TURTLE TALK SEA TURTLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY Vol. 16, No. 3 Fall

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1 TURTLE TALK SEA TURTLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY Vol. 16, No. 3 Fall From the Chair s Perspective By Roger Pszonowsky, Board Chair Voting with your feet. One meaning of this idiom is to show your opinion of something by acting in a certain way, such as by buying something if you like it or by not buying it if you don't like it. (Englishclub.com) Our members make the choice to improve our world every day. Fifty years ago Rachel Carson published her book Silent Spring and our world changed. President John F. Kennedy was motivated to set up a Science Advisory Committee special panel that confirmed Carson s thesis. He acted. Fifty Eight years ago Archie Car published The Windward Road, a story that has motivated researchers and volunteers to take action to avoid ecological catastrophe for sea turtles. They acted. There are many such books and stories around so I will move along. STPS started 28 years ago when a small group of people decided to take action by changing their environment to help sea turtles survive. That action would be through new legislation, educational talks, public turtle walks, stranding activities, data collection and land acquisition to protect beaches. STPS continues to be recognized for its educational talks, public awareness of sea turtles through signs and brochures, data collection by nesting surveyors, rescue of injured and sick turtles, and continuing to support of the professional community of researchers and rehabilitation facilities. We interact with local governments keeping them aware of turtle issues, coordinate with grass root organizations to maintain the health of our beaches / lagoons and communicate sea turtle stories to media groups. There is a core of active STPS people but it is done with the emotional and financial support of all the members and the community. Yes, STPS does matter, because its members vote with their feet, hands and spirit to support sea turtles Turtle Krawl 5k Run/Walk By Mark Petrillo, Race Director Yes, one thousand eight hundred and twelve people registered for this year's Turtle Krawl 5k, making it the largest 5k race of the year in all of Brevard County (out of over 100 races). This nearly 100% increase in participation from the previous year resulted in raising over $33,000 for the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, more than the 2010 and 2011 races combined! As you may or may not know, this money is being set aside by the STPS to be used to help fund the building and support of a much needed sea turtle rehabilitation facility here in Brevard County. In total, 1579 people participated in the race, including 32 Competitive Walkers. Course records were set by Steve Hedgespeth (17:18.1) and Jessica Crate (18:35.5), and our first ever Competitive Walking champion was also crowned with a time of 34:24. That honor went to Michael Petrillo, this author's father, who volunteered countless hours of his time finding and taking very good care of this year's race sponsors. As a side note, 69 year old Michael completed the Chicago Marathon just three weeks later in 5 hours and 39 minutes. Way to go, Dad! Rounding out the Turtle Krawl's Top 3 overall finishers were Shane Streufert (17:28) and Marc Zeller (18:21) for the men and Melissa Taylor (19:17) and Tracy Dutra (19:44) for the women. The Masters (Age 40+) Champions were 44 year old Steve Chin (18:37) and 64 year old Anne Dockerty (21:37), and the Grandmasters (Age 50+) award winners were 51 year old Bret Halliday (18:44) and 55 year old Annie Caza (22:01). We had special awards for the youngest and oldest male and female finishers, who were 4 year old Riley Burdick (47:56) and 80 year old Jack Lightle (31:03) for the men and 5 year old Taegen Burns (43:46) and 79 year old Marion DiPasquale (54:26) for the women. And no, that is not a typo - an 80 year old man really did finish the 3.1 mile race is just over 31 minutes... very impressive! The 2012 "Middle of the 1

2 Nest" (the person who finished exactly in the middle of the field) free pair of shoes winner was Cherly Cook with a time of 34:12. Nearly 6000 photos from the race can be found on TurtleKrawl.com, so if you haven't checked out the Turtle Krawl's official website yet, please do. And if you aren't one of the 1742 (as of this writing) fans of the Turtle Krawl on facebook, please "Like" us there for updates and several chances to win free entry into next year's race: Huge thanks go out to the Turtle Krawl's sponsors, including Sea World, Port Canaveral, Absolutely Natural, Running Zone, Walgreens, Brevard Physicians Network, Lighting Science, Southeastern Honda, TD Bank, Tropic Coast Realty, Brevard Zoo, Embraer, Greenlight Apparel, Florida Today, Southwest Airlines, Walmart, Publix, Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company, CLIF Bar, Starbucks, Eyeglass World, Planet Smoothie, PlanetKid, and Space Coast Runners. Please remember to support these sponsors who are in turn supporting our local community. Last but certainly not least, the Turtle Krawl wouldn't exist without the approximately 100 people who volunteered their time to make it the smashing success that it was, so thank you to all of the volunteers as well. We are expecting next year's race to be the largest 5k EVER held in Brevard County, and believe it or not, it's almost time to get started with the planning. If you are interested in becoming part of the 2013 Turtle Krawl Committee, please contact us through the Contact Form found on TurtleKrawl.com. See you next year! Meet..Ritchie Moretti, Turtle Hospital of Marathon By Cindy Dolaway Ritchie Moretti Wouldn t it be cool if I could tell you that a young Ritchie Moretti s turtle destiny was sealed the afternoon he sat in the saddle of a Galapagos tortoise at the Bronx Zoo? Well, even though the incident really happened, it probably has no bearing whatsoever on the establishment of the Turtle Hospital in Marathon many decades later. Moretti does remember fishing in New Jersey and wondering about how turtles hold their breath underwater, but apart from that, turtles didn t factor into Moretti s life for a long time. He moved from Jersey to Winter Park in 1964 where he was a Volkswagen mechanic. In his spare time he indulged in his fishing passion. In 1984 he retired to the Keys, Marathon in particular, and bought a 40s era motel and some video stores for income. One day while fishing under the 7 Mile Bridge with his friend Tina Brown, they caught a huge tarpon that they wanted to photograph, so they brought it back to the motel and put it in the 100,000 gallon salt water swimming pool. With the approval of the FWC they were soon adding other fish to the pool and even holding evidence fish for future law enforcement action. Local school groups heard about the amazing collection at Hidden Harbor and organized field trips to visit the facility to learn about underwater eco-systems of the Keys and simple lessons in how to handle marine life so it can be safely returned to the water. Around 1985 with the introduction of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, kids began asking more and more about sea turtles. Ritchie applied to the state for a permit to keep endangered sea turtles in his pool. The state came back with a firm NO, unless they would be interested in doing something nice in return, like providing a place for rehabilitating turtles. Why not? A year later, in partnership with the University of Florida they were in business. The addition of another motel next door provided a working base and rooms for staff to live. The video stores were sold and Hidden Harbor Motel funded the first 20 years of the hospital. (Hidden Harbor was later destroyed by Hurricane Wilma and not rebuilt.) The first vet to help was Elizabeth Gordon of Jekyll Island who worked for free for a year, and other distinguished vets have followed like, Eliot Jacobson of the U of FL Small Animal Clinic Vet School. Scientists from as far away as Woods Hole came to do research there with little more than the promise of free fishing and a good dinner. The facility is completely selffunded. Income is derived from visitor donations (50-60 thousand people a year) and sales from the gift shop. There are 14 paid positions with an annual payroll of $500,000. The hospital s message is rescue, rehab and release. To that end, there have been several high- 2

3 profile actions. The most recent is the rescue of the boatstruck Hawksbill from St. Croix. American Airlines flew this critically injured turtle to Florida where 55 eggs have been able to be harvested from her. She has optimistically been named Good Hope. Not only was the turtle flown from St. Croix, but American Airlines brought hundreds of pounds of sand for the nests, and committed itself to returning any successful hatchlings for release in St. Croix. The issue of what to do with rehabilitated turtles who are unable to be released is an on-going concern. Do zoos and aquariums insist on only accepting perfect looking specimens? Ritchie says that was the case for a long time but public opinion seems to be shifting and that people are beginning to understand that a turtle in excellent condition should be released, and that they would rather see and hear about a rehabbed one. Just before this interview, Ritchie and a co-worker returned from accompanying several lifers (lifetime keepers unable to be set free again) to a private aquarium in England. How did an aquarium in the UK hear about them? Well, it seems the family recently bought a little parcel of property in Florida Cypress Gardens, to be exact. They are the LEGO folks! Many of the volunteers at STPS have met Ritchie and the good folks of the hospital in Marathon. They hold many state and southeast regional meetings at their facility. The clinic itself is open 7 days a week. It s located at MM 48.5 and can be reached at <turtlehospital.org> or It s worth the visit. Want to contact the STPS via ? General stps@seaturtlespacecoast.org Volunteer Coordinator: volunteer@seaturtlespacecoast.org Strandings and STERP Program: er@seaturtlespacecoast.org Education: education@seaturtlespacecoast.org Turtle Krawl 5k Run/Walk: turtlekrawl@seaturtlespacecoast.org STPS Chairperson: stpschair@seaturtlespacecoast.org 2012 Holiday Party and Election By Cindy Ullmer This year's Holiday Party will be held December 8th from 6:00pm until 9:00pm at the Melbourne Beach Community Center. The business portion of this Annual Membership Meeting will be held prior to dinner. The annual election will take place during the business portion of the meeting. (A separate article is in this newsletter) The dinner will be pot luck. You are encouraged to bring your favorite appetizer, entrée, side dish or dessert to share. STPS is providing a baked ham, soda and water. You can bring your own wine if you desire. Plates and plastic ware are furnished. A crazy gift exchange follows dinner. Please bring a wrapped gift ($10 to $15) if you want to participate in the exchange. STPS Board Finalizes 2012 Election Procedures By Buddy Braunlich The STPS by-laws require that the Annual Membership Meeting of the Corporation be held in Brevard County in December. This year the meeting will be held in conjunction with the Holiday Party (see previous article) at the Melbourne Beach Community Center on December 8 th beginning at 6:00 PM. For many years now STPS has combined the STPS annual Board elections with a Holiday party. Since this is a very busy time of year for most people, fewer than 60 people usually attend. Our membership is currently over 680. Since we have many members that do not live in Florida, in an effort to reach more members, we have adopted a mail-in (or bring in) ballot procedure. Your ballot is included in this newsletter on the page opposite your mailing label. There are currently 4 positions open. Brandon Smith will not be seeking re-appointment and Ursula Dubrick will not be seeking reelection. Mark Petrillo and BJ Varuska are seeking reelection. Members Mary Bowman, Debby Livingston and Aaron Simonton are interested in obtaining seats on the Board. Ballots mailed-in must be postmarked by November 29th. Ballots can be hand delivered to the STPS Turtle House between 11:00 5:00 PM Monday- Saturday on or before December 1st. Additionally, they can be carried in to the December 8 th meeting and tabulated there. No ballots will be available at the party. As previously stated, your mailing label is on the back of your ballot for verification purposes. No photo 3

4 copies can be accepted. Members in-good-standing (i.e. dues paid up) are eligible to vote. Students and individual members are entitled to one vote, but in the case of other categories, like family memberships, 2 votes are the allowed maximum. For ballots that qualify for only one person to vote, the voter should mark in the VOTER 1 position only. We are hoping that this system will encourage our members to stand up and be counted! Resumes for the candidates follow in alphabetical order. Mary Bowman Mary R. Bowman, formerly with Brevard Zoo, is a member of the STPS STERP and Stranding Teams. She has extensive experience in conservation of primates and Morelets crocodiles with colleagues at Zoo Atlanta and is a whale watcher with MRC. At Brevard Zoo she directed the conversion of the Volunteer Department to an online data base, scheduling and communications software program. She continues to work as a volunteer with the Zoo and is studying nonprofit management at Rollins Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership Center. She has been a Brevard County resident most of her life. She is very interested in helping with the creation of a local center for sea turtles needing human intervention. Debby Livingston I am Debby Livingston, candidate for the Board of STPS. I was asked to give a bio of my qualifications and allow you, the members to make an educated choice. I am the Newbie to STPS. Actually, I am new to Florida as I have only been here 10 months. I was very interested in finding some organizations to volunteer for here in Florida. My time is precious like everyone else and I wanted to make the best use of it. I had already volunteered with Cycle Jam and the Joseph Pellicano Golf Outing for Families of the Shield. Mark Petrillo was our I.T. rep at work, and he suggested I check out STPS as I might like Turtle Krawl and walks. I attended Turtle 101 and after my second walk I was hooked. I was fortunate enough to meet and work with some amazing people and like a sponge I sucked up as much information I could regarding sea turtles. I know I must have been a nuisance, but in a good way. Once I had the opportunity to sit next to a nesting Loggerhead, I realized I had been where I wanted to be. Working with a creature as beautiful and amazing as a Loggerhead only made me want to learn and do more. I was honored when I received Rookie of the Year for STPS. I had decided to be involved with all aspects of STPS and made cookies and cupcakes for Turtle Day, brought part of my band to play out front and I am really looking forward to the Turtle Krawl. I have also volunteered to be part of the stranding team and hope next year to get more involved with that. I cannot wait for turtle walks to start again. I am very familiar with 501 c (3) Corporations. I am an Accountant and have worked with many types including but not limited to Parent / Teacher leagues, Homeowner Associations and clubs. I have reviewed or did compilation audits for many of these organizations and managed a homeowner association for a client that had 8 employees, a spa and retail products for 6 years before I moved here. They had a budget of 2 million dollars annually. I presently serve on the Board for the Families of the Shield. We are a 501 c (3) that helps first responders and their families. We are very active in the community and I am thrilled to be part of this organization. I also served on the following Boards and Committees: President St Mary s Parent Teacher League running Bingo, Golf Outing and Carnival. Board Member YMCA (short period of time as I moved) Board Member-Blue Water Sport fishing Association- Chairing one of the largest tournament s in the State of Michigan for 2 years giving away 50,000 in Prizes, Co-Chairing the Salmon Stakes for 4 years giving 15, to the YMCA for 2 of those years.-also ran Club Tournaments for a season. Served on a city commission presenting a 7 million project to the City for vacant land they owned. Worked on writing grants and helped procure a grant for a new city park in another city. I am not a person who sits on a board just so my obituary will look good. I like to work and I give my all in everything I do. Putting organizations and people together for fundraising is one of my specialties. Being on the Board or not on the Board will not deter me from my commitment to the turtles. It should always be first and foremost about the turtles and not someone s ego. I am professional and realize my skills could be helpful as a Board Member. Thank you for the opportunity. 4

5 Mark Petrillo I am a current board member. I am an avid SCUBA diver (a non-teaching PADI Instructor) and have always found myself drawn to the ocean. Originally from Pennsylvania, I moved my internet development company to Florida in 2003 so I could enjoy better weather and be closer to the ocean. I first became involved with the STPS six years ago, volunteering as a guide for our summer Turtle Walks, and learning as much as I could about sea turtles. I was added to the Stranding Permit the following year. I was a STERP Zone Captain for the first few years of the program, and I have taken part in a few nest evaluations with the Survey Team. I still actively participate with our summer Turtle Watches (including acting as the Walk Leader whenever Dave asks me to), but I am no longer actively involved with Strandings or STERP, as I feel that I have found my new "calling" with the STPS and it takes up an extraordinary amount of my time - literally hundreds of hours each year. In 2010, I suggested that the STPS resurrect the Turtle Krawl race that was formerly put on by Brevard County Parks and Recreation as an annual fundraiser for the STPS, but ceased after With the Board's support, I volunteered to be the Race Director. I built the TurtleKrawl.com website and engaged the local running community through the Turtle Krawl's facebook page, and I am very proud to say that in just three years, the Turtle Krawl is now the largest 5k in Brevard County and has netted more than $8000 (600+ registrants), $20,000 (nearly 1000 registrants), and an estimated $33,000 (over 1800 registrants!) for the STPS in respectively. That is more than $60,000 in total that is going to be used to build the very first sea turtle rehabilitation facility here in Brevard County. Certainly, I have not done everything for the Turtle Krawl myself - we had nearly 100 volunteers helping in one way or another this year in total - but I am proud of the work I have done to make it the best race in the county and have several idea to make it even more successful next year. I have served on the Board of Directors for the past four years, and am seeking another two year term, where I plan to continue to try to bring new ideas to the organization. Aaron Simonton It is an honor for me to be considered by STPS as a candidate for the Sea Turtle Preservation Society Board of Directors. I believe my expertise, as the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization for 35 years, as well as my experience serving on nonprofit boards will allow me to make a positive contribution to our organizational governance and mission to protect our endangered sea turtles. I have been a member of STPS since I moved to Melbourne Beach in 2010 and currently serve on the Stranding and Salvage permit, Sea Turtle Emergency Response program, and make educational presentations at senior assisted living centers, preschools, and community center programs. In 2011 I received the Rookie of the Year Award and in 2012 received a certificate of appreciation from the Sea Turtle Preservation Society for the many educational presentations I completed. I have experience in nonprofit management, grant writing, and budgeting. My strengths include strategic planning, customer service, fundraising, and public relations. Educationally I hold a Masters in Healthcare Administration-Gerontology from University of Phoenix and a B. A. with Certification in Gerontology from Madonna University. I have presented workshop sessions at state and national conferences on aging issues and written articles for publication in newspapers and newsletters. I understand that serving on a governing board of a nonprofit is a commitment of time and money and if I am elected I will actively participate in any capacity that will further our cause. Bradley J.P. Varuska I live in Cape Canaveral (many of you know me by my sea turtle name - BJ). My wife Margie and I became involved in STPS early 2009 after answering a notice in the newspaper for volunteers and jumped in head first. I am permitted with Dori as part of the nesting survey and on the LOA for STERP with Dave and Pat. I also have helped with walks during summer nights with David, have responded to strandings as a permit holder with Roger, attended regional and international seminars/workshops, and volunteer each year for Turtle Krawl. I am currently on the Board of Directors as the Education Coordinator with the gracious help of Cindy D. and Pat R. and the Facilities Committee. In all honesty, I love it. The passion and dedication of the STPS volunteers is catching and I want to continue to be involved as a member of the board. My main goal is education. If we can teach what we have learned and experienced first-hand, we can help out our sea turtle friends by sharing this information with others. 5

6 Ursula Dubrick Not Seeking Reelection to the STPS Board Ursula Dubrick will not be seeking reelection for the following term. She contributed a great deal to the STPS during her time on the Board. Ursula became intrigued with the sea turtles nesting on the beaches of Brevard County shortly after relocating to Florida in As a professional wildlife photographer, her frequent sunrise walks on the beach with her camera started her on the path to taking photos of sea turtles covering their nests and returning to the ocean. She discovered newly emerged hatchlings making their perilous journey to the water, and wanted to know if there was a way to help some of these little creatures overcome the challenges they faced to reaching adulthood. A friend told her about STPS; Ursula joined, and has been a member ever since. Ursula's initial involvement in STPS activities included driving injured and sick turtles to the various rehab facilities, and being on the stranding permit. Ursula became a board member in 2010 and served one term as its Program Director. She secured speakers for the monthly membership meetings. In 2012, with STPS' goal of having a local rehab facility, the speakers were generally from other Florida marine rescue and rehab centers. STPS would like to wish Ursula well in her future endeavors and encourages her to keep in touch with all of her sea turtle friends. The following article is reprinted courtesy of the Daytona Beach News-Journal Rare white sea turtles hatch in Flagler, New Smyrna Beach Photo / Amber Bridges Courtesy of Daytona Beach News-Journal. All rights retained and reserved. This loggerhead hatchling was found alone in the bottom of a hatched nest in New Smyrna Beach and taken to the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet. By Dinah Voyles Pulver ENVIRONMENT WRITER Published: Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 3:57 p.m. Last Modified: Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 3:57 p.m. When peering into a hatched sea turtle nest to search for stragglers or unhatched eggs, nest monitors never expect to see a creamy colored hatchling sitting there, but twice in recent weeks, they've found just that. One pale blonde loggerhead hatchling, found at Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve along the coast of Flagler and St. Johns counties, was pointed in the right direction and crawled into the waves. The other was found in New Smyrna Beach. "It was only the second one I've seen," said Amber Bridges, a field biologist with Ecological Associates, Inc., the county's consulting contractor. "All of the other hatchlings had escaped and this one was down there on the bottom." "I tried to release it but it was too weak," Bridges said. So, the hatchling was taken to Volusia County's Marine Science Center for a short rehabilitation stay. Today it will take a boat ride out to open water to be released on a line of seaweed with a few other hatchlings. A range of genetic pigment variations occasionally occur in the animal world, from albino a complete lack of pigment to melanistic, which is an excess of dark pigment. The unusual coloration of the two turtle hatchlings is known as leucistic, which means a lack of pigment, said Mike Walsh, associate director of the aquatic animal health program with the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine. A leucistic animal differs from an albino because it has some pigment, either in its skin, feathers or eyes, Walsh said. For example, the turtle hatchlings still had dark eyes, while a true albino, which is much more rare, would have pink eyes. Facts Where can you see an albino or leucistic animal? The Marine Discovery Center has a pale colored rat snake, 520 Barracuda Blvd., New Smyrna Beach, marinediscoverycenter.org The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens has a leucistic rattlesnake, 3755 NW U.S , centralfloridazoo.org What's the difference? Leucistic When an animal lacks melanin or pigment in parts of its skin, coat or feathers. Albino The complete absence of pigment in skin, coat, feathers and eyes. Melanistic When more than the normal amount of melanin is produced, resulting in very dark coloring. SOURCE: News-Journal research 6

7 Sometimes a leucistic animal will retain color in its legs too, Walsh said. "In birds, you may see anything from a different pattern to more white or light colors," Walsh said. He once saw a red-tailed hawk that was totally white except its dark eyes. Last January, Ken Gistedt was looking out the window of his Palm Coast home when he noticed a sort of white polka-dotted robin with the flock of robins in his backyard. "It was like, wow!" said Gistedt, who grabbed his camera and took photos, which he sent to the News- Journal. "It's something you only read about. To see it in person and be 10 feet away from it was amazing." Just like Gistedt's robin, animals that are leucistic, like the turtle hatchlings, may retain their natural skin patterns but they may be faint, said Bonnie Breitbeil, director of animal collections at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens. "It is pretty uncommon in the wild," she said. And, lacking the natural coloring that might help a species blend into its surrounding can be "detrimental," she said. Walsh said the pale animals are "sort of like a beacon for predators." "It's hard to miss them in the wild," he said. Fortunately for the sea turtle hatchling at the Science Center, it had already begun to collect a film of natural algae across its shell, which helped give it a little green coloring. While the pale hatchlings are very unusual locally, Melissa Ranly, who oversees sea turtle rehabilitation at the center, said she saw more of them when she worked in a location in South Florida that had thousands of sea turtle nests. In addition to being obvious to predators, animals that lack natural UV protection can be easily sunburned or get skin cancers, she said. And sometimes, the same genetic fluke that causes the pigment variation may also cause other problems. For example, a turtle hatchling may have an abnormal number of scutes on its shell or may have internal problems with its organs. But the hatchling that spent last week at the center appeared to be growing stronger and eating and swimming. So during a deep sea bird watching voyage today, Science Center staff will release it to a patch of sea weed and hope for the best. Book Review: Wilbur the Washback Sea Turtle by Aaron Simonton Looking for a great read for the entire family? This delightful picture book documents the life and adventures of Wilbur, the Washback Sea Turtle. A true and beautiful story that begins with Wilbur emerging from his nest in the sand, dash to the sea, and journey to his new home in the Sargasso Sea. Then, Wilbur s washback adventure begins as a tropical storm moves through the sargassum and Wilbur, clinging onto a patch of seaweed is washed ashore. A true story of Wilbur's rescue by Sea Turtle... filled with turtle facts, magnificent photos, and a happy ending.... Preservation Society volunteers filled with turtle facts, magnificent photos, and a happy ending as Wilbur is returned safely to his sargassum home. Written by Sea Turtle Preservation Society volunteer, Ann Zscheile, Wilbur the Washback Sea Turtle is Ann s heartwarming first book and an enchanting read for children of all ages. Want to learn more about our sea turtles and Wilbur s washback adventure? Books are available at the Sea Turtle Preservation Society Turtle House at 111 S. Miramar (Rt A1A), Indialantic, FL. All proceeds have been donated to the Sea Turtle Preservation Society. Part III: Ecological Value of a Sea Turtle: Responses from the Public by Ann Zscheile To better understand how the general public perceives sea turtle, polls were taken at environmental events in Brevard County in Three events were selected in different areas of the county. They included Turkey Creek Sanctuary Waterfest in Palm Bay; World Sea Turtle Day at the STPS office in Indialantic and First Annual Sea Turtle Festival in Titusville. These three areas provided responses from a diverse group of attendees. The one factor they all had in common was that they were participating in an environmental event. For this reason they were not truly representative of the Brevard County general public. At each event, attendees were asked if they would participate in a survey. They were then given a 7

8 slip of paper which asked: What is the value of a turtle in nature? Space was provided for their answer. Other information requested included: adult or child, resident of Brevard Co and if not, they were asked to include the city and state of residence. After they completed the form they placed it in a closed, slotted container. Some attendees said they didn t know the answer to the question. They were told I don t know is an answer and it would be helpful to have that information also. Results of responses obtained were: 1. Turkey Creek Sanctuary 12 responses were obtained: 6: I don t know: (5 adults and 1 child) (50%) 2: Economical: (1 adult and 1 child) 4: Ecological (3 adult and 1 child) All attendees were from Brevard County 2. World Sea Turtle Day 29 responses were obtained 3: I don t know (2 adults and 1 child) (10%) 26: Ecological (20 adults and 6 child) 10 attendees were out of state residents 3. First Annual Sea Turtle Festival 20 responses were obtained 4: I don t know (3 adults and 1 child) (20%) 16: Ecological (14 adults and 2 child) 9 attendees from Florida, outside of Brevard county; 3 were out of state residents In sorting through the responses to this poll a variety of answers were included in the category: ecological of a sea turtle. Many of these would be considered to be more esthetic value, such as statements that sea turtles are: beautiful, special, irreplaceable, really cool, awesome and priceless. Nineteen of the total 61 respondents or 31% mentioned food chain, web of life, ecosystem or balance of nature. Two responded with the economical value of a sea turtle to tourism. This poll is a small sampling of people at environmental events and no conclusions can be derived from the information obtained. It would be interesting to broaden the scope of this survey outside of the group of people who already have interests and concerns about sea turtles and the environment. The best part of conducting this survey was interacting with the public. This poll seemed to give them something to think about and ponder. Most seemed to be strong advocates for sea turtles, but many had not thought about why it is important to protect and preserve them. From my perspective, I received many worthy answers to the question I was asked over a year ago at an environmental event. Not all were scientific, but they were simple and in many ways insightful. I will conclude by sharing a few of those responses: Sea turtles are the gatekeepers of the ocean. Balance in nature technology is important, but because of it we need to focus on more ways to protect the world around us, in particular the flora and the animals we share the earth with for future generations. Mother Nature s gift to us all -Sea turtles are a gift that should be protected. They have been around since the dinosaurs, before mankind. They are beautiful and elusive. Everything has its purpose here. I feel it is so important to preserve all aspects of nature, especially the sea turtles- they are vital to our ocean, vital to the education of the children and a marvel to watch. Priceless! We should not only protect marine life. The sea turtles bring such serenity to the earth. They are an intricate link in the circle of life. Amazingly beautiful and important. Part IV: Conclusions to be continued in next newsletter. Fibropapillomatosis by Aaron Simonton This summer Ann Zscheile and I transported a Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis disease to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, Florida for rehabilitation. Fibropapillomatosis is a debilitating skin disease that affects sea turtles all over the world and is the only known global disease of an animal. Green sea turtle fibropapillomatosis was first described in 1938 in the Florida Keys (Lücke, 1938; Smith and Coates, 1938) but has now been found on all species of sea turtles. Fibropapilloma causes the turtles to develop tumors on their skin and can be fatal if it invades the turtle s internal system, but will often heal if the tumors are superficial. Scientists also think that this could be a virus because herpes was found in 95% of all Florida cases. According to Tristan, et al., (2010), Fibropapilloma looks like large warts with a "cauliflower" texture that grow on all the soft tissue 8

9 areas of a sea turtle, including the eyes and mouth; it can also grow through the carapace and plastron. The disease is infectious between sea turtles, although the research so far has been unable to prove if fibropapilloma can be transmitted through seawater. Therefore, most facilities are unable to take in the fibropapilloma turtles due to the risk of infecting the non-fibropapilloma turtles already at the facility. There is no cure so far for this life-threatening disease and treatment primarily relies on surgical removal of the growth. Prognosis for turtles with fibropapilloma depends on the size, location, and invasive nature of the tumors. Ann and I named the turtle Adrianna after a young lady who was visiting the Nature Center with her family and will keep you posted about the outcome. For more information about fibropapillomatosis, check out the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center website: Tristan, T., Shaver, D., Kimbro, J., demaar, T., Metz, T., George, J., & Amos, A. (2010). Journal of Herpetological Medicine & Surgery;, 20(4), Retrieved from BEACH CLEANUP NEWS By Gerry Burke Monthly beach cleanups will continue at Coconut Point on the following Saturdays: November 3, December 8, January 5, and February 9. Volunteers should arrive at 8 am and we are generally finished between 9:30 and 10 a.m. During July thru October, volunteer numbers ranged from 12 to 73! Special events continue to play a significant part of our trash efforts this year. The Fall Coastal Cleanup, sponsored by Keep Brevard Beautiful/Keep America Beautiful was held Saturday, September 15 th at the Coconut Point site. Despite the timing conflict with the STPS Turtle Krawl, 30 volunteers --including the help of many members of the Sebastian Inlet Chapter of the Surf Riders organization-- made the day a success. All participants received a free T-shirt that this year featured a turtle in the surf motif. Because of the efforts of approximately 70 Turtle Krawl volunteers, the trash collected was recorded and STPS was credited by Keep Brevard Beautiful for the event cleanup. Thank you Cindy Dolaway and your workers! The October monthly cleanup benefitted from the efforts of a group of 62 volunteers from Covenant Presbyterian Church of Palm Bay. Ron Fischer, one of our STPS cleanup team trio, coordinated this special event. Three sites were used to handle the large group including North Spessard Holland (36 volunteers), South Spessard Holland (26 volunteers) and Coconut Point (11 volunteers) which hosted our regular group. Having a 3 member STPS team worked great in this situation, with Ron and Gerry at the Spessard sites and Mike Clark at Coconut Point. A special note: if you missed the October General Meeting, you missed an impressive discussion on trash topics presented by Waste Management representative George Geletko. We learned about where the trash goes after pick up, products that are made of recycled materials, the use of methane gas to fuel trash vehicles, and the future of disposal of organic materials. The information added to our understanding beyond trash on the beach. STPS participates in Keep Brevard Beautiful, Adopt-A- Shore program by performing monthly beach clean-up at Coconut Point Park. (Join us there on the Saturday after the first Thursday of each month at 8 AM.) Volunteer Appreciation Dinner Held The 2012 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner was held Sunday, August 12 at the Crown Plaza in Indialantic. Gerry Burke was given a certificate of appreciation as the Volunteer of the Year. Debby Livingston was given a certificate of appreciation as the Rookie of the Year. 9

10 Mark Your Calendar STPS Speakers for the remainder of 2012 By Ursula Dubrick On November 1, Dean Bagley will be our guest speaker. She will give us a summary of the sea turtle nesting season statistics and other interesting facts. The Annual Membership Meeting including the election and holiday party will be held on Saturday, December 8 from 6:30 pm until 9:30 pm at the Melbourne Beach Community Center. There will be no guest speaker. All meetings will be held at the Melbourne Beach Community Center unless otherwise noted. The doors will open at 7:00 PM with light refreshments and the meeting will begin at 7:30 PM unless otherwise noted. Turtle Talk Welcomes Your Articles By Donna Braunlich, Turtle Talk Editor This newsletter relies upon the generous contributions of STPS volunteers and members. If you have an article you would like to include in this newsletter, please submit it for consideration in the next publication. Turtle Talk is published three times a year (March, July & November) for members and supporters of the Sea Turtle Preservation Society. Drop your article off at the Turtle Office or submit your article with your name, telephone number and mailing address (or internet address) to the following: Sea Turtle Preservation Society Attn: Newsletter Editor P.O. Box Melbourne Beach, FL dbraunlich@aol.com STPS The Sea Turtle Preservation Society (STPS) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the State of Florida, whose dedicated members are permitted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work with endangered and threatened marine turtles. STPS relies solely on donations from the public, its members and the efforts of volunteers. The purpose of STPS is to educate the public about marine turtles and the environmental niche that they occupy. STPS reaches thousands of people each year through presentations and exhibits at area events and through guided walks during the sea turtle nesting season. The Turtle Office is located at 111 South Miramar, Indialantic, Florida. Office hours are 11am to 5pm Monday through Saturday. Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of each month at 7:30pm at the Melbourne Beach Community Center, with the exception of June, July and August. The annual election is held in December. Visitors are always welcome. To contact STPS, call ( ). To write: P.O. Box , Melbourne Beach, Florida, stps@seaturtlespacecoast.org. Board of Directors Roger Pszonowsky, Chairperson Buddy Braunlich, Treasurer Donna Braunlich, Secretary Dave Cheney, Communications Ursula Dubrick, Programs David Hochberg, Primary Permit Holder - Walks Dori Hughes, Primary Permit Holder Nesting Surveys Mark Petrillo, Turtle Krawl Coordinator Roger Pszonowsky, Primary Permit Holder - Stranding Pat Rush, STERP Co-Chairperson Beth Stuckey, Membership Cindy Ullmer, Office Manager BJ Varuska, Education 10

11 Turtle Talk, Vol. 15, No. 3 Fall 2011 ELECTION OF OFFICERS TO STPS BOARD: 2012 BALLOT DIRECTIONS: 1. Please refer to the instructions in the article entitled STPS Board Finalizes 2012 Election Procedures for submitting this ballot and placing your vote(s). 2. If your mailing label is addressed to more than one person, a maximum of 2 people can vote. 3. Check up to 4 candidate names. 4. If a BALLOT has more than 4 candidates marked by a VOTER, that VOTER s ballot will be disqualified. VOTER 1 VOTER 2 CANDIDATE NAME Mary Bowman Debby Livingston Mark Petrillo Aaron Simonton Bradley J.P. Varuska ORIGINAL BALLOTS ONLY ACCEPTED MAILING ADDRESS STPS P.O. Box Melbourne Beach, Florida, OFFICE ADDRESS 111 South Miramar Indialantic, Florida. 11

12 Turtle Talk, Vol. 15, No. 3 Fall 2011 Sea Turtle Preservation Society P.O. Box Melbourne Beach, Florida USA OR CURRENT RESIDENT Membership Form [ ] Student $15. Annual [ ] Contributor $50. Annual [ ] Benefactor $500. [ ] Individual $20. Annual [ ] Lifetime $200. [ ] Donation $ [ ] Family $30. Annual [ ] Endowment $300. [ ] New Member [ ] Renewal To pay for your membership on line using PayPal, Go to Name: Phone: Address: City: State, Zip Please make your check to: Sea Turtle Preservation Society I am interested in volunteering: [ ] Yes [ ] No My interests and talents are: