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Terrapin Project

The Great Bay Terrapin Conservation Project is intended to help reduce abnormally high mortality rates and educate the public about the threats to the terrapin population in New Jersey.

Zoom+ An adult female terrapin. © Ed Driver

Northern Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) are native to New Jersey and inhabit the many miles of coastal salt marshes along the Atlantic Coast and Delaware Bay. Terrapins were once very common and were used as a main food source of protein by Native Americans and then European settlers. In the early 1900’s it was hunted so extensively that it almost faced extinction. Luckily, during the 1920’s, use of terrapins for food dropped in popularity. This allowed the population to slightly recover and avoid extinction. However, several major threats still threaten their survival. Habitat loss, mortality from being drowned in crab traps, and road mortality all pose major threats to the health of the population. Each year thousands of terrapins are killed by motor vehicles throughout their range and here in New Jersey, Great Bay Boulevard is no exception.

Great Bay Boulevard or Seven Bridges Road extends approximately 5 miles into estuarine emergent wetlands and Northern Diamondback Terrapin nesting habitat. The boulevard is surrounded by over 5,500 acres of protected coastal habitat (Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management Area – Managed by NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife), a relatively unspoiled, estuarine ecosystem. This road, at times, has high a volume of traffic, especially on weekends when boaters and outdoorsmen travel on the road to get to and from one of the several active marinas along the road.

Currently during May-July there is no protection to terrapins when they cross Great Bay Blvd. from vehicle traffic. All terrapins who cross the road are adult females who are laden with eggs and are looking for a suitable nesting site. These females lay their eggs in a sand/gravel mixture where it is easy for them to dig and cover their eggs, like sandy beaches and in scrub-shrub habitat along road edges. Many female terrapins are inadvertently hit-by-car and injured or killed by speeding motorists or people unaware of the summer nesting habits of the terrapin. Terrapins remain close to where they originated and do not make long distance migrations (Tucker, 2001). Therefore, over time high mortality rates from vehicle collisions may significantly reduce the local population. This creates a trend that terrapin populations cannot sustain (Avissar, 2006).

Help us protect Terrapins! Report a Sighting of a Northern Diamondback Terrapin in New Jersey.

Conservation work is desperately needed. Studies and work by other organizations have shown that a short (2ft.) fence that is placed along side the road during nesting season will help prevent the loss of many terrapins by preventing them from crossing over the road. Since the Wetlands Institute started their “Barrier Fencing Project” in 2004, “the fencing along Stone Harbor Boulevard has reduced terrapin mortality, on average, approximately 84 percent” (http://www.terrapinconservation.org/). The terrapins would be forced to nest on the outside edge of the fence or where nesting habitat could be created. Terrapins would also be forced to use the many existing creeks to move from one side of the road to the other instead of the road. This would significantly reduce terrapin mortality by motor vehicles.

As part of the project volunteer terrapin stewards would periodically check fences and crossing areas for terrapins. They would also educate the public about the importance of terrapins and their threats in the environment. We hope to train stewards next year for the 2011 nesting season.

Project Update:

Image of Andy Wurst, a volunteer for the Terrapin Project helps drive in a wood stake to hold up barrier fencing.

Zoom+ Andy Wurst, a volunteer for the Terrapin Project helps drive in a wood stake to hold up barrier fencing. © Ben Wurst

On April 17, 2010 4,000 ft. of fence was installed with the help of local business owners, volunteers and employees of Exelon - Oyster Creek. Volunteers worked tirelessly to install the fence. It was a learning process for both CWF staff and volunteers since this is the first conservation project we have initiated to help protect terrapins in New Jersey.

Driving in stakes was tough in the highly compacted soils along the road. Careful attention was paid to any gaps that were in the fence. Landscaping ground staples were installed to help hold the fence tight to the ground.

A brochure is available at local marinas and the Tuckerton Seaport.

In May, three Terrapin X-ING signs were installed along the road.

In June and July the fence was maintained and repaired after several repeated attempts by people to damage it. Sections of the fence hang very low and we are planning on removing it this fall to re-install it properly next year with the help of a local fencing company who has committed to help us with the project in 2011.

Fence needed:

Section 1: 4,530 ft. x 2 = 9,060 ft. (4,000 feet are currently installed here). Need 5,000 more feet.

Timeline:

March 2010 – Recruit volunteers, purchase materials, and design brochure
April 2010 – Install fence and signs, print brochure.
May 2010 – Work with several volunteers to monitor fences and collect data on terrapin mortality
September 2010 – Remove fence
October 2010 – Summarize results

Partners:

1. Cape Horn Marina Inc.

570 Great Bay Blvd.
Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087
609-296-4456

2.Capt. Mike's Marina

630 Great Bay Boulevard
Tuckerton, NJ 08087
609-296-4406

3. Ocean County Vocational Technical School

MATES Program – Project Terrapin
Manahawkin, NJ

4. NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife

Bureau of Land Management
Central Region Superintendent: Ray Porutski
609-259-6969

5. Little Egg Harbor Environmental Commission

Little Egg Harbor, NJ

References:

Avissar, Naomi G. 2006. Changes in Population Structure of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) in a Previously Surveyed Creek in Southern New Jersey. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, Volume 5, Number 1. 154-159
Hoden, R., Able K.W. 2003. Habitat use and road mortality of Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve at Mullica River – Great Bay in southern New Jersey. Jacques Cousteau NERR Technical Report100–24.
Tucker, A. D., J. W. Gibbons, and J. L. Greene. 2001. Estimates of adult survival and migration for diamondback terrapins: conservation insight from local extirpation within a metapopulation. Canadian Journal of Zoology 79:2199-2209
The Wetlands Institute - Terrapin Conservation Project