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USCB Home >> Academics >> Undergraduate >> Research >> Pritchards Island >> Sea Turtle Conservation
 

Sea Turtle Conservation

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The Pritchards Island Loggerhead Sea Turtle Conservation Project was developed in 1982 by a USC Beaufort biology professor named Dave McCollum. Historically, the objective of the project has been to assist in the conservation and preservation of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) by protecting the nests and increasing the hatchling survival rate on land.

 

Conservation is practiced by relocating the nests, if necessary, to a hatchery or other suitable sites and covering the nests with protective screening. In addition to the nest relocation practices, all nests are monitored throughout the nesting and hatching season for any disturbances and for emerging hatchlings along the 2.5 mile beach. 

 

Relocating nests is necessary on this highly erosional beach due to the high probability of nests being inundated by the tides. Current nest relocation methods include using rigid 5-gallon buckets to hold the eggs during relocation into a new nest cavity. The new nest cavity is dug using a cockle shell and is made with the same dimensions as the original nest cavity. Nests are screened in place or in a location higher in the dunes to prevent mammalian predators, such as raccoons (Procyon lotor), from digging into the nests and eating incubating eggs or emerging hatchlings. Pritchards Island also utilizes rectangular plastic hatcheries that can fit up to 14 nests inside to relocate nests to that are laid in areas that are subject to tidal inundation and storm erosion.

 

The project also serves as an educational outreach program that provides outreach programs to the community and hands-on field experiences to the visiting guests on the island. From May through September, hundreds of project participants from around the country assist the trained conservation staff with daily beach patrols, nest management, hatchling monitoring, and nest inventory. These opportunities help raise public awareness about the importance of protecting the loggerhead sea turtle and its nesting habitat.

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