From Aug. 8 to Aug. 16, Mahony joined seven other Earthwatch volunteers from the United States, Japan and Mexico for the “Diamondback Terrapins of Barnegat Bay” project. The research team was led by Dr. Harold Avery of Drexel University.
“I gained a deep appreciation for New Jersey’s terrapins, along with a greater understanding of an estuarine ecosystem. I am impressed by the research many dedicated scientists are currently working on in the Barnegat Bay area. I am enthusiastic about sharing the research process and the knowledge I gained with my students,” said Mahony.
Diamondback terrapins, the only turtles that inhabit brackish water, are a keystone species in the estuarine food chain and a good indicator species of habitat degradation because they require aquatic and terrestrial areas to complete their life cycle. Terrapins face threats from the development of coastal areas, loss of nesting habitats and filling in of the salt marsh. Many terrapins perish in crab pots or suffer injury from motorboats and automobiles. Terrapins have beautiful patterns and colorations on their skin and shells, ranging from deep black to brown, green and blue.
The Earthwatch volunteers assisted in measuring and marking turtles, monitoring hatchling production and trapping, tracking and releasing turtles. The scientific information gathered will be used to better manage the Barnegat Bay Estuary.
“Watching the hatchlings emerge from their eggs and nests was awe-inspiring,” said Mahony. “Then again, the mature terrapins, having beaten the one in a hundred odds to make it to adulthood, command their own respect.”
Earthwatch (earthwatch.org), is an environmental non-profit organization. Its mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.