Anthropogenic injuries to diamondback terrapins.

<p>Diamondback terrapins were classified as having an anthropogenic injury if damage occurred to two or more vertebral or costal scutes (A), two or more plastral scutes (B), and/or three or more marginal scutes. Photo A shows a female terrapin with an anthropogenic injury to two vertebral and two costal scutes whereas photo B shows an anthropogenic injury to two plastral scutes. Many injured terrapins also had missing limbs (C), tail, or head (D) injuries. Photo C shows a terrapin missing its front left limb which could be due to a boat injury or a predator. In photo D, the terrapin has an anthropogenic injury to its beak and anterior plastron. This injury was assumed to be from a boat because it appeared to be a slash from a propeller that occurred from the plastron through the beak to the anterior carapace. Anthropogenic injury rates are likely an underestimate of the actual number of terrapins hit by boats and automobiles because many of these injuries lead to mortality.</p

Data loggers and transmitters attached to an adult female diamondback terrapin.

<p>A HOBO Pendant G data logger recorded the orientation of the terrapin in the water every 1(A). A Data Storage Tag milli-L temperature and depth data logger recorded depth of the terrapin every 1 s (B). Sonic (C) and radio (D) transmitters allowed us to relocate terrapin in case of escape. Transmitters and data loggers weighed <5% body mass of terrapins.</p

Mean boat spectrums.

<p>Each terrapin was exposed to one of four different boat engine recordings: Lowe boat (9.9 hp motor), Polar Kraft boat (25 hp motor), Action Craft boat (110 hp motor), and Parker boat (two 150 hp motors). The maximum sound pressure level (SPL) recorded from each boat varied from 100 to 140 dB re 1 µPa in the 400 to 600 Hz range. The range of best hearing for terrapins (i.e., the frequencies at which terrapins can hear the lowest thresholds) underwater is also from 400 to 600 Hz suggesting that terrapins should be able to hear the boat recordings <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0082370#pone.0082370-Lester2" target="_blank">[9]</a>.</p

Mean swimming depth of diamondback terrapins in response to boat engine sounds.

<p> = 80) was measured before, during, and after exposure to playback recordings of boat engine sounds using a milli-L temperature and depth data logger. Terrapins did not behaviorally respond to boat sounds by changing swimming depth. Swimming depth of terrapins (n</p

Mean change in orientation of terrapins in the water in response to playback recordings of boat sounds.

<p> = 80) before, during, and after exposure to boat engine sounds were calculated to determine if terrapins were changing amount of sudden or erratic movements. Mean change in pitch (x-axis) and roll (y-axis) of terrapins (n</p

Injury rates of diamondback terrapins in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey.

<p>Mean boat injury frequency increased for adult female terrapins captured in the Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge from 2006 to 2011 (A; linear regression, Y = 0.01 X -22.2, R² = 0.74, P = 0.02). Large female (Y = 0.003 X – 0.3, R² = 0.73, P<0.001) and male (Y = 0.003 X – 0.2, R² = 0.56, P = 0.03) terrapins were more likely to be injured by a boat than smaller individuals (B). The number of boat injuries resulting in death was unknown because dead animals were lost to the natural system.</p

Mean swimming speed of diamondback terrapins in response to playback recordings of approaching boats.

<p> Small (400 to 600 g) and large (1000 to 1200 g) terrapins were exposed to playback recordings of approaching recreational boats during sound trials and no sound during control trials. Swimming speed was measured for each terrapin every 10 m through the 60 m experimental canal and standardized by body length. One of four playback recordings was started when each terrapin was 10 m from the underwater speaker.</p

Environmental Parameters for Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model.

<p>Environmental Parameters for Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model.</p

Transects on St. George Island, Florida, USA.

<p>Transects were conducted at two study sites: (A) Nick’s Hole and (B) Unit 4. Observers detected migrants by sight and/or sound while walking nine transects: one in Nick’s Hole and eight in Unit 4. Avian abundance was calculated as number of migrants observed divided by transect length in each cell.</p

Most Common Nearctic-Neotropical Migrant Species Detected Visually or Audibly by Observers during Transects.

<p>Most Common Nearctic-Neotropical Migrant Species Detected Visually or Audibly by Observers during Transects.</p