Chris described some common turtles, and his work at Jug Bay
• The Red-bellied Turtle (right) is almost as large as a Snapping Turtle; it has a pink-tinted shell, is ve
ry sturdy, and weighs up to 4500 g. It's primarily herbivorous (more carnivorous when young). There is a small, endangered population in Plymouth MA; a gap between this population and others residing more southerly may, it’s theorized, be due to over-hunting by Native American populations. They only come to land long enough to nest.
• Eastern
Mud Turtle: A small, nondescript, bland turtle. All have a musk gland near their rear legs that is very smelly. They are very small. A roughened patch on the inner rear thighs and longer tails allow for identification of the male.• Common Musk Turtle, aka “The Stinkpot”
• Spotted Turtles reside into the north, up into Canada, which is unusual.
• Diamond-backed Terrapin (left) can live in salty water; they are now protected from commercial harvest.
• Bog Turtle is tiny, to 11.4 cm. It is only found in 4 northern Maryland, and is federally protected. It is not doing very well due to habitat destruction.vest.
Jug Bay on the Patuxent River
• Box Turtle census plots
• Hoop trapping sites
• Red-bellied Cooter nesting areas
• There are many volunteers; undergraduate students come in the summertime. They study overall biology to add to the knowledge base on these animals: nesting, eating habits, etc.
o Foraging
o Where they nest
o Where they overwinter
o Diet (adult)
o Local population status
o Regional status
• Methods:
o Hoop traps: all students learn how to use these
o Radio telemetry: great way to study habitat use and movements of individuals—lets them get to know each turtle as an individual
• Females have a very large home range (avg 8 hectares); males have a much smaller one (under 2 hectares); juvenile smallest (around 1 hectare)
• Radio telemetry allowed them to track a juvenile turtle quite some distance from its birthplace (juvenile dispersal)
• Juveniles probably have a higher rate of mortality than adults
• Disease is appearing in a few
Red-bellied Turtle photo from statesymbolsusa.org
Diamond-backed Terrapin photo from msa.md.gov
Chris Swarth, Natural History Conference speaker for the week, is a naturalist and director of the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Maryland, a freshwater tidal wetlands on the coast. Chris notes that there are many species of plants and animals at Jug Bay. A few details: Wild rice is important plant there for lots of different species—a native plant, many creatures depend upon it. There’s a nature center where they stage programs and exhibits; they train lots of volunteers to work with them on "citizen science." They use fences to enclose small areas in an effort to protect the wild rice from the geese. Jug Bay has had a banding station in operation for about 20 years, studying local songbirds such as cardinals or wood thrush. In addition to their work with birds, they attach transmitters to turtles to gather information about them.
Arthur Eves, naturalist and Marine Lab Supervisor at Star Island, led the Low-Tide Walk on Sunday, pointing out Irish Moss, Sea Lettuce, Herring Gull eggs, and nesting gulls. Walkers helped Arthur collect exhibit material for the lab.
Cassie Durette, program coordinator for the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems of (NERACOOS), talked about data collection in the Isles of Shoals. She noted that there has been a significant increase in ocean acidification in our lifetime. Impacts on phytoplankton are very important because its health is key to ocean ecosystems. A buoy off the coast of Appledore Island measures ocean acidification/Co2. Appledore is an AirMap station. Ways they observe: drifters; satellites; gliders. There are a variety of buoy types. Buoys collect information on: Co2 atmospheric pressure, chlorophyll, nutrients, currents, dissolved oxygen, visibility, water temperature, wind, waves, and air temperature. The information (data) is collected by different sensors.
Chris Swarth saw his first puffin in 1976 on the California coast; he then had an opportunity to learn how to study them for three years in the Farallon Islands, 35 miles west of San Francisco. The Farallon Islands were settled in the 1800s. The eggs from the birds were not only harvested, but fought over. In the 1870s the Coast Guard built a lighthouse, which was manned until about 25 years ago when they were all automated. In the late 60s, sanctuaries were set up to protect the area of these islands. 
Chris continued his discussion of seabirds. Double-crested Cormorants are diving birds, using their huge feet to dive deep into the water. They have a “gular pouch” under their beak that flutters when they are getting rid of heat, and wettable feathers that must be hung out to dry between foraging bouts. Immature birds have a different plumage that signals their age. Dovekies are one of the tiniest auks. The Common Eider: There are only four species in the world. When they molt they become flightless, and they go somewhere safe in the ocean.
Dan (Unity College grad '95) and Melissa Hayward talked about their work on the Isles of Shoals Terns Restoration Project. They contract with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Dan and Melissa discussed the history of tern populations, noting that in the 19th and early 20th Centuries the birds were over-hunted for their feathers. The restoration project's first year saw successful recolonization. The project seeks to provide a safe breeding environm
ent, with efforts to control predators through both lethal and non-lethal methods. While the biggest predators are gulls (Herring and Great Black-backed), recently a Snowy Owl was spotted, and Terns started to abandon at night. Dan sat in a blind for several nights watching for the bird and finally captured it without injury; it was subsequently released into the wild. They also engage in habitat management and outreach. Dan and Melissa spend their summers working with the tern populations on White Island (above).
Marilyn continued to discuss her work with isotopes. 
