[Dtwg] protection measures for diamondback terrapins during construction

Fri Mar 25 11:55:24 EDT 2022

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Hi Georgina,

I worked with Barbara to document winter terrapin brumation sites and activity in a portion of Wellfleet Harbor. I also worked on a project in Orleans, MA locating terrapins before dredge project in a muddy salt marsh boat basin that had a small population terrapins.

Two questions. Are you creating creeks by digging out existing mud choked creeks? Are these creeks sub or inter tidal?

The reason I ask is because in Orleans, which was sub-tidal, I could not find any terrapins. I swam about a dozen snorkel transect and we had a dive team come to made additional dives. No terrapins were found.

Several winters later, the assistant Wellfleet Shellfish constable discovered a brumating terrapin on an intertidal flat. When Barbara and I went out to investigate, we found additional brumating terrapins, that day and through the winter. I think we found mostly females.

They could be spotted because some days, the terrapin had actually emerged and walked on the mud flats. If they weren't actually out, we could see a edge of the carapace, a head, a flipper or other body part showing. Also, they were sometimes by a shell or an oyster cluster. But, what we don't know of course is how many terrapin were deeper in mud or didn't make any surface marks and therefore weren't seen by us.

My personal feeling is that when you dredge in the mud in known terrapin habitat, you're going to kill terrapins. The big question is can the population survey the lose of any breeding females. If not, the mitigation in Orleans was to create additional nesting habitat on conservation land.

When we found a cold shocked terrapin, we kept is cool, and took it to the local animal care clinic where it was slowly warmed. Those terrapin were released in the spring.

I hope this help.

Bob Prescott
Sanctuary Director Emeritus
Mass Audubon/Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
P.O. Box 236, 291 State Highway Route 6
South Wellfleet, MA  02663
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Protecting the Nature of Massachusetts

From: Dtwg <dtwg-bounces at listserv.ohio.edu> On Behalf Of Barbara Brennessel
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2022 11:42 AM
To: Brian Butler <butler at oxbowassociates.com>
Cc: dtwg at listserv.ohio.edu
Subject: Re: [Dtwg] protection measures for diamondback terrapins during construction

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Before dredging Wellfleet Harbor, a sonic telemetry study was undertaken to assess where terrapins were spending the winter and how/if they were moving around the Harbor  (attached).  It was found that terrapin brumation was not restricted to the dredge areas so that mortality of terrapins due to dredging would not decimate the local population.  However, due to the "threatened" status of terrapins in Massachusetts, The Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program determined that there would be a "take", i.e. some mortality, so mitigation measures were required.
The removal of terrapins from the mud in the dredge zones (which includes both a federal navigation channel, a Town-owned marina and a town-owned mooring basin) was not a feasible mitigation, so a special "modest" fund was set up as part of the cost of the project (I believe it was administered by the State and the Audubon Society) to be used for terrapin research and conservation.  I was not part of the negotiations for the mitigation funds so I don't know all the details.

On Wed, Mar 23, 2022 at 10:58 AM Brian Butler <butler at oxbowassociates.com<mailto:butler at oxbowassociates.com>> wrote:
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I am in agreement with Willem, with the following addenda.

"Clearing" the creek fully of animals could be a daunting task depending on depth, bottom topo, bank configuration, etc.  Assuming it could be accomplished, and whereas this is a short duration activity, I'd recommend maintaining any extracted animals off site in a temperature-appropriate environment with aeration, preferably dark.  A 55g Rubbermaid barrel with lid and aeration would hold several animals in a pinch.  Water chillers are expensive  but could be used to keep temperatures similar to ambient temperature in the creek.   As Willem indicated, and particularly on the shoulder of the winter season, animals will be prone to moving about, despite not feeding yet, so could mozy back into the work area.  Keeping them offsite for several weeks would at least assure those specific individuals don't succumb to dredging.  For that matter, as the season progresses, animals not in the creek at commencement could become jeopardized as well as they begin spring dispersal.

Regards,

Brian Butler

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From: Dtwg <dtwg-bounces at listserv.ohio.edu<mailto:dtwg-bounces at listserv.ohio.edu>> On Behalf Of Roosenburg, Willem
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2022 10:42 AM
To: Cullman, Georgina (Parks) <Georgina.Cullman at parks.nyc.gov<mailto:Georgina.Cullman at parks.nyc.gov>>; dtwg at listserv.ohio.edu<mailto:dtwg at listserv.ohio.edu>
Subject: Re: [Dtwg] protection measures for diamondback terrapins during construction

Hi Georgina,

My first recommendation would be that if terrapins were hibernating in the creeks than there should be no winter activity in those creeks. History of their presence here during hibernation should be the guide in determining if they use the creek. They may be difficult to detect in hibernation and would require an experienced terrapin "proguer" to find them.

Attempting to remove the terrapins would be very unlikely to remove all of them resulting in mortality from the dredging. Any terrapins that were caught and recovered would not need to be reburied, but simply released, they will rebury on their own. However, they might home back to the creek where you removed them. They can still be active at these very low temperatures; they are just very slow. Check Haramis et al about collecting terrapins in the winter and post release survival.

Let me know if you have additional questions.

Best,
Willem
Willem M Roosenburg

Director, Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies
Department of Biological Sciences
247 Life Sciences Building
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio 45701

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From: Dtwg <dtwg-bounces at listserv.ohio.edu<mailto:dtwg-bounces at listserv.ohio.edu>> On Behalf Of Cullman, Georgina (Parks)
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 11:32 AM
To: dtwg at listserv.ohio.edu<mailto:dtwg at listserv.ohio.edu>
Subject: [Dtwg] protection measures for diamondback terrapins during construction

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Hi all,

I'm trying to draft a protocol to protect terrapins during a saltmarsh restoration with US Army Corps of Engineers in NYC. One question that came up was about construction in creek beds during the winter when terrapins are in torpor.

One measure we are drafting relates to dredging work in creek beds. If this must happen in the winter (between Nov and April), we are directing that the area be surveyed prior to commencement of work with heavy equipment in order to make sure that there are no terrapins buried under the mud of a creek bed (we would poke under the surface to find individuals, as described in Brennessel).

If terrapins are found, would it be ok to rebury them nearby in a similar environment to where they were found, or would it be better to take them to a wildlife rehab place until it is warmer and they can be rereleased to the same site?

I would also welcome seeing any similar protocols that any of you may have drafted in the past.

Thanks in advance for your guidance! Once I'm finished drafting the protocol, I would be happy to share it with you all.

Best,
-Georgina

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Georgina Cullman, PhD (she/her)
Ecologist | Forestry, Horticulture, and Natural Resources

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