Volunteers Participated in Monitoring the Turtle Population During the Annual Terrapin Tally in North Carolina

Volunteers served as citizen scientists who helped gather data during the 9^th annual Terrapin Tally, a community science project developed by the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. This project was created to gather population data and monitor the status of diamondback terrapins in the state.

Data Gathering Project with Volunteer Citizens

Scientists wanted to investigate the life of a small turtle called diamondback terrapin, so they asked volunteers to help count these solitary animals. A total of 150 volunteers headed towards Bald Head Island, a conservation area located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River.

North Carolina has an extensive area of marsh habitat spanning over 300,000 acres. With that vast area, it will be hard for a single researcher or a small research team to gather the needed data. The annual citizen science initiative is crucial because even a single turtle sighting becomes part of official scientific data.

During the data gathering process, the volunteers used a smartphone geo tracker application which they learned to use during the field data collection sessions from April 11 to April 15. Volunteers were trained to document turtle sightings while navigating the prescribed routes through the swamp. The actual data collection sessions took place from May 4 to June 4, when the volunteers were required to have their kayak or canoe.

The data collection routes span across the coast from Carteret County to Brunswick County. This year, the sites include Cape Lookout National Seashore, Lea Hutaff Island, and Bird Island Reserve. The data collected by the volunteers can contribute to the population trend analysis of the researchers.

Since the first Terrapin Tally in 2014, many volunteers and partners have participated in the effort to conserve the marsh turtle. By understanding the populations of diamondback terrapins in the state, scientists can develop a more informed management decision to protect these animals.

Why Do Terrapins Need to be Monitored?

Diamondback terrapins are small species of turtles that thrive in the salt marshes along the east and gulf coasts of the U.S., such as the Intracoastal Waterway. It is the only known reptile that can live in brackish, marine environments where water salinity levels constantly change.

Terrapins were once historically abundant, especially along the Cape Cod to the Gulf of Mexico. In the early 20^th century, these animals started to decline due to coastal development, fishing interactions, and habitat loss. They were also heavily hunted before the Great Depression because they were considered a delicacy for turtle soup.

In 1919, the turtles were saved by Prohibition with the 18^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Despite this, the terrapin population struggled to recover since then, taking generations for their people to increase. In North Carolina, terrapin turtles are listed as species of particular concern. As the government needed more data about their population, it sought the help of volunteers to monitor their presence in their natural habitats.