Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head!

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The Lighthouse Center in Waretown, NJ has recently been hit with several substantial rainstorms. During the most recent storm, there was quite a bit of flooding and a tree actually toppled over on to the roof of the dining hall! The fearless groundskeeper, Pola Galie, snapped a few pictures of the damage. Although our summer home may not be in perfect condition right now, I have no doubt we will be back in business by mid-June and completely ready for our first Earthwatch team!

Abby's visual ecology research

To contact us Click HERE
Hello terrapin enthusiasts!

Wow, so much has happened this year, I don't even know where to start!

First of all, the Drexel terrapin crew went to Chauvin, LA in November to present our research findings at the diamondback terrapin working group symposium on the ecology, status, and conservation of the diamondback terrapin. We learned a great deal about other kinds of studies being conducted on the terrapin; most of all though, we learned how much we still don't know about the terrapin, and more research is necessary to gain a greater understanding.

Over the Summer of 2010 I collected over 500 reflectance spectra from more than 60 individual terrapins. From these data I have been able to compare coloration within and among individuals, as well as model the visual system of the terrapin. From these analyses and from previous research on turtle vision, I speculate that terrapins have tetrachormatic vision (UV, blue, green, red), and communicate across all color channels, especially in the UV. Intra- and inter-specific signaling in the UV has been documented in flower-pollinator relationships as well as a signal communicating fitness to potential mates (e.g. birds, jumping spiders, ocellated lizards).


In addition to the vision modeling, I have processed most of my blood and tissue samples. I hope to finish these up and send them out for genotyping so I can correlate possible differences in reproductive success with differences in phenotype (coloration). If UV patterning or coloration is a signal of fitness in the terrapin, then I may find that terrapins with a brighter UV signal may have higher reproductive success.

On top of all this, last March I completed my written candidacy exam, and on April 12 completed my oral exam to become a PhD candidate! Now that I am a candidate, the work has really started!

This Summer I hope to gather more reflectance spectra data, blood samples and hatchling tissue samples for genotyping, as well as design a system for measuring in situ underwater irradiance. But the only way this can be done is if you sign up to become an Earthwatch volunteer! Not only will you help me collect data to elucidate the visual ecology of the terrapin, you will get to join one of the research staff everyday to collect, track, and release terrapins. Some weeks we collect almost 100 terrapins! That's a lot of processing...so come sign up and help us out!

Sandy's Effects

To contact us Click HERE
Super storm Sandy has been devastating across the entire coastline of New Jersey.  We know that there has been damage to diamondback terrapin nesting areas, and shifting of sands may even become new nesting areas.  However, our study sites along the mainland part of Barnegat Bay (Forsythe Refuge) have held up.  The same is true for North Sedge Island (destruction to the docks), but the structures held up.  Reports from Kathy Lacey is that the northern parts of LBI (Barnegat Light) have also withstood the devastation.  Island Beach State Park Manager Ray Bukowski, brought terrapins to MATES to care for that were from the Nature Center at the Park.  There will be more to follow as we assess the damage personally, and in terms of terrapin habitats. 

I'm On The Huffington Post!

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photo: aaronyoungphotography.com


Although it’s been a while since Iblogged here, I have been busy writing. One of my goals for this year was to have a posting published on TheHuffington Post and I’m thrilled to say that this month I became a blogger inthe Weddings Section!
The post is titled:  The Two Most Common Lies Couples Buy Into When Planning Their Wedding
Enjoy!
I recently met with a couple tofinalize their ceremony.  When I askedhow they were doing, Meredith, the bride, sighed, “Well, we’re not as happy as when we first met you.  We’re just so tired of dealing withpeople––we want it to be over!”
You don’t need me to tell you thatplanning a wedding is a wild, wacky emotional roller coaster ride.  But here’s the thing about emotions.  Emotions can either allow us to react topeople and situations in a healthy way OR they can trip us up and cause us tosabotage our relationships and plans. 
What we “think” influences what we “feel.”
Emotions that prevent us fromacting in a way that is in our own best interest are grounded in some veryirrational thoughts—lies––we play so often in our heads that we simply acceptthem as true, even though they’re not.    
There are two common “lies” couplestell themselves while stressing with wedding planning.  Buy into them and your emotions quickly getout of whack.Continue reading. . .

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head!

To contact us Click HERE

The Lighthouse Center in Waretown, NJ has recently been hit with several substantial rainstorms. During the most recent storm, there was quite a bit of flooding and a tree actually toppled over on to the roof of the dining hall! The fearless groundskeeper, Pola Galie, snapped a few pictures of the damage. Although our summer home may not be in perfect condition right now, I have no doubt we will be back in business by mid-June and completely ready for our first Earthwatch team!

Abby's visual ecology research

To contact us Click HERE
Hello terrapin enthusiasts!

Wow, so much has happened this year, I don't even know where to start!

First of all, the Drexel terrapin crew went to Chauvin, LA in November to present our research findings at the diamondback terrapin working group symposium on the ecology, status, and conservation of the diamondback terrapin. We learned a great deal about other kinds of studies being conducted on the terrapin; most of all though, we learned how much we still don't know about the terrapin, and more research is necessary to gain a greater understanding.

Over the Summer of 2010 I collected over 500 reflectance spectra from more than 60 individual terrapins. From these data I have been able to compare coloration within and among individuals, as well as model the visual system of the terrapin. From these analyses and from previous research on turtle vision, I speculate that terrapins have tetrachormatic vision (UV, blue, green, red), and communicate across all color channels, especially in the UV. Intra- and inter-specific signaling in the UV has been documented in flower-pollinator relationships as well as a signal communicating fitness to potential mates (e.g. birds, jumping spiders, ocellated lizards).


In addition to the vision modeling, I have processed most of my blood and tissue samples. I hope to finish these up and send them out for genotyping so I can correlate possible differences in reproductive success with differences in phenotype (coloration). If UV patterning or coloration is a signal of fitness in the terrapin, then I may find that terrapins with a brighter UV signal may have higher reproductive success.

On top of all this, last March I completed my written candidacy exam, and on April 12 completed my oral exam to become a PhD candidate! Now that I am a candidate, the work has really started!

This Summer I hope to gather more reflectance spectra data, blood samples and hatchling tissue samples for genotyping, as well as design a system for measuring in situ underwater irradiance. But the only way this can be done is if you sign up to become an Earthwatch volunteer! Not only will you help me collect data to elucidate the visual ecology of the terrapin, you will get to join one of the research staff everyday to collect, track, and release terrapins. Some weeks we collect almost 100 terrapins! That's a lot of processing...so come sign up and help us out!

Sandy's Effects

To contact us Click HERE
Super storm Sandy has been devastating across the entire coastline of New Jersey.  We know that there has been damage to diamondback terrapin nesting areas, and shifting of sands may even become new nesting areas.  However, our study sites along the mainland part of Barnegat Bay (Forsythe Refuge) have held up.  The same is true for North Sedge Island (destruction to the docks), but the structures held up.  Reports from Kathy Lacey is that the northern parts of LBI (Barnegat Light) have also withstood the devastation.  Island Beach State Park Manager Ray Bukowski, brought terrapins to MATES to care for that were from the Nature Center at the Park.  There will be more to follow as we assess the damage personally, and in terms of terrapin habitats.