Critter Talk #4, 07.indd - Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo
Transcription
Critter Talk #4, 07.indd - Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo
Sea Turtle Fibropapillomatosis! Quarterly Magazine of the Bermuda Zoological Society & Atlantic Conservation Partnership “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” CONTENTS “Over here” shouted the snorkeller to her dive buddy. They were in fifteen feet of clear blue water and she was diving down to pull a small green sea turtle from the capture net to bring it safely to the surface. Two hundred yards away the catch boat tender heard the shout and throttled up the engine bringing the boat directly towards the pair of swimmers and their ‘charge’. Together the team quickly prepared to pull the turtle from the water to place it carefully in the boat. Ordinarily, this was a non-event for the Bermuda Turtle Project. It was not uncommon to get multiple turtles on one ‘set’ of the net which then had to be tagged, physically examined, weighed, measured and blood sampled for genetic work. However, in this instance, it was immediately noted that the turtle had a problem that had potentially serious implications for Bermuda. During the 1980s a previously described but uncommon disease of sea turtles started to increase in prevalence in both Florida and Hawaii, to the point that more than fifty percent of certain populations were affected. The disease manifested itself by multiple benign skin tumours affecting the eyes, skin and internal organs of the turtles. Turtles with advanced stages of the 1 Fibropapillomatosis! 3 Zoobilee 4 Aquarium News 6 Museum News 8 Zoo News 10 Volunteers 11 New Members 12 Education 14 Bermuda Natural History News 16 Zoobilee Cont. 18 Enviro Chat 19 Gift Shop Goodies 20 Membership Sign Up Volume 30 Number 4 • 2007 $1 Fibropapilloma tumour on sea turtle’s eye. Its right eye had a similar tumour on it also. These tumours can grow so large as to obscure the sight of the turtle completely. “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” 1 disease often presented as being very thin, depressed and weak. They often could not float properly because of the large fibrous tumours and because their eyes were often affected they became effectively blind. Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York for histopathology and viral isolation. Dr. Herbst has been one of the key people investigating this disease and was extremely interested in this case because of the histopathology confirmed the disease to be sea turtle fibropapillomatosis and initial DNA analysis of the herpes virus showed a Florida ‘strain’. This is the first sea turtle caught in Bermuda waters to have been positively identified with this disease, in thirty years of looking and over 2,500 tagged sea turtles. The future health of sea turtles in Bermuda is not clear; only time will tell if this is a one-off case or whether it is the start of an epidemic. What is clear is that continued vigilance and monitoring by the Bermuda Turtle Project and general public is necessary. Despite intensive research, the cause and spread of the disease is not fully understood. A herpes virus has been found associated with the tumours and is strongly suspected to be the causal agent Dr. Ian Walker Curator, but this has yet Aquarium & Zoo to be proven. Work continues on isolating and purifying the herpes virus, determining the vector that spreads the disease For more information go to: Multiple skin tumours on the right shoulder and neck. and for developing http://sacs.vetmed.ufl.edu/Services/ ZooMed/stf.htm diagnostic tests so it geographical location, the early can quickly be determined in the field. stage of FP presentation and the young age of the animal. Back in Bermuda, the team on board the tender suspected sea turtle The Bermuda Turtle Project fibropapillomatosis (FP) and the FP has been on the lookout for contingency plan was put into place. this disease for many years. The turtle and its handlers were Bermuda’s green sea turtles sent to the net boat, where all were typically hatch and come from disinfected with a mild Clorox™ beaches in the Caribbean and solution. Immediately isolating the Central America. They migrate turtle may help to prevent potential north using the Gulf Stream and infection of other turtles captured by after a period living in the open the team. The turtle was transported oceans of the Sargasso Sea they to land and taken immediately to eventually end up on the sea a local animal hospital and housed grass beds in Bermuda where in a salt water tank well away from they spend their juvenile and any marine animals. After speaking teenage years. Given that the with experts who have dealt with this Caribbean has seen increased disease for many years, the sea turtle incidence of this disease since was humanely euthanized and a full X-ray of turtle’s body the 1980s, we considered ourselves necropsy (autopsy) was performed. showing no obvious internal masses. lucky to have escaped its wrath. Last Tissues samples from the tumours Photos: Ian Walker month, our fears were realized; the were sent to Dr. Larry Herbst at the 2 “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” After twelve months of planning, four months of team meetings, and a lot of late nights our September 22 event, “Zoobilee: All Aboard for an Island Tour” was a fantastic hit! A big “Thank You” must go to all those who helped to make it a huge success. SPONSORS Trunk Island Bank of Bermuda Foundation Nonsuch Island Marshall, Diel & Myers Coney Island BTC Safeguard Security Group Hiscox Bermuda XL Foundation PATRONS Jim & Lolly Burnett-Herkes Robert J. Baron John & Debbie Burville James & Judy Gibbons Neville & Jean Conyers Jim & Kristin Gould Michael & Sheila Gringley Chris Malpas, Butterfield Bank Neil Burnie Turtle Island Tom & Betty Mahoney Gibbet Island Ken & Marg Hammond E. C. O’D Mclaughin Redshank Island Ian & Carole Havercroft Paul Shapiro & Rosemary Jones Our Celebrity Chefs Barry Cohen, Fairmont Southampton Bill & Sandra Scott Glenn & Susan Titterton Alan & Susan Titus Wilbert & Romelle Warner Claudine Wilson Richard & Mary Winchell Wakefield Quin Jean-Claude Garzia, Lemon Tree Café The Music Makers Keith Caisey and his Brazilian Drummers Kelvin Cruickshank “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” Ray Pasnen Tom Ray 3 aquarium news Longtail Rehabilitation: An Intern’s Perspective Having grown up in New England, when someone mentions seabirds I think of the spoiled, badtempered gulls that stalk the shores of the East Coast. In fact, one of my most poignant childhood memories involves watching helplessly as one of these aggresive birds stole my two-yearold brother’s entire hotdog right out of his hands while he tried to feed the gull some bread. I still remember the shocked look on his chubby face as he experienced his first betrayal. Here in Bermuda, the iconic longtail provides a far more graceful and beautiful image of a seabird. As head aquarist Patrick Talbot’s intern, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with a few of these birds as they arrived at the BAMZ doorstep for rehabilitation. The research programme and rehabilitation of whitetailed tropicbirds are two of the less visible yet highly successful functions of the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo. The Bermuda Longtail Project, organized and implemented by Patrick, involves valuable research on the breeding success of the longtail, about which not much is known. The rehabilitation of injured or fledgling longtails (that have prematurely left the nest) supplements this research, as well as provides the opportunity for banding and tracking the birds. 4 Patrick has amassed a large quantity of data which spans several years and involves over three hundred nests. He regularly risks life and limb in order to collect this data due to the location of these nests, often deep in crumbly limestone cliff cavities. However, back at BAMZ, I regularly risk the wellbeing of my fingers as I attempt to weigh, measure, and feed the sometimes ferocious rehab chicks. Twice a day I take a deep breath and sneak my hand into our makeshift nests (usually large plastic boxes filled with sand), and attempt to scoop the baby longtail into my hand before it can whip its head around and close its beak onto the fleshiest parts of my fingers. If this doesn’t work, I can try the less elegant (and less used) strategy of pinning the bird down with one hand and shoving my other hand underneath it while the whole Aquarium echoes with ear-splitting screeches. Once I have the longtail securely in my hands, the next challenge necessitates that I make the bird sit still on the scale while I take a weight measurement using an archaic triple-beam scale. Some of the calmer chicks, often the veterans, will sit and chirp amiably without supervision while I take their measurements and clean their nests. However, the newcomer or the rare ‘fiend’ will scream and flap its wings tirelessly while I try not to lose my grip, creating a cloud of dust and mites. Once in a while, a bird will escape its caretaker and flap around the Aquarium, sometimes even landing in a tank. Naturally, this results in widespread terror among our “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” aquarium news fish. Next, I feed the chicks, which goes smoothly enough when the chicks are willing to eat. But when a chick refuses to eat and runs the risk of starvation, I have the job of grabbing its beak and forcing the squid down its throat. You can imagine how this goes over. However, once a chick has recovered and the time comes for it to be released into the wild, the sense of satisfaction I feel seems worth all the flesh missing from my fingers. We take the fullyfledged longtail to the cliffs of Nonsuch Island, hold it facing the sea, and impart some final words of encouragement. At this moment, the chick has its first view of the vast ocean; it flaps its wings in anticipation and then launches into the blue. Some end up back in the ocean…so we keep them for a few more days and then try again, but most soar into the sky and disappear. Like humans, longtails love calimari for dinner! The Longtail Project gives a second chance to birds that might otherwise drown, and helps increase the population. In this way, the Project allows Patrick, the BAMZ staff, and the army of interns like me to contribute to the success of these beautiful yet threatened birds, ensuring their continuing status as Bermuda’s avian icon. Julie Sayre Aquarist Intern Preparing for take-off from a Bermuda rooftop! Photos: Patrick Talbot “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” 5 museum news Green darner wave This summer there were two waves of the green darner (Anax junius) in Bermuda – the first on August 14 and 15 and the second on September 1 and 2, both following several windy days. I was privileged to see them flying over Tobacco Bay, the St. George’s Golf Course and around my house. There were so many of them, and they are quite large (from 2.5 to 3.3 inches in length), that they looked like a large flock of tiny birds. I knew that dragonflies and damselflies migrated through Bermuda but I had never seen anything like this before! And I wasn’t alone; reports of large numbers of dragonflies came in from one end of the island to the other! In the local literature there are several mentions of waves of dragonflies. Dr. Walwyn Hughes reported influxes of two species in August, 1964, and the globe-skimmer (Pantala flaveiscens) in September 1971, following the passage of a weak cold front, and David Wingate wrote of an influx after Hurricane Felix in August, 1995. 6 There is much general information available about dragonflies and the green darner, but for the local slant on the phenomenon, I turned to David Wingate: “Green darners are one of the largest migratory dragonflies in North America and, along with about five other species, they occur in Bermuda as both fall* and spring migrants but usually, distributed over Bermuda but they tend to cluster in certain areas, presumably where they are getting small eye flies or other insects, possibly mosquitoes. Certainly they are well known to eat things like that but there are a lot of other insects they could get, usually insects that are too small for us to see. mostly in the fall at the end of the summer. Their occurrences in waves following cold fronts is the result of them being blown to Bermuda in the cold northwest or northeast winds after a cold front has come through in the fall and suddenly, either over marshes or hilltops you will see large clusters of them, up to one hundred to two hundred at a time – buzzing around in quite concentrated groups. They are not universally The green darners will mate and lay eggs in the freshwater ponds** as they come through Bermuda, and then in a few days they are all gone. In the fall we’ll sometimes get a hatch of the green darners but by the winter they also have migrated south. In that way, they seem to be like the North American monarch population; they breed as they move south and then subsequent generations keep moving south. These waves are spectacular things – there will be no dragonflies and all of a sudden there will be thousands all over the island. The two waves so far this fall* struck me as the largest influxes of the green darner that I have seen in many a year. That second one was definitely “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” the largest influx of that species I have even seen. I have seen larger flights of the wandering glider (Pantala flaveiscens) but green darner….you usually see a fair number but not hundreds. I was at Fort Scaur that first weekend in September and I estimated, conservatively, two hundred and fifty to three hundred just on that hilltop but it could have been thousands. The saddlebag dragonflies are two other species that occur regularly in Bermuda but in smaller numbers. You usually only find them over the freshwater ponds where they can concentrate. They are easily recognized - they have either red patches on the base of the hind wing or black patches on the base of the hind wing. The black saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) and the red saddlebags (Tramea carolina) which are much less common, occur in waves – and usually in the bigger waves of dragonflies you will see a few of those too.” Lisa Greene Collections Officer * The fall migration refers to a time frame when birds are migrating south. It usually begins in July with the shorebirds and continues in August with most other species. ** Dragonflies and their nymphs contribute to a pond’s biodiversity where they are voracious predators of other animals and, in turn, are prey for things like the green heron and other species of heron too. Photo: BAMZ Collection museum news BAMZ Library – Fully Automated! Over the past twelve months the library staff and our dedicated volunteer Ken Morris have been working tirelessly to transfer all of our books from our old card catalogue system to our electronic catalogue. Our electronic catalogue has been in existence for a number of years but only books purchased after 1994 had been added. We decided it would be well worth the time and effort required to have a comprehensive, searchable electronic book database in the library. We knew this project was going to take a great number of hours as there were over 2500 books to be added, so we asked our long-time volunteer Ken hard at work Ken Morris if he would be willing to help us. Ken, as always, was keen to help in any way he could and we decided he would dedicate his volunteer hours exclusively to the project. Now, here we are twelve months on and the project is complete. We can now search for books by subject, title, author or whatever little information we have, at the touch of a button. Best of all, we are able to provide a quicker and more efficient service to our patrons. Thanks again to Ken for his dedication to such a monotonous task and for donating so many volunteer hours to this project. Also, thank you to our assistant librarian, Margaret Emmott, for fitting an additional project into her busy schedule! Alison Green Librarian “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” 7 zoo news GALAPAGOS TORTOISES Galapagos tortoises (Geochelone nigra) originate on the Pacific islands of the Galapagos Archipelago and are one of the largest living tortoise species in the world. These tortoises can be further broken down into probably thirteen species of tortoise of which only eleven survive today. The shell or carapace of a tortoise is formed of bone with the external plates fused to the skeleton of the reptile to form a strong defensive structure. A tortoise that feels threatened will retract its head and pull back its front legs to put the large scales on the legs as a shield against the outside world. The carapace shape of the tortoises corresponds to the habitat they are found in. Larger islands with more wet highlands and lush vegetation near the ground have tortoises with ‘dome-back’ shells such as the ones at BAMZ. These tortoises have restricted upward head movement due to shorter necks, they also have shorter limbs. They are, however, the larger and heavier subspecies of BAMZ tortoises, Crooked Nose and Sally, socializing with one another Galapagos tortoise. Smaller, drier islands tend to have tortoises with ‘saddle-back’ shells comprising of a carapace elevated above the neck and flared around the back legs, they also have longer and thinner limbs. The tortoises do not have to be of either type as there are intermediate variations with characteristics of both these extremes. In all species the male has a concave undershell to aide in mating and is larger than a female of comparable age. Tortoises are herbivores with a diet in the wild consisting of cactus, grasses, vines, leaves, and fruit. Some of their diet consists of plants that are toxic to humans such as the poison apple, yet it is one of their favourites along with fresh young grass and an endemic guava. Most of the moisture the tortoises require comes from dew and sap of the foods they eat, but they can survive long periods without liquids by breaking down the body fats already in their system. Although capable of withstanding drought tortoises seem to enjoy drinking and wallowing in water. Tortoises being reptiles are cold-blooded and usually bask for two hours after dawn gaining energy through their shell before being active for eight to nine hours. They tend to sleep in mud wallows, pools or a pallet (a snug depression in soft ground or dense brush) for up to sixteen hours. John Glynn Zookeeper 8 Shirley Temple, child star of the 1930s and ’40s, riding a tortoise at BAMZ Top photo: John Glynn, lower photo: “Bermuda Vacation” by Ruth Houston Joor “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” zoo news Moving Our Tortoise to the door and checked he was slightly wider than the The care and maintenance of animals in the Zoo frame. This required lifting him on an angle while going requires that we have the ability to transport them to the through doors, and stops when Crooked Nose stuck his vets for check-ups and to keep track of their weight. The front legs out in protest at being carried. The positive of larger animals in the Zoo such this was that once inside the practice we as our Galapagos tortoise knew that he couldn’t run away (Geochelone nigra) as he needs help going Crooked Nose can be through doors. While a difficult challenge at the veterinary to move and weigh. practice for his Weighing Crooked check-up he made Nose requires five a model patient, staff members and especially a tree. The scale compared to the is attached to a noise of other branch of the tree animals around in his enclosure him. Once and while four his evaluation people lift him up, was complete the fifth attaches his everything was weighing platform to reversed to return the scale. Care must him home to his cagebe taken not to drop mate Sally. him when we do this as John Glynn he is not designed for Zookeeper jumping and at 401 pounds In for the long haul, Crooked Nose being transported he would hurt himself. Until the new veterinary clinic is built as part of the new Madagascar building we need to take our animals off site for vet check-ups. To take Crooked Nose to the vets he must be taken to the eastern end of the facility and then loaded on a truck. Some of the visitors to BAMZ have been surprised to observe our method of achieving this. Imagine strolling along the paths at the Zoo and being confronted by a tortoise on a cart (surrounded by his entourage) being pulled and pushed at high speed (for a tortoise) to his destination. Lifting Crooked Nose onto a truck is the simplest part of the process as long as a truck with a lift gate is used. All we have to do is make sure he doesn’t move while he goes up and then put him in the bed of the truck. During the ride a keeper stays in the back with him to ensure nothing untoward happens such as him trying to climb out. When we reach Endsmeet, the process is reversed to remove him from the vehicle and then to move him inside. Normal sized doors are not designed with adult Galapagos tortoises in mind; once we got him from the Zoo to be weighed Photo: Jermiko Dillas BAMZ tortoises were collected on one of Vincent Astor’s expeditions to the Galapagos Islands. The animals were brought to Bermuda and into Flatts on Mr. Astor’s yacht “Nourmahl”, seen in the distance in this photo “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” Photo: BAMZ Collection 9 volunteers We’re so happy to have you on board with us! Welcome to our 2007 — 2008 junior volunteers who began their programme on September 15 and 16. These young men and women have committed to working one weekend morning each week throughout the school year. They will have the opportunity to experience volunteering in four departments of BAMZ; Aquarium, Local Tails, Education and the Zoo. They will also participate in field trips, lectures and community service projects. It is a pleasure to have such enthusiasm join the “ team”. Joanne Chisnall Volunteer Coordinator l to r: Nikhil Hassell, Kate Cooper, Freya Lawrence, Cynarra Phillips, Heather Sinclair, Jorge Sanchez, John Barnes & James Gilmour l to r: Arthur Begeman, Zayla Smith, Claudie Richardson, Christina Hoban, Ryan Amaral, Robert Rawlings, Nathan Simmons & Savannah Tribley Photos: Camilla Stringer BZS Raffle Tickets are in the mail Please help our fund-raising efforts by buying or selling our raffle tickets. Ticket stubs along with payment may be dropped off at the Body Shop in the Washington Mall, the BAMZ front desk of or mailed to the Volunteer Office, Bermuda Zoological Society, P.O. Box FL 145, Flatts FL BX. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors we have great prizes including jewellery, a BBQ, hotel stays, a travel voucher and much more! Willing to sell tickets? Contact Joanne at the Volunteer Office at 293-2727 ext 130. 10 Retired and have some spare time to give? Why not volunteer with BZS and BAMZ. Volunteer opportunities are available in all departments. Contact the volunteer office at 293 2727 ext. 130 to learn about our programmes. “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” new members Welcome New Members With assistance from over 4,000 supporters, the BZS promotes conservation education by working with the local community, government and other organizations to protect and manage our natural environment, fund conservation efforts and raise public awareness. The Bermuda Zoological Society would like to welcome the following new members for the period June 1 through September 14, 2007. We look forward to you visiting us at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo. Ms LeShea Adams Ms Alison P. Bailey Ms Joanne Barnard Mr. Joe Beaton Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Beaudoin Mrs. Nicole M. Belboda-Smith Mr. and Mrs. Jason Benevides Ms Michelle Bohnert Mr. Jeffrey Borges Ms Dallas Bowers Mr. and Mrs. Cory Brown Mr. and Mrs. Martin Brown Mrs. Romika Brown Miss India Burchall Mr. and Mrs. Tim Calveley Mr. and Mrs. Rcihard Campbell Mr. and Mrs. Paul Cano-Rowland Ms Juliette Carpenter Ms Roxanne Christopher Mr. and Mrs. Stacey Chudley Mr. and Mrs. Elias Costa Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Covert Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Darrell Mr. and Mrs. Andrew deFrias Mr. and Mrs. Denis DeFrias Mr. and Mrs. Mekana Desa Mr. and Mrs. Michael DeSilva Ms Xenia Dill Mr. and Mrs. Michael Edwards Mr. Fawley and Ms Best Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Fisher Mrs. Deborah Flande Ms Sandra Furbert Mr. and Mrs. Greg Garside Mr. Stephen Gaschen Ms Barbara Marie Goomarc Mr. and Mrs. Raj Goonewardene Ms Christine Gregor Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Harding Mr. and Mrs. Steven Hardy Mr. and Mrs. Chris Harkness Mr. and Mrs. Skip Heroux-Everson Ms Joleesa Holdipp Mr. and Mrs. Alan Humphreys Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Inesi Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Ingham Mr. Charles Jeffers Mr. and Mrs. Michael Johnston Ms Tracey Keane Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kelly Mr. and Mrs. Jason Kipfer Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Kowalski Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Lattyak Ms Hilary Lawrence Ms Renee Lightbourne Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lightowler Mr. and Mrs. Gavaska Lodge Mr. and Mrs. Cosimo Lovecchio Mr. and Mrs. Steve Lutes Mr. and Mrs. Sebastien Malo Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Marsh Mr. and Mrs. Vicente Mascarenhas Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Mather Mr. and Mrs. Michael McDonnell Mr. McFadden and Ms Traynor Mrs. Helen Moniz Ms Toniiae Moore Mr. and Mrs. Chris Morley Mr. James Morrison Ms Rhoda Musson Mr. and Mrs. Graeme Naysmith Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Ortola Mr. and Mrs. Deon Pachai Mr. and Mrs. Chris Pass Mr. Line Payette Mr. and Mrs. Martin Pollock Mr. and Mrs. Tim Purdhoe Mr. and Mrs. Michael Pye Mr. Rajeswaran and Ms Sriharan Neil Redburn Mr. and Mrs. Allan Rego Mr. and Mrs. Ron Rentenaar Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Richards Mrs. Gulizar Ritchie Ms Zoe Roberts-Koren Mr. and Mrs. Paulo Roias Mr. and Mrs. DeShawn Rose Mr. and Mrs. Gustavo Sanchez Mr. Andrew Shailer Mr. and Mrs. Dan Shaver Mr. and Mrs. Lee Simmons Mr. and Mrs. Shannon Simmons Ms Deborah Smith Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Stahl Mr. Stephens and Ms Aphantitis Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Stone Swiss Reinsurance Company Mr. and Mrs. Ian Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Matt Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Danny Torak Mr. Desmond Townsend Ms Erica Tweedle Mr. and Mrs. Joao Vicente Ms Nancy Vieira Ms Michelle Viera Mr. and Mrs. Tim Waldorf Ms Dhammika Weerappuli Mr. and Mrs. Patrick White Mr. and Mrs. Damion Wickramage Mr. and Mrs. Adam Williams Ms Keita R. N. Wilson “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” 11 education s p m a C a u q A 2007 It’s hard to imagine that seven weeks of Aqua Camp went by so quickly; but what a wonderful seven weeks it was. More than five hundred students attended Aqua Camp this summer and judging by all of the smiles and the eight year old intellectual scientific conversations, it was obvious that much was learned and a good time was had by all. This year’s students ranged in age from four through ten and they studied different topics including animal behaviours, reptiles, whales and Bermuda’s unique habitats. For some of the students it was the first time they had snorkeled, come face to face with an iguana or touched a ball python, while others preferred to simply day-dream as Spike the barracuda and Darth Vader the black grouper swam by in the North Rock tank. At the end of each week students walked away with great pride knowing they had numerous art projects to show off at home. Photos: Lynn Thorne 12 “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” education Our approach to teaching in our Aqua Camp programme is quite simple; hands on, hands on, hands on! Under the watchful eye of experienced teachers, our students have the opportunity to learn for themselves and to reinforce and clarify ideas they may have. It is always rewarding to see students get excited about personal discoveries they have made; ones they will not easily forget. Our job is simply to provide a rich environment in which these discoveries can be made and with the help of our BAMZ bus and Bermuda’s incredible natural beauty, I can say with certainty that many children were “inspired to appreciate and care for their island environment”. Thank you for supporting our Aqua Camp this summer and for giving us the opportunity to inspire the next generations to appreciate and care for Bermuda. Joseph Furbert Education Officer “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” 13 bermuda natural history news Breeding Season Reports for the Cahow and Tropicbird period. By the time the last chicks had fledged out to sea by mid-June, 2007, it could be confirmed that this Critically Endangered Species had enjoyed a record season. Not only had the cahow breeding population risen to a new high number of eighty active nest sites with new pairs occupying five new nests (up from an original number of eighteen active nests in 1962), but a total of thirty-nine chicks had successfully fledged, equalling the previous high number in 2003, just before Hurricane Fabian caused massive damage and disruption to the nesting islands. Fabian caused a decline in chick numbers for four years before the number of fledging chicks caught up with The situation today pre-storm figures. is quite different Despite the temporary and all seabirds dip caused by Fabian, are protected by the overall trend for law on Bermuda. Cahow fledgling exercising under bay grape forest on Nonsuch Island the cahow population Despite rampant is that of continued development and a same nest site year after year; they increase. During the fourth year of dense human population, the island both also raise only one chick a the Cahow Translocation Project, a hosts some very special seabird year during their respective nesting record number of twenty-five chicks species, and two of these, the seasons. were moved to the new colony site longtail or white-tailed tropicbird on Nonsuch Island. Twenty-four of (Phaethon lepturus catsbyii), and 2007 Cahow nesting season these fledged successfully during the endemic cahow or Bermuda For the cahow, their 2007 nesting late May through early June, with petrel (Pterodroma cahow) appear season actually began in late the last departing on June 17. This to be doing quite well and are the October of the previous year, makes a total of seventy-nine cahow subject of this report. In some ways, when the first birds returned to fledglings which have departed these birds seem to be opposites: their nest burrows on the isolated successfully from Nonsuch Island the Longtail is a summer-nesting Castle Harbour Islands to carry out since 2004. Next year will mark the seabird, returning to Bermuda during courtship activity, mate and build final year of the translocation project, the warm months to nest and carry their nests out of grass and other with the planned translocation of out highly visible daytime aerial coastal vegetation. The eggs were twenty-one chicks bringing the total courtship, then migrating far to laid by mid-January 2007, hatching of chicks moved to one hundred. the south to spend the cold winter after a fifty-three-day incubation The next two years (2008 – 2009) months at sea east of the Lesser Bermuda, at the time of its discovery in the sixteenth century, was home to a wide variety of seabirds, some of which nested in huge numbers on the island; in fact, the strange noises made by huge colonies of nocturnal seabirds convinced the Spanish discoverers that the island was inhabited by devils, and was one of the reasons why they never colonized the island. They did, however, leave pigs behind to act as food for shipwrecked sailors, and these, along with rats, cats, dogs and persecution and hunting by the English a century later, wiped out most of these species except for a few hardy survivors. 14 Antilles. The cahow also comes to Bermuda to nest, except it does so during the winter months and is secretive and nocturnal, only flying in off the open ocean during dark nights; it returns to the open ocean during the hot summer months, remaining well out in the open ocean. They both are monogamous and pairs stay together for many years, and both species use the “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” bermuda natural history news 2007 Tropicbird nesting season While the cahow nesting season was finishing for 2007, that for the Tropicbird was just getting started. Bermuda is a very important breeding site for this species and the approximately 2000 pairs that breed in Bermuda represent nearly half of the North Atlantic breeding population. It is therefore very important that we monitor this population to see whether it is stable, whether breeding success is high, Harbour area, one on Bay Island at Bailey’s Bay, and one at Shelly Bay, Hamilton Parish (the last with the help of Michelle Pasquin). Out of these 246 sites, thirty one had no activity, thirty one had prospecting activity by birds looking to establish new nests, and 184 had serious The banding of cahow chicks, which nesting activity up to and including was initiated in 2002, is beginning to egg-laying. As of September 13, yield real results about the survival 2007, a total of 114 tropicbird rates of fledglings, which spend chicks have either already fledged their first four or five years at sea successfully (ninety-one) or are still before they return to Bermuda to find in the nests (twentypartners and choose three). This represents nest burrows. 62% breeding success Out of twentyfor the 184 active nine chicks banded nest sites (a very during 2002, a total good figure!), but of eight have now perhaps the biggest been confirmed surprise was that the as returning to the unmanaged sites this breeding islets by year have had good 2007, representing breeding success as a 30% return rate. well as the managed In contrast, out of areas. Bay Island thirty-three chicks has had nine chicks banded during fledge from sixteen the 2003 nesting active nest sites, season, only five representing 56% have returned to the breeding success, breeding islands by despite the presence 2007, representing Three-quarter fledged tropicbird chick removed from nest for banding of both rats and a much lower crows, which are 15% return rate. known to predate on eggs and young and to identify both present and The banding has also provided chicks of tropicbirds. The highest potential threats and ways in which confirmation that although the breeding success of any site was we can assist the species. majority of chicks return to the island seen along the Shelly Bay shoreline, A large part of this programme they are born on, about a third (33%) which has produced twelve chicks consists of monitoring a have been recorded on different from seventeen active nests, representative number of nest sites islands than the one they originated representing 70% breeding success. in managed areas such as the Castle from. This may have solved the These are extremely good figures Islands Nature Reserve (including mystery of how the cahow, with a for any seabird, and are encouraging Nonsuch Island) where predators very low breeding population for for the continued survival of these such as rats, cats and crows are more than three centuries, managed beautiful birds which are such an kept off, and a couple of relatively to avoid dangerous inbreeding. It important part of Bermuda’s natural unmanaged sites. The nesting season now appears that enough birds were environment and heritage. is still ongoing as of the writing attracted to islands other than the one of this report, but during 2007 we they originated from so that there Jeremy Madeiros have monitored 246 tropicbird nest was mixing of the gene pool among Terrestrial Conservation Officer sites at ten separate locations, eight all of the four or five tiny populations on managed islands in the Castle Photos: Jeremy Madeiros on the remaining nesting islets. should see the return of the first cahows translocated to Nonsuch; the big question will be whether they return to the new site on Nonsuch, or whether they will be attracted back out to the present nesting islets. “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” 15 We could never have done it without you. Thank you all so very much! Our Event Partners:The Folks Who Helped Us Out Beverages Gosling’s the ultimate wine and spirits providers John Barritt & Son Ltd. chasers and Vitamin Waters like Revive! Dockyard Brewing locally brewed beers Catering Flying Chef Catering Services Little Venice & Fourways Catering Marketplace Miles Markets Fish Chowder Freeport Seafood Lobster Pot Swizzle Inn Food Products Butterfield & Vallis BBQs Bermuda Gas Parking Services Bermuda Train Company Safeguard Security – Apex Valet Services Crown & Anchor Richard and Ricky Sousa Oleney Carlington Gregory Fox Decorations Designer Flowers Fairmont Southampton Nicola Lucas Photography DolphinQuest Robyn Faulkner Chris Trainer Graphics Kristy Ingemann Linda Weintraub Printing Bermuda Blueprinting Gulfstream Graphics Sound Benjamin Outerbridge Emcee Bruce Barritt 16 “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” Donations To Our Silent Auction Were Received From… A Red Tie Affair Belmont Hills Golf Club Bermuda Department of Tourism Bermuda Gas Bermuda Turtle Project Bermuda World Rugby Classic 2007 Brian “The Admiral” Darby C Travel Dr. Annie Glasspool Dr. Ian Walker Dr. Wolfgang Sterrer Fantasea Diving Chris “Flookie” Flook Flying Chef Catering Services Georgia Aquarium Goslings Wine Cellar International Imports Mr. Jeremy Madeiros Mr. Michael Douglas and Ms. Catherine Zeta-Jones Mr. Robin Marirea Mrs. Dee Massey Mrs. Lynn Thorne Richard and Mary Winchell Sir John and Lady Vereker Total Marketing & Communication Limited Our Amazing Volunteers… Alison Green Alvona Wolffe Andre Place Anna Somers Anthony Foggo Anthony Romani Ashun Wolffe BZS Junior Volunteers Charles Brown Claire Porteous Colina Outerbridge Cornell Castle David Frith Debbie Masters Eugene Minors Gib Colesworthy Gil Nolan Glenda Edwards Hannah Willmott Helen Smith Hiroko Takizawa Howard Johnson Iris Abraham Jane Burt Jeffrey Chisnall Jeffrey Porter Jennie Lamerton Jennifer Baird Jennifer Chisnall Jonathan Starling Jude Burgess Judy Outerbridge Kathie Gosling Keita-Roy Simons Kent Phillips Kentione Jennings Lauren Burchall Lisa Greene Lyn Llewellyn Margaret Mitchell Maria Brown Marion Searson Mark Outerbridge Mark Whittaker Mary Draycott Mary Lou Colesworthy Megan Texeria Michez Smith Michelle Pasquin Monica Terceira Muriel McGowan Nicholas Wills Owen Chisnall Pam Barit-Nolan Parkes Spencer Patricia Chisnall Pete Llewellyn Ranica James Rebecca Martin Renee Wilson Roberta Tucker Roger “Grassy” Simmons Rosalie Robinson Sharon Scott Shirelle Jones Tamara Coleman Terry Draycott Thomas Brown Tianna Spencer Tiphani Philip Tony Burt Winfield Smith Winston Jones Yvonne DeCoute Our Dedicated Committee Members Bill Scott Brian Lightbourn David Gillespie Debbie Boyer Elena Strong Erin Field Ian Walker Jason Semos Jens Maitland Jermiko Dillas Joanne Chisnall Jonathan Starling Lauren Wills Lisa Ray Lynda Johnson Patrick Talbot Peggy Frith Robin Marirea Roger Hollis Simieon Massey And Last, But By No Means Least… All of the party-goers who supported this event. Thank You! “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” 17 enviro-chat Let’s Get Back to the Tap We all know that we should drink at least eight glasses of water each day but did you know how harmful it is to the environment for us to drink our water from plastic bottles? We buy more bottled water than any other drink except for soda. The bottled water market is booming. Americans drank more than 8.25 billion gallons of bottled water in 2006 that’s an increase of 9.5% on the previous year, spending nearly $11 billion in the process, all for a product that is virtually free. It’s highly likely that bottled water is no safer or cleaner than our home tap water! Bottled water puts a strain on our wallets and the environment. Making the plastic for the bottles and transporting the finished product over hundreds or thousands of miles consumes energy, pollutes the environment, and contributes to global warming. A 2006 Earth Policy Institute study found that the UK bottled water industry generates about 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, that’s the same as the energy consumption of 6,000 homes per year. If you have to, buy water bottled in Bermuda. Many people believe that by re-using their plastic water bottles they are reducing the impact on the environment. This may be true but the plastic used to make bottles can pose a contamination threat if they are re-used. The most common resin used in disposable bottles is called #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE). If these bottles are reused, they can leach chemicals such as DEHA, a known carcinogen, and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), a potential hormone disrupter. Plastic re-usable bottles don’t appear to be a safer option. There is an ongoing debate over the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) which is a hormone-disrupting chemical that can leach out of the #7 polycarbonate plastic used to make a variety of re-usable plastic bottles. Stainless steel or lined aluminium bottles are recommended as the safest receptacles for carrying tap water and other beverages. In Bermuda, many people do not trust the cleanliness of their tank water. If tanks are maintained properly there should be no problems. It’s a good idea to invest in a filtration system. Water filtration systems are relatively inexpensive and are available in most hardware stores on the island. By committing to tap water over bottled water you’ll be saving money, looking after your health, and doing a little bit more towards saving the environment. For further information please go to: http://www. foodandwaterwatch.org/ Alison Green Librarian In Bermuda we have no facility for recycling plastic so all our plastic bottles that we throw in the trash go straight to the incinerator polluting our environment even more. “Modern technology, Owes ecology, An apology.” Alan M. Eddison 18 “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” christmas gifting Great coffee table books to challenge the kid in us! Architecturally magnificent and so much fun. $19.95 ea. merry christmas “To inspire appreciation and care of island environments” 19 Quarterly Newsletter of the Bermuda Zoological Society and Friends of the Bermuda Aquarium NOTICE PO Box FL 145 Flatts FL BX Bermuda Tel: (441) Fax: (441) or (441) Please keep in mind children 12 & under must be accompanied & supervised by an adult when visiting BAMZ 293 2727 293 3176 293 4014 Mark those Berry-producing, Invasive Brazil a.k.a. Mexican Pepper Trees for Removal Pepper trees are either male or female, and although both produce flowers, only female trees produce the berries that appear in November/December. Therefore it’s a great time to mark those particular trees for removal, as it will be effective in greatly reducing the number of seedlings. You can treat freshly cut stumps of larger peppers with a herbicide such as Roundup™ mixed with diesel oil. sign up here! BZS or FOBA Membership Form I wish to take out a _________________________ Membership at $ _______ Last name __________________ First Name(s) _______________________ Mailing Address __________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Post Code __________ Telephone No. (Home) __________________ (Work) __________________ e-mail __________________________________________________________ Children’s Names (under 18 years) ___________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Method of Payment ❏ Cash ❏ Cheque* ❏ Mastercard (*Please make cheques payable to BZS or FOBA) ❏ Visa Debit/Credit Card # _______________________________________________ Expiry Date _____________________________________________________ Holder’s Name ___________________________________________________ Signature _____________________________________________________________ Mailing Address: Bermuda Zoological Society, PO Box FL 145, Flatts, Bermuda Tel: (441) 293 2727 • Fax: (441) 293 4014 20 Student (13 – 18 yrs.) ............. $ 15.00 Senior (65 +) .......................... $ 15.00 Individual ............................... $ 35.00 Killifish GRP (Grandparents). $ 55.00 Killifish (Family) ................... $ 55.00 Bermudiana ............................ $ 110.00 Skink ...................................... $ 180.00 Cahow .................................... $ 250.00 Hour of Support ..................... $ 473.00 Longtail .................................. $ 550.00 Olivewood .............................. $ 750.00 Palmetto ................................. $ 1,000.00 Cedar ...................................... $ 2,500.00 Christmas Gift Memberships are also available For more information call Peggy Frith: 293-2727 ext. 121 Remember, upon presentation of membership card you save 10% in the Gift Shop! “To inspireonappreciation and care islandPress environments” Printed recycled paper by of Triangle Limited