By Diana Hackenburg stressful experiences and need a period of rest to recover, placing them in difficult situations.” IT RUNS IN THE BLOOD Increased vulnerability represented How sea turtles respond to interactions with fishermen just one of the threats to sea turtles that Williard and her team observed at fishing piers in North Carolina and Huffing and puffing, you pause a form of lactic acid, builds up in their Virginia. Their North Carolina Sea for air during a hard workout. Yet, you muscles, a similar process in humans Grant-funded study laid the groundwork continue on, knowing the discomfort will that we equate with “feeling the burn.” for assessing how recreational hook- end soon. Amanda Southwood Williard Lactic acid breaks down during and-line fisheries may affect sea observes a similar fatigue following periods of rest, but the ocean doesn’t turtles, and created an interstate prolonged exertion, not in the gym but have a sauna or couch for reptile collaboration interested in ensuring rather on the piers — in the blood of sea relaxation. As Williard, an animal captured turtles return to the turtles. physiologist at the University of North ocean in tip-top shape. When hooked or tangled in fishing Carolina Wilmington, hypothesizes, gear, sea turtles struggle to free them- these skirmishes make sea turtles RIDING THE WAVES selves and make it to the surface to more susceptible to boat strikes and Since the age breathe. In the absence of predators while they recuperate. of dinosaurs, oxygen, lactate, “How do you feel after exercising turtles have been really hard? Your ability to exercise swimming across more is compromised and the same the oceans, might be true for turtles,” expertly Williard explains. adapted to “They have these the marine

Sea turtles accidentally captured by recreational hook-and-line fishermen face multiple threats, including injuries from hooks and gear, and deeper physiological changes, that can hamper their survival upon release.

20 coastwatch | summer 2016 | www.ncseagrant.org environment. Sea turtles breathe air — of miles regularly throughout their just like other reptiles, but can remain lives. Because of their watery ways, submerged for hours. They spend people know remarkably little about the majority of their time — Williard their behavior. estimates 75 to 90 percent depending What we did know about these on the species — under water. ancient wanderers contributed to a These excellent swimmers migrate sharp population decline worldwide: between feeding and nesting areas, Many cultures prized sea turtles for traveling hundreds — or even thousands their meat, eggs, oil and shells. On top of overharvesting, humans created many other fatal threats, including marine pollution, destruction of C o n t i n u e d Courtesy Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

coastwatch | summer 2016 | www.ncseagrant.org 21 nesting and feeding habitat, boat collisions and interactions with fishing gear — recreational and commercial alike. Of the seven sea turtle species worldwide, six are found in U.S. waters, with five species visiting the shores of North Carolina. The green, Kemp’s ridley and loggerhead are most common here, while the leatherback and hawksbill occur infrequently. The federal Endangered Species Act, or ESA, lists all sea turtles found in U.S. waters as either threatened or endangered. Under protection of Courtesy Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center the ESA, it is illegal to intentionally or unintentionally “take” — kill, harm or of — or damage caused even capture — any sea turtle without a by — recreational fishing permit. encounters in North For commercial and recreational Carolina. fishermen up and down the coast, “Sea Grant strives to fill this is a hot-button issue as sea turtles data gaps and this project frequently migrate through popular is a wonderful example fishing areas. When accidentally caught of that,” notes John Fear, in nets or on lines, the turtles cannot deputy director of Sea make it to the surface to breathe. Those Grant. “Beyond advancing that do not drown may later succumb our understanding of sea to injuries caused by lodged hooks or turtle-human interactions, entanglement in gear. Physiological Williard’s work also changes — what Williard observes links together different through her blood chemistry research — stakeholders interested in also may result in short- and long-term this issue.” consequences for the turtles. Matthew Godfrey, a sea turtle HOOK, LINE AND SINKER biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Originally from Lexing- Resources Commission, or WRC, notes ton, Kentucky, Williard grew that for the past few years reported up around lots of horses strandings have increased to more than but certainly not sea turtles. 750 a year on average in North Carolina. “My mom was hoping I Courtesy N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission “This includes all turtles, from alive and would be an equine veteri- injured, to dead and decomposing,” he narian,” she quips. TOP: Veterinary staff at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine stipulates, adding that an unusual cold In college, sea turtles Science Center remove a hook from a sea turtle. BOTTOM: snap in early 2016 led to over 2,000 combined her two favorite A drop net brings a captured turtle on to the pier to strandings of hypothermic sea turtles. things: herpetology and remove the hook before the animal is returned to the water. Despite the close attention paid animal physiology. Her to reducing bycatch by commercial research since has revolved around at UNCW, suggested she apply for funds fisheries, there is no mandated reporting how sea turtles function, specifically upon joining the university. She received or monitoring of sea turtle interactions “their diving physiology and behavior, support from the N.C. Fishery Resource for recreational hook-and-line fishermen. and how they adjust to changes in their Grant Program before applying for Lacking consistent reporting and regular environment,” she adds. a minigrant to evaluate the blood monitoring, management agencies and Williard became very familiar with biochemistry of sea turtles incidentally wildlife professionals like Godfrey do not Sea Grant after Martin Posey, now captured in recreational hook-and-line have a good handle on the frequency director of the Center for Marine Science fishing.

22 coastwatch | summer 2016 | www.ncseagrant.org posted informational signs, resulting in the later recovery of two Kemp’s ridley sea turtles for inclusion in the study. The relatively diminutive Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempii, lives primarily along the Atlantic coast from Mexico to Canada, preferring shallow waters where it can feed on crabs and other shellfish. They also have the unfortunate distinction of being the world’s most endangered sea turtle — and in some areas the species most commonly captured by recreational hook-and-line anglers.

Courtesy Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center With just two data points collected from 75 hours of monitoring at the pier, catch a turtle on the Williard reached out to new partners to beach.” continue the study. She already had a Williard trained connection to the Virginia Aquarium & Ames to collect data Marine Science Center, known as VAQS, for the study by in Virginia Beach. Her doctoral student taking her to the N.C. Susan Barco coordinates its stranding Aquarium at Pine Knoll response program. Shores. They practiced Accurate testing requires obtaining handling the turtles blood samples as quickly as possible and taking blood, following a stranding report. “They could which Ames proudly get there in 30 minutes,” Williard notes. recalls getting on her Because juveniles move northward up first try. Throughout the coast, Williard also knew the turtles the summer of 2014, most likely pass through North Carolina Ames, along with waters on their way to Virginia, putting community volunteers, individuals at risk of being captured in regularly monitored the both states. pier at the Fort Fisher Also timely, VAQS had developed

Courtesy Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Air Force Recreation a new strategy for getting pier owners Area, which straddles and fishermen more involved. “In the the Atlantic Ocean and summer of 2014, we started getting Cape Fear River, for regular reports of hooked turtles, but stranded turtles. we were not very effective at recovering In spite of not them,” Barco recalls. In response, they TOP: Injured turtles may require sedation, surgery and having consistent designed the Pier Partner Program, rehabilitation before they can be safely released. BOTTOM: data for recreational which Barco now oversees as research A radiograph reveals a deeply lodged hook. interactions, “we know coordinator for the Aquarium’s the Cape Fear has a Research and Conservation Division, to Ciera Ames, a biology and marine lot of turtles in it from other research,” provide targeted resources, including biology major at UNCW, aided Williard Godfrey shares. “The manager for the a workshop, outreach materials and with the latter study as part of her pier also works closely with the Pleasure response kits at six piers in Virginia. undergraduate honors project. Ames Island Sea Turtle Project, and therefore, Between the two states, the always had a love for amphibians and they are likely to call in hooked turtles.” research partners assessed 17 pier- reptiles but felt a special connection to Though the observers witnessed captured and four rehabilitated Kemp’s this work and to hooked sea turtles. On no turtle captures on the pier, they did ridley turtles between 2014 and 2015. a family vacation to the North Carolina make valuable connections with the The rehabilitated turtles, patients at the shore, she remembers, “I saw someone fishermen and the community, and C o n t i n u e d

coastwatch | summer 2016 | www.ncseagrant.org 23 Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Topsail Island, served as a healthy comparison to the captured turtles. These juvenile turtles measured 23 to 48 centimeters, approximately the span from an adult’s elbow to his or her outstretched fingertips. According to Williard, most of these “cute and feisty” turtles were responsive and “ready for action” during the blood sampling and physical examination. Results from the blood analysis found that captured turtles did experience a buildup of lactate along with other signs of metabolic disruption, but not at unrecoverable levels. “The amount of lactic acid observed we believe they could recover from. It would just place them in difficult situations,” Williard surmises.

Many of the turtles also had Courtesy Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center taken the bait: Hooks had become lodged in their esophagus or were TOP: Volunteers release a swallowed, often requiring sedation, rehabilitated Kemp’s ridley sea surgical removal and rehabilitation. turtle. BOTTOM: Veterinarian Hastily pulling out the hook can cause Emily Christiansen helps Ciera problems, Williard warns, but “if handled Ames, then a UNCW student, properly, with all equipment carefully practice drawing blood from a removed, the turtles have a good chance sea turtle. of surviving.” “All fishing gear can accidentally The competition allowed harm protected species such as sea Ames to practice for her turtles,“ says Sara Mirabilio, North defense and helped her think Carolina Sea Grant fisheries extension about the big picture of her specialist. “Every day, I work with research. Meeting sea turtle fishermen to develop or modify fishing “rock stars,” as she describes gear and practices to minimize this the influential researchers at bycatch and its impact. This project the meeting, “made me realize starts the process of working with the importance of what I was interested groups to provide information doing.” on local sea turtle species and what to Ames guesses that do when a turtle is hooked from a pier.” recreational fishermen don’t report interactions because Courtesy Ciera Ames THE FEEDBACK LOOP “they are so scared they are The results already have received going to get in trouble or have their knowing that Williard also worked there. attention from the academic community license revoked. Making people more “I’ve always looked up to what she’s and government agencies. Ames aware could really help.” done.” presented her project results at Since graduation, Ames has Williard agrees with the need for the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle considered different options for playing long-term outreach and education. “The Symposium in 2015, winning the a part in the world of biology and would best way forward is to have as much runner-up award in the student poster consider working again with sea turtles. information as possible given to pier competition. She views Hawaii as an ideal location, owners and fishermen so they can bring

24 coastwatch | summer 2016 | www.ncseagrant.org and federal agencies have expressed to send to the National Marine Fisheries an interest in pier outreach initiatives. Service for inclusion in a national data- Last spring, the N.C. Division of Marine base. Fisheries placed signs at several piers to “This is our early-warning system,” educate fishermen about what to do in Godfrey reckons. “It tells us more about the case of a captured sea turtle. “We certain threats and is helpful for figuring are hoping that having these signs up out ways to better manage sea turtles in will increase the reporting of interac- the state.” tions when they occur,” Williard says. Godfrey sees this study as a good Currently, the N.C. Sea Turtle Proj- starting point for collecting the basic ect, run by the WRC, responds to all information needed to understand reported cases of injured or sick turtles. the problem and tweak the response. “We rely on a huge network of people “The work Amanda is doing is hugely and groups to respond,” explains God- important. Having her work is going to frey, who helps to manage the program. inform how we go forward to deal with

Courtesy Ciera Ames Trained volunteers and profession- these issues,” he adds. als check on stranded turtles reported As any good trainer knows, it’s not Ames, right, graduated with honors in via a statewide hotline. They help the whether you get knocked down, it’s biology for her research with Amanda injured ones, and bury the dead, collect- whether you get back up. Williard wants Southwood Williard, left. ing baseline data from each individual to give sea turtles a fighting chance. the sea turtle safely up to shore. They need to know where and to whom to Report a Turtle Stranding or Capture report, and how to make sure a turtle is If you spot a sea turtle on the beach or a pier, first check to see if it safe to release.” has been painted — already-reported turtles are sprayed a bright color. She recommends surveys as a way You can report new strandings by calling the N.C. Wildlife Resources to proactively collect more information Commission, or WRC, at 252-241-7367. Note the date, time, specific about interactions and the potential location, size and condition of the turtle, and provide your name and correlations with specific locations contact information. Do not touch or move the turtle unless instructed or types of gear. Organizations in otherwise by an official from the WRC. Virginia, Mississippi and Florida have implemented similar surveys as part of larger pier outreach programs, Williard notes. Future research and outreach efforts will require more resources, which can be a challenge but also an opportunity for more involvement by students. “There is interest from students. I am seeking additional funding to support a master’s student for this research, and to have people out on the piers during high-interaction times,” Williard clarifies. VAQS also expressed an interest in continuing the partnership. “The exam and data collection for the stress project are very similar to our normal intake procedures for rehab patients so it was really very little extra work,” Barco points out. “It has certainly added to the data we are collecting on this problem.” The researchers created signs to post at the Fort Fisher pier. Williard also reported that state

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