Kiawah Island is
distinctive in many ways,
including the research
project conducted
on the ecology of the
diamondback terrapins
in the tidal creeks and
marshes since1983.
The Kiawah Terrapin
Project is recognized as the longest continuously running
study of terrapins in the world and has resulted in more
than 25 scientific publications and numerous newspaper
and magazine articles. The terrapin sampling continued in
2019, the 36th year, by a contingent of investigators that
included some who have been involved with the project
for decades and some from the beginning. Continued
monitoring and new research projects are planned for 2020,
including the use of survey drones and telemetry tracking
devices. Outreach and education programs will inform
Kiawah residents and visitors about what must be done to
ensure the well-being of this iconic turtle.
— From J. Whitfield (Whit) Gibbons,
Professor Emeritus of Ecology, University of Georgia
Kiawah
Turtle excluder devices (TEDs), also called bycatch
reduction devices (BRDs), have been designed by biologists
and crabbers to keep the terrapins out but allow the
desirable large blue crabs to enter. Numerous prototypes
have been developed and rejected over the years with teams
of researchers studying the results of their use all along the
terrapins’ coastal range including South Carolina. Important
research on this topic is taking place in our Kiawah River.
Besides determining the best size and shape of the TED/
BRD, placement angle has also been key. Videos of terrapins
and crabs entering traps show that terrapins tend to enter the
traps horizontally head first, whereas crabs typically scuttle
sideways. This information has led to the design and vertical
placement of the TED shown in the photos below.
So what can we do to protect our terrapins? If you decide
to use a crab trap, make sure you attach a TED over the
opening and encourage others to do the same, and write
identifying information on the float. These TEDs or BRDs
are available FREE at the Kiawah Island Nature Center and
Kiawah Town Hall. Also, join volunteers who go into the river
and marshes to check for and collect abandoned traps
or ghost traps. NK
Fewer than a dozen seine hauls in two tidal creeks (Sandy and
Fiddler) in May 2019 resulted in the capture of 51 terrapins. Of
the total, 12 were adults captured previously. One of these was
first marked in 1997 and another in 1994. One persistent male
was first captured as an adult in 1992, 27 years ago! Terrapins
WINTER/SPRING 2020 • VOLUME 42
live a long time if they can avoid highways and crab traps.
Many were young females expected to reach maturity within
the next two years. Prospects for a revitalized diamondback
terrapin population at Kiawah are looking up.
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