Documenting Sea turtle grazing in the seagrass meadows of Bermuda

The Department of Conservation Services will be undertaking a week long study of the grazing habits of Green Turtles feeding in the seagrass meadows on Bermuda’s reef platform. Both Green turtles and seagrass are listed under the Protected Species Act 2003 and it essential that we improve our understanding of this dynamic relationship in Bermuda.

If found please return to the Department of Conservation Services!The goals of the study are to estimate grazing intensity, diet and location of green turtles on the Bermuda Platform. As part of this study the Department of Conservation Services will be attaching small cameras to several turtles that will release after 24 hours. The cameras have a vhf transmitter attached to them and once the cameras release from the turtles they will float to the surface and be collected using a vhf receiver. The purpose for using the animal borne video camera is to confirm the food preferences of Bermuda’s green turtles. Each camera has contact information printed clearly on them.

The Department of Conservation Services asks that if anyone picks up one of the floating camera/vhf configurations to please contact Sarah Manuel the Marine Conservation Officer at the Department of Conservation Services – 441-299-2325 or smanuel@gov.bm.

Relocation aims to save endangered killifish

By Simon Jones

Bermuda Sun

Environmentalists have relocated a batch of unique killifish in a bid to save the endangered species.

A total of 49 fish were moved from Evan’s Pond in Southampton to a pond behind the 12th green at Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club.

New pond: Mark Outerbridge of the Bermuda Zoological Society releases killifish into a pond at Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club.

The move to embark on the on-island lifeboat project came after Killifish numbers in Evan’s Pond dropped significantly.

Biodiversity officer Alison Copeland told the Bermuda Sun that the Killifish species found in Evan’s Pond were extremely unique and could represent a third endemic species of the animal.

She said: “Evan’s Pond is no longer considered an optimal Killifish habitat.

“The pond is polluted from many years of road run-off and atmospheric deposition of petroleum hydrocarbons and metals from vehicles.

“This combined with possible predation by other fish may be contributing to a decline in killifish numbers.”

She added: “This is particularly troubling as genetic studies suggest that the Evan’s Pond population is significantly different from other ponds.

“The first genetic study was carried out in 2001, with a second study carried out last year.

“The results of the second study are still pending, but initial results indicate that the population is unique enough to make it a conservation priority.”

Earlier this summer Bermuda Zoological Society researchers Mark Outerbridge and Jamie Bacon removed 49 killifish from a school of about 300 that was seen around the mangrove roots of Evan’s Pond.

The captured fish were initially moved to the Aquarium for a couple of days before they were released into the pond at Riddell’s Bay golf course.

Ms Copeland added: “The pond at Riddell’s Bay has a similar salinity to Evan’s Pond, and since it was artificially created, and not near any major roads, it does not have a legacy of chemical pollution.

“The pond is deep and supports an abundant aquatic plant community, which will allow the fish to both spawn in and avoid predators such as herons.

“As it is currently killifish breeding season it is anticipated that the new Riddell’s Bay population will lay eggs this year, so hopefully several hundred fish will inhabit the pond by next year.

“Trapping will be undertaken in the summer of 2013 to estimate the population of the Riddell’s Bay pond.”

Killifish numbers have declined across the island as a result of destruction and modification of their habitat.

Previous Lifeboat projects, where fish have been moved from one location to another to protect the species, have proved successful in the past.

In the 1970s former government conservation officer Dr David Wingate successfully seeded the two man-made ponds on Nonsuch Island with killifish.

While in the 1980s a population of Lover’s Lake killifish was successfully established in the artificially created Bartram’s Pond in St. George’s,

In the 1990s killifish were transferred into a pond created within Blue Hole Park.

Dr Bacon said:  “We are extremely grateful to Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club for allowing us to use their pond as a lifeboat for the Evan’s Pond Killifish.

“We were able to save the Warwick Pond killifish population, which is now extinct in Warwick Pond, by relocating a small number of fish to the pond at WindReach.

“We hope that our relocating 49 of the Evan’s Pond killifish to the pond at Riddell’s Bay will prove just as successful and ensure the survival of this genetically unique population, which may represent a third endemic species of Killifish.”

 

Fact File: Killifish

• Killifish are euryhaline, meaning they can live in either fresh or saltwater, and are only found in a limited number of ponds scattered across the Bermuda

• They are omnivorous, feeding on small invertebrates, such as shrimp and insects, as well as plant material and pond sediment

• Female killifish lay their eggs one at a time over a period of several days in the summer

• The fry (baby killifish) hatch after a few weeks and can grow up to live for many years

• Males are smaller than females, more brightly coloured, and have a dark eyespot on their dorsal fin during the breeding season

• Most killifish average 6cm in length, although some have been found nearly 13 cm

• Killifish are a level two protected species under the Protected Species Amendment Act 2011.

This means that interfering with them can result in a year’s imprisonment or a fine of $15,000.

Critter cams aim to help our understanding of green turtle

By Simon Jones,

Bermuda Sun  

Small video cameras will be attached to green turtles as part of a conservation project to protect the species and its grazing habitat.

The pioneering programme will see American scientists join forces with local conservation experts to tag and monitor the feeding habits of the protected marine animal.

Close encounter: Footage from a critter cam that could help us better understand our green turtles

And it will give them a ‘turtle’s eye view’ of how the species interact in the waters off Bermuda.

American experts, Jim Fourqurean and Derek Burkholder from Florida International University will arrive on the island a week today and join a six strong team from the Department of Conservation Services.

They will be joined by a third US scientist, Jud Kenworthy, who recently retired from Nationals Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in North Carolina on August 1.

The team is planning to start the two-week project on July 30 at the Chub Head site, which is around seven miles off the West End.

The study will involve nine video cameras being tethered to the seabed, while a further three cameras will be attached to the back of green turtles that are captured.

The cameras will only be fixed to larger turtles and will pop up to the surface after less than a day in the water.

Marine Conservation Officer, Sarah Manuel, said: “For the past six years the Bermuda Benthic Habitat Mapping, Monitoring and Assessment Programme has been studying seagrass beds around Bermuda.

“At our Chub Head monitoring site we have looked specifically at the effects of grazing on the condition and health of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum.

“In order to adequately conserve both green turtles and their essential grazing habitat we need to improve our understanding of this dynamic relationship in Bermuda.”

The project will help scientists estimate turtle populations as well and monitor grazing habits.

Three turtles will also be fixed with satellite tracking devices that will last around 300 days during the programme.

Ms Manuel added: “We will be very conservative and careful with the size of the turtle that we choose to attach the cameras too.

“They will have to be over a certain size and we will always look after the animal’s best interests.

“If the green turtles at Chub Head are not large enough for the animal borne video we would like to attach the cameras to some of the larger green turtles caught as part of Bermuda Turtle
Project.

“This project is all about creating a better understanding of these creatures and helping to protect their future in Bermuda. We will use nets to capture the turtles in strict accordance with guidelines set down by the Bermuda Turtle Project.”

Slider terrapins are devastating pond ecosystems

By Simon Jones

Bermuda Sun 

 

Red-eared slider terrapins are native to the Mississippi River Basin of North America.

They were brought into Bermuda because they are commonly kept as pets.

Harmful: Red-eared slider terrapins are being dumped by pet-owners.

As a result of irresponsible pet ownership these terrapins can now be found in every freshwater or brackish pond on the island.

Conservation staff have also come across dead red-eared sliders that have perished after being dumped in saltwater pools where they cannot survive.

This species have been spotted in the polluted Pembroke Canal and are also found on golf courses.

Alison Copeland, bio diversity officer, said: “Most of the red-eared sliders in Bermuda’s parks and nature reserves were dumped their by pet owners who no longer wanted them.

“One slider added to a pond may not upset the ecology, but people have been adding their ‘one slider’ to Bermuda’s ponds for decades and now most ponds contain several hundred.

“If you release your pet, it will find a mate and be producing clutches of eggs in no time.

“If you no longer want your terrapin, make the responsible choice and have it put down by your veterinarian.”

The red-eared slider is listed as one of the world’s top 100 worst invasive species.

Ms Copeland added: “Red-eared sliders have devastating impacts on pond ecosystems because they eat almost anything including water plants, molluscs, insects and small fish.

“In Bermuda they eat the killifish  and the mosquito fish (Gambusia) which keep the mosquito numbers down.

“This has serious implications for human health because of mosquito-bourne disease and general wellbeing.

“The killifish are also endemic to Bermuda and endangered.”

Anyone who no longer wants their terrapin can bring it to the Department at Shorelands, across the road from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo in Flatts.

Feral chickens are destroying crops and habitats

By Simon Jones

Bermuda Sun News  FRIDAY, JUNE 15:

Conservationists say that the management of the feral chicken population is a “growing and island-wide issue”.

There are estimated to be around 30,000 chickens currently roaming Bermuda. Expanding population: There are an estimatesd 30,000 feral chickens in Bermuda and the number is growing.

They destroy habitats, crops and gardens and provide competition for native and endemic species.

These animals are also potential disease carriers that could impact human health.

Conservation Services director, Drew Pettit, said one hen can live for five to ten years and lay on average 48 chicks every year.   

He told the Bermuda Sun that the ever-expanding population was being supported by the public  feeding them in the wild as pets. Mr Pettit said: “A major milestone was reached when many chicken coops were destroyed in 1987 by Hurricane Emily.

Feral chickens are destroying habitats and crops such as tomatoes, while competing with native and endemic species for food.

“Since then the feral chicken population has grown significantly and can now be found in all major open spaces, golf courses, agricultural fields, residential, hotel and commercial properties.

“This year over 3,200 feral chickens have been destroyed in a seven-month period and while efforts continue to ramp up to tackle this problem, we are still seeing more and more infestations across the whole island .”

Under the Summary of Offenses Act 1926 it is illegal to allow poultry to roam off your property and offenders are liable for a substantial fine of $2,880.

Conservation Services says it supports the keeping of chicken as pets and for egg production but the animals must be responsibly cooped.

Ecosystem threatened by invasive species

Simon Jones

The Bermuda Sun

FRIDAY, JUNE 15:

Taking over: An invasive Indian Laurel tree engulfs a house. The huge root system of this plant can be extremely damaging to buildings and stonework and it is considered a threat to Bermuda's buildings as well as the natural environment. Bermuda’s delicate ecosystem is being threatened by rising numbers of invasive species, conservationists have warned.

Rabbits and guinea pigs are ‘running amok’ in some national parks because irresponsible pet owners have simply released the creatures instead of trying to re-home them.

While the feral chicken population continues to rocket and has barely been dented by the culling of  3,200 animals in the last six months.

Drew Pettit, director of Conservation Services, told the Bermuda Sun that non-native plants were also displacing endemic species and dramatically impacting the island’s bio diversity.

He said: “More and more the Department of Conservation Services is receiving calls or seeing dumped pets running wild in our nature reserves and parks.

“They range from guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, chickens and red-eared slider terrapins.

Barely surviving

“None of these animals have any predators and as such are either breeding and feeding uncontrollably or are barely surviving.”  

Bermuda is home to nearly a quarter of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s top 100 worst invasive alien species, including the red-eared slider terrapin, Kudzu vine, and Brazilian pepper tree.

And the island is reported to be the worst Overseas Territory when it comes to invasive species.

Mr Pettit added: “Invasive species are the greatest threat to Bermuda’s biodiversity, especially protected native and endemic species.

“Bermuda’s habitats have become increasingly impacted by a number of aggressive invasive species that were originally imported for horticultural or agricultural reasons or for the pet trade

“They have since escaped their intended locations and begun breeding or self seeding rapidly in the wild.

“With no natural predators and the ability to reproduce quickly invasive species prey on endemic and native animals and compete for food and habitat.

“This further decreases the already low numbers of indigenous species and diminishes their chances for survival.”

Conservationists and government officials are currently looking at new policies as well as legislation to tackle the rising tide of invasive plants and animals on the island.

Bio diversity officer Alison Copeland added: “Where eradication is not possible, control and management are attempted.

“To make the recovery of protected native and endemic species possible, the threat posed by invasive species must be addressed.

“Bermuda is particularly vulnerable to the introduction of invasive species through our importation of food and other consumer products.

“These shipments can inadvertently introduce dangerous species into our environment.

“Additionally, people smuggling plants, animals, seeds or fruit back from their vacations could accidentally introduce an invasive species that will seriously damage Bermuda’s environment.

“Irresponsible pet ownership is also ensuring that an ever increasing variety of animals are making their way into Bermuda’s habitats.”

 

 

Our invasive species

Bermuda is home to 24 species from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of the world’s top 100 worst invasive species.

They include:

  • Caulerpa seaweed
  • Water hyacinth
  • African tulip tree (not invasive in Bermuda)
  • Brazilian Pepper tree
  • Erect prickly pear (native and not invasive in Bermuda)
  • Giant reed
  • Kudzu
  • Lantana
  • Shoebutton ardisia
  • Strawberry guava
  • Wedelia (seaside creeping daisy)
  • Golden apple snail
  • Argentine ant
  • Big-headed ant
  • Rosy wolf snail
  • Cane toad (not a serious problem in Bermuda)
  • Starling
  • Red-eared slider
  • Domestic cat
  • Goat
  • Mouse
  • Pig
  • Rabbit
  • Ship rat

'Lifeboat' project aims to save our endemics

Simon Jones
The Bermuda Sun News

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25:

This September, six pairs of Bermuda skinks will be collected from one of their last strongholds in CastleGreen team: The conservationists behind Bermuda’s Lifeboat Projects (clockwise from left) Drew Pettit, Director of Conservation Services; Dr Robbie Smith, curator at the Natural History Museum; Robin Marirea, head zoo keeper; Alison Copeland, biodiversity officer and Mark Outerbridge, researcher for the Bermuda Zoological Society. *Photo by Kageaki Smith Harbour.

The critically endangered rock lizards will be carefully loaded onto a plane and flown to Chester Zoo in the UK.

Their mission is simple: to secure the future of Bermuda’s only indigenous land vertebrate.

The Bermuda skink project is the latest in a series of ‘Lifeboat’ initiatives organized by conservationists in Bermuda to safeguard the island’s rarest and most endangered species.

Over the past 10 years it has seen killifish sent to the Vienna Zoological Gardens, Bermuda land snails sent to London Zoo and the Governor Laffan fern sent to Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha.

This work has helped to create ‘repositories’ of Bermudian species on the brink of extinction across the globe.

And it means they could be brought back to Bermuda if the natural population died out.

Drew Pettit, Director of Conservation Services, said: “Bermuda is one of the remotest oceanic islands in the world.

“As a result we have had quite a few endemic species ranging from insects, marine animals through to birds and reptiles.

Vulnerable

“We should have more endemics, given our age and isolation but we believe a series of sea level fluctuations through the ages has stemmed some of this evolution.

“Regardless of that, we are particularly vulnerable due to physical isolation and having all our eggs in one basket.”

In the past there have been many recorded extinctions of plants and animals in Bermuda due to loss of habitat, climate change, disease and the introduction of pests such as rats.

Mr Pettit added: “We know through fossils, historical documents and recorded observations that Bermuda used to have fireflies, an endemic flightless grasshopper, an endemic duck, an endemic crane, an endemic hawk as well as an endemic land tortoise — which disappeared some 300,000 years ago.

“We also used to have four types of endemic snail, while now we only have one.

“Fossils of a short tailed albatross are found on Green Island, Coopers Island and other dunes along South Shore.”

The Department of Conservation Services, together with the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo and its small team of Conservation Officers, has been working on developing ‘recovery plans’ and Lifeboat Projects since 2002.

There are currently five different projects ongoing, at varying stages in Bermuda.

Mr Pettit told the Sun: “A lifeboat can be defined as a small boat kept on a ship for use in anRare: The latest Lifeboat Project will see a number of critically endangered Bermuda skinks collected from Castle Harbour and flown to Chester Zoo in the UK to help secure their future. emergency.

“This same philosophy is being used for the conservation of our unique and threatened species.

“While every effort is being made to safeguard the species that make Bermuda unique, we are using a precautionary strategy to relocate or export small populations of our threatened species to less vulnerable areas or institutions.

“Our first priority is to ensure the survival of endemic species, which are unique to Bermuda.

“Once they are gone they are gone, as they are found nowhere else in the world. You can’t just bring in a new batch to restock the shelves.”

Conservationists work at both a local and an international level to help protect the island’s most endangered species.

Mr Pettit added: “On a local level – we transplant or relocate small populations from one particularly vulnerable area to other areas in order to increase the island range by spreading the risk out across the island.

High risk

“The Department has found that many of our endemic species have now been pushed into only a couple of places which are at high risk of failure.

“A good example is the endemic Lover’s Lake Killifish which until recently survived in only one pond.

“Now populations have been trans-located to two other ponds to safeguard their survival.

“On an international level we also work with international Zoos and Botanical Gardens who are willing to help us preserve and breed these species.

“In return they get to display in their institutions some of the rarest species in the world. 

“So working with other international agencies Bermuda, at no cost to the island, has been able to save small populations of species for the future.”

“Our endemic species make us unique to the rest of the world and by preserving our unique species we combat a growing trend in the decline the world’s biodiversity which is seeing the disappearance of large numbers of species.”

The next chapter in the ongoing battle to save Bermuda’s unique population begins with the departure of the Bermuda skinks later this year.

It is estimated that there are less than 5,000 of these critically endangered species in Bermuda today.

They are found only on islets in Castle Harbour and there are a few fragmented populations along South Shore.

The kink is Bermuda’s only endemic terrestrial vertebrate. Its future survival will depend heavily on the six rock lizards heading across the Atlantic Ocean.

Mr Pettit added: “Our head zoo keeper has already visited the facilities at Chester Zoo with the help of an international grant.

“Once they are established we will periodically send over more Skinks to broaden their genetic diversity.

“We hope that this lifeboat project will prove successful, as others before it have.”

If you think you have seen any of the species listed in this article email conservation@gov.bm or visit www.conservation.bm to leave a message.

 

Related Stories:
• Lifeboat project: Seeds sent away for safeguarding
• Lifeboat project: Fern could have become extinct
• Lifeboat Project: Killifish distributed to breeders
• Lifeboat project: Land snail project was a success