In 2005, we began searching for evidence that they might exist in Escambia County and they do. The next question is how many and are those populations stable. To do this we train volunteers to conduct beach surveys looking for sign of nesting and heads in the water. Tracks and depredated nests (those dug up by predators) are the most common sign found. Volunteer training occurs in March with surveys beginning in April. The surveys involve walking beaches and, at times, paddling lagoons for about 2 hours/survey. We hope to survey each location three times a week and with enough volunteers, this effort can be spread amongst the group.
Program name
Florida Sea Grant
Location
selected beaches across the Florida panhandle
State
Florida
Purpose
Diamondback terrapins are a flagship species for coastal salt marshes. In the attempt to assess health of estuaries, Florida Sea Grant seeks volunteers to help monitor selected beaches across the Florida panhandle for the presence of these animals.
Partners
U.S. Geological Survey
Project Topics
Species Monitoring/Conservation/Phenology
Project Website
