Researchers Collaborate To Create Mechanism Designed To Reduce Malaclemys Terrapin Fatalities
Georgia is home to a beautiful yet gravely threatened turtle species known as the Malaclemys terrapin. Unfortunately, roadkills are to blame for their steady decline for many years; however, a group of University of Georgia researchers decided to discover a solution to this urgent issue. Led by Brian Crawford, a post doctoral researcher, this group engineered a barrier to protect these turtles from crossing the Jekyll Island Causeway, particularly in one spot where fatalities were most prominent. This invention was highly successful, reducing roadkills by a shocking 58%. In addition to the barrier, sand piles were also erected to create an ideal nesting habitat for the terrapins. Mechanisms to deter predators and crossing signs with warning lights were other extremely beneficial assets to the project’s success. Crawford believes that it is critical to begin working to conserve declining species like the Malaclemys terrapin, which are not yet considered endangered, before they are reduced to a state of emergency, and this project is one example of this type of conservation in action.
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Photo from Clara S..
