you will get access to the webcam. Also, we’ll environment. automatically text or email you Keely Zimmerman is one ofour 2014 notifications for hatchling Interns. She has a Master’s degree releases; no more hotline calls or in Marine Biology from University checking Facebook in the early ofNorth Carolina Wilmington and a morning. B. S in Biology/Ecology and You’ll be among the first to Environmental Biology from know when a public release of baby turtles is happening. Appalachian State University. Her Plus, we’ll keep you informed master’s work was on moon jellyfish about activites and news through musculature. She is from a small our monthly newsletter. Please log town in North Carolina, called on to our website and join our membership program. Summerfield. Sea Turtle, Inc. News June 2014 Snug and Safe inside the Sea Turtle, Inc. Corral By Ruma Chatterji Sharks and killer whales are predators sea turtles certainly worry about. But, for the early part of a sea turtle’s life, that is of least concern. Getting to the ocean, unharmed — or uneaten is an intimidating challenge. All eightspecies ofseaturtles found in the world are endangered. The mother sea turtles need to nest on land, and all sea turtle species, except one, nest at night. The most common nester in South Padre, the Kemp’s ridley, nests during the day. Theyhave averyspecific migratory route and they nest in certain beaches along the GulfofMexico. After the Kemp’s ridley nests, her eggs face a lot of danger before they hatch and head off to the big world of the ocean. Many of these turtle younglings are often consumed by foxes, dogs, birds, coyotes, crabs, etc. In order to improve their chances to make it to the ocean, conservation efforts are put into play. We at Sea Turtle, Inc. have made a What is a False Crawl? A false crawl is when a nesting mama turtle crawls out onto the beach during nesting season, but for whatever reason, does not lay a nest. The reasons for the mama turtle leaving the beach before she makes her nest are still a bit of a mystery, and each false crawl could be caused by something different each time, whether natural or influenced by people. Page 4 younglings. In addition, crab traps are placed within the corral to help capture any crawly predator that may manage to get through the fence So far, the efforts have been fruitful! As of June 15, there have been a total of 19 nests! Once eggs are collected from the natural site, they are gently relocated to nests created by one of the Sea Turtle, Inc. staff members. The excitement is building up to watch our hatchlings make their way to the ocean… definitely worth the wait! The first estimated hatching release date is sometime the first week of July! Stay tuned to our website and Facebook for updates. . One of our interns, Hilary, who is assisting in re-nesting Nest number 10. Ruma Chatterji photo. corral from a fenced off a part of the beach to re-nest the sea turtle eggs. This is done to help prevent predators from reaching the Did you know that the temperature actually determines the sex of a sea turtle youngling? If the nest temperatures are warm, majority of the hatchlings will be female and if the nest temperatures are cool, majority of the hatchlings will be male! An easy way to remember this fact is by remembering this… HOT CHICKS and COOL DUDES! Hatchling Releases We have found 19 nests as ofJune 15! Once a nest is laid, the estimated date ofhatching is anywhere from 48 to 62 days later. But, only the hatchlings can decide when they are ready to go! Unfortunately, not all hatchling releases are open to the public. Hatchlings can only be released when they are in an active state, known as a frenzy. When the hatchlings frenzy in the middle of the night, the hatchlings will be released up the beach by trained staff members. Night releases are not open to the public. We invite the public to hatchling releases when hatchlings frenzy in the early hours of the morning. Public hatchling releases are held at 6:30 a.m. at County Beach Access 3 (approximately ½ mile north of Sea Turtle, Inc). If you are coming to town specifically to see a hatchling Sea Turtle, Inc. News Ruma Chatterji was born in Queens, New York City, but then moved to Kolkata, India with her family when she was nine. She returned to the States in 2010 to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania where she obtained her BSc degree in Environmental Biology, with a double minor in Sustainability Management and Psychology. Current hatchling date estimations are: Nest 1 — June 30 to July 3 Nest 2&3 — July 2 to 7 Nest 4 to 7 — July 4 to 9 Nest 8 — July 7 to 13 Nest 9 — July 12 to 18 Nests 10 thru 18 — Aug. 2 to 13 Nest 19 — Aug. 8 to 15 release, please select a range of dates where several nests are due to hatch. This will increase your chances of seeing an early morning release. To stay informed on nest activity and hatchling releases, keep checking our website for updates. Even better, become a member! Members get text message and email notifications for hatchling and rehabilitated turtle releases! Go to http://www.seaturtleinc.org/helpour-cause/become-a-member/ to learn more and sign up. June 2014 97 Kemp's Ridleys Return to South Padre Island for Off­shore Release 97 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles will return to the South Padre coast later this month. The ridleys were born on our beaches in August 2013 and were sent to Florida for use in fishing gear research about turtle excluder devices, also known as TEDs. TEDs are special devices used in fishing nets that enable sea turtles to escape from the net. This device is used most often in shrimp trawl netting. Due to the large amounts of bycatch, which are animals unintentially caught, the U.S. set laws in 1987 requiring all shrimping vessels to use TED nets. The device is a set of bars in the opening of the trawl net that will not allow anything larger than the space between the bars to pass through, which definitely saves larger turtles. But there has been some concern as to whether small turtles, such as first years, could pass through the device. That is what this project was looking to test. The government is now returning these 97 important turtles to South Padre Island for release back into the wild. Once the Kemp's ridleys are transported back to South Texas, they will be released 20 miles out into the ocean, in an area where sargassum floats are common. These young turtles rely heavily Here are five of the 97 ridleys . This on the sargassum as a food source photo was taken in Florida. Photo and protection from predators. courtesy of Ben Higgins, NOAA. Thank you Padre Brewing Company! We wanted to write a few words to give proper recognition and thanks to our friends at Padre Island Brewing Company. Each year, in honor of nesting season, they brew a batch of bock beer. They call it Kemp’s Ridley Bock. This year, Mark Haggenmiller, brewmaster and part owner, brewed two batches, because last year it sold out very quickly. The first batch was tapped around March 7th and just over two months later both batches were dry! Certainly this bodes well for the quality and taste of this outstanding beer! (The beer might be gone, but we still have the Kemp's Ridley pint glasses for sale in our giftshop!) Each Kemp's ridley batch yields around 2,000 pints, and Padre Brewing generously donated 25 cents for each pint sold, to Sea Turtle, Inc. In the middle of May, Mark came to our facility and presented Jeff, our Executive Director, with a check for $1,000! Page 5 STI Executive Director Jeff george with South Padre Island Brewery's brewmaster, Mark Haggenmiller. Sea Turtle, Inc. photo. We sure are appreciative of both the support for Sea Turtle, Inc. and the beer itself! Thank you very much for supporting us. Sea Turtle, Inc. News A new turtle at STI By Kat Lillie A Texas tortoise, an endangered Texas species, was found after being struck by a car back in November of 2013. His back legs don’t work very well and he had an open wound on his top shell. The Gladys Porter zoo has been rehabilitating him, and now that his shell has healed successfully, he has come to live with us at Sea Turtle, Inc. He would not be able to survive in the wild due to limited mobility, so he will be used as an educational turtle, and a permanent STI resident. He will teach people the differences between sea turtles and tortoises, and be an ambassador for his species here in South Texas. It is illegal to keep Texas tortioses as pets, but STI has a special permit to care for him. We held a naming contest on Facebook and cannot wait to find out what his name will be! June 2014 STI's Board President Shane Wilson introduces our 2014 Interns at the Caguama Pachanga. From left, the interns are Theresa Madrigal, Saki Hashimoto, Gladys Delgadillo, Khrystyne Jamerson, Ruma Chatterji, Keely Zimmerman, and Hilary Frandsen. Martha Villalba was on ATV patrol at the time of this photo. Teresa Above, Casa Mariposa hosted a Shumaker photos. lovely backdrop for the Caguama Pachanga. Below, a group of lovely ladies was spotted wearing the turtle's finest B y Teresa Shumaker providing food, beverage vendors fashion during the Turtle Ball. Caguama Pachanga & Ball A few months ago Lionel Hurtado, with Feldman's Spirits and Fine Wines, approached Sea Turtle, Inc. with the idea for a big gala in STI’s honor, with the proceeds going to our nonprofit. As time marched on, and plans began to form, we became more excited. We couldn’t wait to see the event with our own eyes. There were caterers From left, Mike McGonigle, Joyce Fowler, Steve Fowler, and Linda McGonigle. Kings and Queens of Sargassum Each year we name a new King and Queen of Sargassum to rule over the turtle days in the following year. During the Caguama Pachanga and Turtle Ball on May 17, we named Joyce and Steve Fowler as next year's King and Queen of Sargassum. Our new riegning king, Steve Fowler, has found 5 nests so far this summer! Page 6 Sea Turtle, Inc. News providing drinks, items being donated for the silent action – a masterfully arranged party. The actual event was far beyond what we expected and over 300 people attended. Wow! After all was said and done, the event raised $7,000 for Sea Turtle, Inc. And it is all due to Lionel’s wonderful vision and these amazing businesses and donors who contributed to the successful evening: Glazer's Distributing, L&F Distributors, Ca'momi Napa Valley Winery, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Concha y Toro Wines, Santo Azul Tequila, White Hat Rum, Toscafino's Restaurant – Brownsville, Tunnel Bistro – Brownsville, Spices & Grains Market – Brownsville, Collective Catering – McAllen, RGV Cupcake Factory – McAllen, Kay Conly State Farm Insurance –Brownsville, Gold Corner Inc. – Brownsville, Flying Pig Grill & Cantina – Olmito, Brownsville Junior Service League, South Padre Island Beerfest, Casa Mariposa Event Venue – SPI, Feldman's Spirits and Fine Wines. This event was a gift from our community, by our community. We are so thankful we were able to spend a great evening with all of you! June 2014 STI & Hospital Wish List Running our center and beach patrols requires hundreds of small and inexpensive items that you may have on hand, or be willing to purchase. Below is a list of items we always need. Your support is appreciated at any level of giving. Please drop them off at our facility, or mail them to us. • Batteries, AAA or AA. • Gasoline Cards. We use over 1,000 gallons to patrol during nesting season. • Bungee Cords, all lengths between 12- and 36-inches. We use these year-round on our ATV’s and for holding down winter tank covers. • Hospital supplies: Exam gloves, sterile gauze, vet wrap, waterproof tape, tongue depressors, sterile swabs and qtips rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and Iodine (in liquid, , swab stick, and wipe forms). • Clean, unstained scrub tops. We’ll convert them to our Sea Turtle Hospital scrubs for Intern use. All sizes needed. • Chest Type Freezers. Any size. • Vice Grips. Believe it or not, these are an ATV operator’s best friend iftheir ATV breaks down. • Office Supply Cards: Each year, printing and laminating costs hundreds in supplies. • Office supplies, such as: pens, pencils, legal sized manilla envelopes, scotch tape, printer paper - all colors, note pads, 1and 1.5-inch 3-ring binders, thumb-tacks, sharpies, packing tape, staples, scissors, paper clips, post-it notes, and spiral notebooks. • A three- or four-drawer filing cabinet. • Acid-free archive boxes. Board of Directors President First Vice President Second Vice President Treasurer Secretary Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Shane Wilson Peggy Fritchey Trahan Mr. Les Hogdson Dr. John Butler Ms. Mary Laddis Dr. Patrick Burchfield Ms. Robin Ferris Mr. Scott Boruff Mr. Robert Cackley Scientific Advisory Board Chairman Board member Board member Board member Board member Editor Publisher Dr. Patrick Burchfield Dr. Kimberly Herrin, DVM Mr. Jack Woody Dr. David Owens Dr. Joe Flannigan, DVM Do you know we are trying to grow? Years ofcontributions have enabled us to purchase five acres of adjacent property, and we are beginning an ambitious 3 million dollar expansion. The design of this new development is to increase the scope ofour mission. We have outgrown our space and on busy days quickly meet our occupancy capacity, sometimes having to turn away groups The new facility will include a 4,000 sq.ft. educational building, a 234 seat amphitheater, large tanks for nonreleasable turtles, and parking for over 40 cars. Funds are beginning to accumulate and we will soon finish building the infrastructure for this development. If you would like to donate to this project and have your name (or memorial) permanently displayed at STI's new facility, naming rights and donor opportunities start at $100 and are available online at www.seaturtleinc.org/help-our-cause/. Your donation is tax-deductible. . Credits Megan Chilcutt, PR & Marketing megan.chilcutt@seaturtleinc.org Teresa Shumaker, PR & Marketing Asst. teresa.shumaker@seaturtleinc.org Copyright 2014 Sea Turtle Inc. All rights reserved. Website: www.seaturtleinc.org Mail address: address:P.O. P.O. Box 3987 Twitter: @SeaTurtleInc South Padre Island, TX 78597 Facebook.com/SeaTurtle Facebook.com/SeaTurtleConservation Conservation Phone: Phone: 956-761-4511 956-7614511 YouTube Channel: SeaTurtleInc Page 7 June 2014 Sea Turtle Inc. News