Habitat protection may be 

 the ultimate key to survival 



(Continued from p. 2) 



While Birkhead is fairly certain that the bloated 

 turtles were drowned in fishing nets, neither he nor 

 Schwartz believe that the fisherman should shoulder 

 the full blame. "I hate to blame the fisherman," 

 remarks Schwartz. "He's in the picture, but he's not 

 the real key." 



Perhaps Donald Ekberg, a biologist with the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in St. 

 Petersburg, Florida, best summarizes these observa- 

 tions when he states that "there is no one real 

 cause . . . there are really several causes." He 

 stresses, however, that the negative impacts of the 

 "encroachment of people on beaches and the disap- 

 pearance of nesting beaches" continue to be major 

 factors in the turtle's decline. 



What does the future hold for these ancient rep- 

 tiles? 



Scientists are beginning to learn more and more 

 about the habits of the loggerhead and other sea tur- 

 tles. Until recently little was known about the 

 loggerhead, how long it lived, how often it nested or 

 where it spent the first few years of its life. Today we 

 know that the loggerhead spends at least its first 

 year, previously known as its "lost year," in the 

 Sargasso Sea. And we know that the female returns 

 to her place of birth to lay her own eggs. Such basic 

 information is important to researchers as they look 

 for ways to save the turtle from extinction. 



In Pascaguola, Miss., NMFS researchers are 

 testing new trawl equipment that will keep turtles 

 out of nets. One design includes a 12-inch mesh 

 barrier that can be placed across the mouth of a trawl 

 during the nesting season. 



In addition, NMFS is helping to teach fishermen 

 what to do if they find unconscious turtles in their 

 nets. According to Ekberg, an unconscious turtle 

 should be placed on the ship's deck, bottom side up. It 



should be kept in the shade to avoid sunburn and 

 overexposure to heat. Once the turtle recovers, it 

 should immediately be thrown overboard. 



Placement of the loggerhead on the federal 

 "threatened" list is expected to give far greater 

 leverage to efforts to uniformly protect the species. 

 This is especially important to states like North 

 Carolina which currently do no have the financial 

 resources needed to implement a full-blown enforce- 

 ment program. 



Of course not everyone believes that listing is the 

 ultimate panacea. Most researchers agree, however, 

 that preservation of nesting habitat will be the most 

 critical element in saving the loggerhead. Various 

 programs have been launched at both the state and 

 federal level to set aside particularly important sites. 

 At the Marine base at Camp Lejeune, N.C, base 

 biologists Julian Wooten and Charles Peterson are 

 studying the habits of loggerheads who nest along a 

 14-mile stretch of deserted beach within the camp. 

 Female turtles are watched from safe distances as 

 they move onshore to construct their nests. Once the 

 eggs have been deposited and the nests covered over, 

 the adult turtles are tagged, measured and safely 

 returned to sea. Wire cages are placed over the eggs 

 during incubation to protect them from predators. 



Today Camp Lejeune is one of the most active 

 nesting sites in North Carolina. It offers the 

 loggerhead the rare opportunity to nest in relative 

 seclusion— far from the clutter and glare of ocean 

 highways and beachside developments. It offers the 

 loggerhead a chance for survival. 



The University of North Carolina Sea Grant College 

 Newsletter is published monthly except October by the 

 University of North Carolina Sea Grant College 

 Program, 105 1911 Building, North Carolina State Uni- 

 versity, Raleigh, N.C. 27607. Vol. 4, No. 10, November, 

 1977. Dr. B. J. Copeland, director. Written and edited by 

 Mary Day Mordecai and Virginia Worthington. Second- 

 class postage paid at Raleigh, N.C. 27611. 



