Diamondback terrapins are the only brackish water turtles in the United States. They prefer salt marshes and can be used as an indicator of the health of our bay. To that end Sea Grant Agent Rick O’Connor provides training on how to monitor our bay for the occurrence of this neat creature, and coordinates the surveys.

Terrapin surveys require visiting a estuarine location where terrapin nesting is highly probable and searching for tracks, depredated nests, and the turtles themselves. Surveys are conducted during the months of late April, May, and June. We would like to make 3 surveys a week at selected beaches. Working in teams, volunteers are not task to making each of these – and we can certainly work with everyone’s schedules.

The training for this year’s surveys will be held on April 11, 2016. There will be 3 trainings

9:00 AM in Perdido

11:00 AM at the Escambia County Extension Office

2:00 PM at the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center

If you are interested in participating contact Rick O’Connor at 475-5230 (roc1@ufl.edu)

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