This weekend, Jenny and I kayaked for science. We surveyed for the Carolina diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin centrata) along the inner coast of Masonboro Island near Wilmington, NC.

This unique and adorable turtle is a species of special concern in North Carolina, and generally threatened across its range, which extends in the narrow band of cordgrass saltmarshes from Cape Cod to Corpus Christi. We continue to develop this habitat (despite the insane risks of storms and flooding), making it harder for these turtles to find nesting sites. Additionally, these turtles like the same food as crabs, and easily get caught and drown in crab traps. The are also too tasty for their own good. Their apparently sweet meet was a delicacy, and overhunting lead to a range-wide population collapse in the 1920’s from which they’ve never fully recovered.

As part of the Terrapin Tally citizen science project, Jenny and I first had to attend an online training session. We conducted morning surveys on Friday and Sunday along fixed paddle routes of a couple miles (our Saturday route was rained out). We scanned the water along the edges of the marsh at high tide, looking for little turtle noses poking above the surface. We also diligently recorded crab traps—both those set correctly, hopefully with the required turtle excluders in place, and any abandoned pots that could result in entangled turtles. We then sent our data through a nifty survey app where it can be used by the scientists on the project.

The Terrapin Tally, a collaboration among several state and non-profit conservation organizations, is in its 11^th year. Over the course of 3 weekends, dozens of participants collect this same data at around 30 sites along the NC coast. Each year, more people like us get involved—allowing more surveys across more dates. Citizen science projects like this one and the firefly projects I mentioned in my last post are becoming increasingly common. More and more people want to get involved, and the threshold for participation is becoming easier with the use of apps and other technology. Additionally (and more cynically) as state and federal funding for conservation continues to be slashed, organizations are looking for ways to fill in the gaps that would normally be covered by staff scientists.

There are some definite drawbacks to the use of volunteers. The biggest problem is definitely data quality and consistency. Individuals are going to differ wildly in their ability to detect turtles on the landscape, because it’s pretty tricky. Counts may be too low, if folks are missing turtles, or too high if people are accidently turning bent blades of grass into turtle heads. Jenny and I definitely lost at “grass or turtle” a number of times before catching our mistakes! Additionally, volunteers are much more likely to not follow through or quit the project—It can be frustrating for staff to keep training volunteers, only to have them show up a couple of times and never again. Finally, the scope of citizen scientist projects can be somewhat limited. Volunteers generally aren’t going to be able to handle or manipulate the organism, especially if it’s a protected species. For instance, attaching radio transmitters or reintroducing species to a location must be done by professionals. While the data from this project may show where turtles are doing well and where they are in trouble, it alone can’t actually result in saving them.

That all being said, I think the benefits of citizen science far outweigh the down sides. There are so many species about which we just don’t know enough to make informed conservation decisions. Without data like we collected, it’s really hard to know if populations are increasing or decreasing, or what sorts of specific habitats the species frequents, or if an intervention, such as enforcing turtle-proof crab pot use in an area is effective. This information can and has helped inform conservation plans and even prevented developments in key locations. Plus, the more the public gets involved, the more people will take pride in their local environment and advocate for its conservation. And it’s just a super fun way to spend the weekend! Here’s some photos Jenny took of our time on the water.

We paddled next to bottlenose dolphins, found some cool bugs and plants on a quick beach stop, and watched least terns dive for fish. And we did manage to find three Carolina terrapins!