Wednesday 9/14/22 Nest #25 (aka PN#6)

 The morning was absolutely beautiful!  Couldn't ask for better weather.  Overcast, cool, no bugs, very few tracks (could be the result of last nights wind).

  We gathered at the beach to walked up to MM 6 to do the inventory.  Theresa and Bill checked the two remaining nests at opposite ends of the island.

 Leslie P.  points out and talks to the students about the nests/possible nest

as we walked up the beach for our inventory.

Nest #25 (aka PN#6) was eventually laid just above MM6 high in the dune after crawling up and down both the front and behind the dune 3 times.  Tracks eventually disappeared.  After probing three separate areas on top of the dunes, one area was promising, but the eggs couldn't be found. The area was labled PN#6 (possible nest #6)

Opening up the nest.

Students formed a line to pass the egg shells down to the sorters.

Once the students reached the nest, the eggs shells came up fast.

They found two unhatched eggs in the nest.

They sorted through the sand to make sure they had all the eggs shells

It was 24" to the bottom of the nest.

Leslie P. showed the students at the bottom how to sort.

Nest results: Hatched - 90; Unhatched - 2; Dead - 0; Live - 0; 98.7% Hatching/Emergence.

We opened one of the unhatched eggs and found a fully formed dead hatchling.  This gave us an opportunity to talk about why the hatchlings stay in the nest for three days after emerging from the shells.  We pointed out the egg sack that needs to be absorbed so that they have enough energy to make it to the Sargassum Grass. We talked about the turtle's shell that opened up during that time. 

Because our nest was not found at the time it was laid, we took the DNA Sample

Leslie Y. was our recorder.

With the help of Leslie P., other LOA's, other team members and the students from the CCU Turtle Club, and our visitor,  all went smoothly.   

Team work, and the end of another beautiful morning!

Thank you Bill and Erin for the pictures.