By The Sea Lecture Series

Join us after hours for a lecture series featuring local scientists, conservationists, and photographers with brews!

Unwrap The Waves

Loggerhead Marinelife Center's Unwrap the Wave Initiative allows for students and community members to get into the "spirit" of conservation by collecting their candy wrappers from Halloween and recycling them.

November 2017 Newsletter

CEO CHATTER WITH JACK LIGHTON

Jack Lighton
 
 

Dear Friend of LMC,

On behalf of our entire team of staff, volunteers and supporters, please let me wish you a Happy Holiday Season! Here in Juno Beach, Florida our campus is basking in warm sunshine, sublime temperatures and gentle Gulf Stream breezes. As we transition from sea turtle nesting season to Palm Beach County’s winter social season, we are excited to welcome back our seasonal residents and vacationing visitors to enjoy all that our community – and campus – has to offer.

Please Save the Date: Blue Friday at LMC (Friday, Nov. 24 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

After enjoying your Thanksgiving Day meals, many people will brave our local shopping destinations to stock up on holiday gifts. Please consider making your “Black Friday” BLUE by visiting Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Shopping at LMC is a wonderful way to support a local organization while at the same time helping support our Center’s mission of ocean and sea turtle conservation.
PRO TIP: Ditch the single-use shopping bags this season! Bring reusable bags with you when you shop. At LMC you can buy reusable shopping bags recycled from plastic water bottles, which help you reduce your impact on our planet.

What do you get the person who has everything this holiday season? An LMC sea turtle adoption! LMC sea turtle adoptions are the perfect gift. With fun packages appropriate for all ages, your adoption of an LMC sea turtle patient helps support each patient’s rehabilitation process at our sea turtle hospital.

For the young ones in your lives, consider giving the gift of conservation education this holiday season. Please consider sending your ‘hatchlings’ to LMC’s Junior Marine Biologist Summer Camp, or to one of our many unique programs offered throughout the year.
In addition to fantastic shopping and visits with our sea turtle patients on Blue Friday, we will be hosting beach clean-ups, provide responsible gift wrapping kits, and will offer free programs fun for the whole family. Please join us and GO BLUE on “Black Friday” at LMC.

Sea turtles are global travelers. Ocean currents connect us all regardless of the continent we live on, and LMC’s rapidly expanding global conservation portfolio is quickly garnering the attention of global stakeholders. We are honored to announce that LMC has received the 2017 Fabian Cousteau Blue Award for our global impact on ocean conservation. This award is sponsored by Oceanco Yachts and is given out each year at the International Superyacht Society (ISS) Gala in conjunction with the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. This award underscores the efforts of our magnificent team of staff, volunteers and supporters. We are humbled to be recognized by Fabien Cousteau, an icon in the conservation world, for our work to conserve sea turtles and their ocean home.

 On behalf of our entire team I thank you for your continued support of our mission and look forward to visiting with you on campus soon!


With Gratitude,

Jack E. Lighton

President & CEO

PS: Looking for a fun way to spend the Holidays? Consider attending Beach Bash Palm Beach, hosted by Palm Beach’s iconic Lilly Pulitzer. Guests will “Seas the Day” dancing the night away at Palm Beach’s exclusive Beach Club while raising awareness and funds for LMC! Saving sea turtles never looked so fashionable! For more info, visit Marinelife.org/beachbash.

 

 


Save THe Date 

 

Blue Friday – On Nov. 24, we are giving YOU and other community members a chance to give back to the ocean by going BLUE with LMC. Join us Friday for one of our clean-up activities and lend a hand in cleaning up our coastal parks, beaches and waterways as a part of our annual free Blue Friday event. Pick from two clean-ups at two different locations both from 9 to 11 a.m.:

  • Beach clean-up on Juno Beach (Loggerhead Marinelife Center, 14200 US Highway One, Juno Beach, FL 33408)
  • In-water clean-up at Burt Winters Park (13425 Ellison Wilson Rd, Juno Beach, FL 33408) *Advanced registration required; kayak included; ages 12+

LMC staff will provide all materials needed and each participant will receive complimentary refreshments at LMC following the clean-up! *Supplies limited and will be given on a first come, first serve basis at each site. Participants are encouraged to bring their own buckets and gloves for beach and park events; pre-registration required for in-water clean-up to [email protected].

Not able to attend a clean-up? Come to LMC between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and enjoy learning about our latest patients and what you can do to help cut down your waste during the holidays through interactive activities and fun for the whole family!

Responsible Wrapping Kits: Each guest will be given a kit that includes all materials needed to wrap one gift responsibly this holiday season. The kits also include a responsible wrapping guide on how to use their 100 percent post-consumer materials, plus other tips.

Waste Reduction Pledge: Participants will be encouraged through an interactive game to reduce their paper, food or wrapping waste this holiday season and take a pledge of commitment.

Responsible Wrapping Station: Guests can bring their LMC purchase to our responsible wrapping area for a turtle-approved, 100 percent post-consumer, FREE wrapping service.

Visit our gift store on Blue Friday for a unique shopping experience. Shop at a local place with local vendors and locally made items. Don’t forget to purchase a reusable shopping bag for this holiday season to take with you on all your shopping trips.

      

 


#Givingturtletuesday

We are kicking off the giving season by sharing stories of our sea turtle patients! There are many ways to show your support this season and we are thankful for people like you who have embraced our mission and make possible all the good that we do. Marian is a juvenile green sea turtle that was found by a scuba diver at Phil Foster Park. The turtle had several monofilament (fishing) lines coming out of the right side of the mouth and wrapping under the neck, connecting to a constriction around the left flipper. The line coming out of the mouth acted like a saw, and cut through the tissue and jaw bone. After months of treatment, Marian has recovered and was released home just last week (Nov. 8). Help LMC send more turtles back to their ocean home! For more info visit marinelife.org/help.

                   

Check our the whole video of Marian’s story HERE>>


Knowledge is power!

Give the Gift of Marine Education this season! – ‘Tis the season for time with family and giving thanks to those who matter most in your life! This year, you can give the gift of marine education by purchasing a gift certificate for any one of our 37 programs here at Loggerhead Marinelife Center for loved ones of all ages.

Eligible programs:

  • Private Evening Tour
  • Behind-the-Scenes Private Tour
  • Class field trip
  • Sea Turtle Savers day camps
  • Kid’s Fishing Program
  • SWIM Conservation Vacation
  • Turtle Walk & Hatchling Release programs
  • Mommy & Me Sea Turtle Painting class
  • Classroom Outreach
  • …and more!

We strive for fun.

  • We believe learning is better when concepts and experiments feel like play! We incorporate familiar games into marine science lessons for greater engagement in youth programming
  • Our staff and experienced program docents inspire excitement through their positive attitudes and inclusive approach to learning
  • We stay up-to-date and blend our educational conservation lessons using the latest youth trends and interests


We strive for excellence.

  • Using hands-on marine science tools and equipment, we incorporate practical application of knowledge and skills into our programming for aspiring scientists
  • Our K-12 programming incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) concepts and applications
  • All school programming is Next Generation Sunshine State Standard (NGSSS) aligned for ready-to-use lesson plans and curricula in the classroom

We strive to make an impact.

  • We reach more than 153,000 individuals each year through our various public, school and outreach programs
  • We design our programs to be mission-centric, bringing marine science & conservation awareness and education to children and adults

Upon purchasing your gift certificate, you will receive a personalized copy to present just in time for the holidays. Buying for someone from a distance? We will send the personalized gift certificate and custom message to your recipient to redeem at their leisure – with no added stress on your part.

Already have someone in mind? You can purchase your gift certificate HERE>> today!

 

Sea Turtle Savers – Registration is now open for our winter break Sea Turtle Savers camp series! Our Sea Turtle Savers camps occur from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday for full days of guaranteed, non-stop turtle-y fun for aspiring scientists ages 6-10! Junior scientists will join LMC staff as they explore Florida’s natural areas and learn everything sea turtle at one of South Florida’s busiest sea turtle rehabilitation centers. Participants will learn what it’s like to take a sea turtle from rescue to release through hands-on activities and by experiencing an actively-working sea turtle hospital.

2017-2018 dates include the following:

For more information and to register for the Sea Turtle Savers camp program, please visit HERE>>

*Know someone who loves children and has a passion for marine science? We are looking for counselors-in-training (CITs) to help LMC staff during these Sea Turtle Saver programs by assisting with activities, lessons and facilitating the fun! Future CITs may find download the application HERE>>

 

Kid’s Fishing Program – Do you know an aspiring young angler? Join us for a Kid’s Fishing Program at the Juno Beach Pier! Kid’s Fishing Programs are held each Saturday through Dec. 31 from 8-10:30 a.m. and teach anglers basic techniques including knot tying, casting, species identification and proper release protocols in addition to conservation measures such as habitat protection, sea turtle rescue and the importance of collecting and recycling monofilament fishing line.  Participants will leave with the knowledge and experience necessary to serve as responsible anglers. To reserve a spot in a fishing program, please visit our event calendar HERE>> and select the date for which you’d like to register. Space is limited to 10 anglers. Ages 7-12.

 

Astronomy Nights at Loggerhead – Hurricane season is over and the skies look clear for our Astronomy Nights program! Join us each month to enjoy a presentation on the highlights of this month’s night skies in partnership with the Astronomical Society of the Palm Beaches. After a brief presentation on what you will “scope out,” you’ll head down to high powered telescopes to see it for yourself. Astronomy Nights takes place at LMC with a different topic each session. From the Pleidedes to Andromeda, the night sky is always changing so no program is the same! No pre-registration required. Cost: $10/adult, $5/child. To learn more about Astronomy Nights click HERE>>

 

Event Recap! Turtleween. We had a “turtle-rific” time at TurtleWeen in October! Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate fall festivities, march in our costume parade, enjoy fun face painting and so much more at LMC! Also, a huge thank you to everyone for helping us to reduce the amount of waste from candy wrappers by grabbing a reusable TurtleWeen bag and participating in our Candy Wrapper Recycling Program. Your support helps us continue to keep our environment clean and beautiful. Guests can dispose of their children’s candy wrappers through Nov. 20 by using the TerraCycle bin on campus. At the end of November, LMC will collect all recycling bags for shipping to TerraCycle. Wrappers will be used to make school supplies and other re-purposed materials. Join us again next year for more spooktacular fun! Check out this year’s event photos HERE>>



Conservation Corner

Cigarette receptacles on Florida piers have proven to be effective! With funding provided by the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program grant, this summer, we installed cigarette receptacles on fishing piers participating in LMC’s Responsible Pier Initiative. We recently conducted the six-month scans at the Florida locations and were happy to find that the bins are working! On the nine Florida piers we have analyzed so far, we have counted 6,049 cigarette butts collected in the receptacles. READ MORE!

 

 

 

RESEARCH REPORT

Night Time Research – In total, the nighttime tagging team tagged three new leatherbacks (27 individual turtles were encountered), 13 loggerheads, and 64 green turtles. For the 2018 season, we will focus again on leatherbacks, while conducting more sampling of the loggerheads. Hopefully, we see some additional interesting tag returns for the loggerheads like we did with the green turtles this season.

HATCHLING GREEN TURTLES HAVE THE VIRUS LINKED TO FIBROPAPILLOMATOSIS! – Our preliminary data, using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), showed that 28 of 44 hatchlings tested positive for Chelonid Fibropapilloma-Associated Herpesvirus (CFPHV), the virus linked to fibropapillomatosis. qPCR not only allows us to identify the virus, but how much of the virus is present in the sample. A number of the hatchlings had over 40,000 viral copies, which is higher than we saw in the blood of the nesting females. This is likely due to the immature immune system in these animals. We will perform white blood cell counts (an indicator of immune function) on all of the tested hatchlings to determine if the white blood cell numbers differ between FP+ and FP– hatchlings. 

In total, we sampled 390 green turtle hatchlings from 43 mothers, some of whom tested positive for CFPHV and some of whom tested negative. We are awaiting the results of the rest of the samples and the results from sequencing, which will definitively tell us if the virus we found is actually CFPHV. This is a necessary step in all viral studies. LMC is collaborating on this work with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute/Florida Atlantic University.

Morning Survey – The 2017 sea turtle nesting season officially ended on Oct. 31. What a season it was! The sea turtles kept our research staff quite busy this summer with a record breaking nesting season for all species combined with 51,296 crawls recorded. The previous record was 42,118 crawls in 2015.

Our staff researchers are currently working on annual reports for Juno, Jupiter-Carlin and Tequesta beaches for submission to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). For each of our survey beaches, we compile detailed reports that include temporal and spatial distribution of nesting, nesting success, beach productivity, incubation periods, erosion events and disorientation statistics for leatherback, loggerhead and green sea turtles. FWC will use the data to develop management practices and policies and to make predictions for nesting trends and overall population size. The LMC nesting database is one of the longest continuous data sets in Florida. Our survey area hosts some of the highest density sea turtle nesting in the state, making our beaches one of the premier research locations in the United States for nesting sea turtle studies.

 


 VOLUNTEERs OF THE MONTH

For the month of October, we recognize Rosemary Eastman and Beverly Reddington as Volunteers of the Month. Rosemary and Beverly have been outstanding volunteers for a number of years. In addition to volunteering in the Gift Shop, Rose and Bev have been members of Blue Friends Society since the very beginning. The Blue Friends Society is an active group of ocean conservation enthusiasts who meet to educate and promote conservation efforts. Rose and Bev have been instrumental in organizing the beach cleanups. Beverly volunteers on Tuesday and Thursday every week. Since starting at LMC in 2007, she has logged over 2,300 hours. Rosemary volunteers every Thursday. Since joining LMC in 2007, she has logged over 1,400 hours. Thank you Bev and Rosemary for all that you do!

 

 


 MASCOT CORNER: Letter to the Editor

Hello Friends,

Fletch here, the lovable and huggable Loggerhead Marinelife Center mascot. Yesterday, while reading the Ocean Gazette, I read a very inspiring letter to the editor from my good friend Tommy C. Turtle. I would like to share it with you now.

To: The Human Race,
Millions and even thousands of years ago, my ocean home was “Clean and Blue, and Trash Free.” It wasn’t until humans arrived that trash started to show up in my neighborhood. First it was just pottery and straw baskets that started to rain down from above. That wasn’t too bad; they would biodegrade and disappear overtime. Then in recent times something called “plastic” (bags, toys, bottles, beverage rings, plates, cups, cans, beads and more) started to appear in all shapes and sizes. These plastic items don’t biodegrade – they last forever. My ocean home is now a giant garbage patch full of plastic in all shapes and sizes. Big pieces, small pieces and even microscopic pieces so small you can hardly see them. The plastic causes a lot of problems for marine life, especially for sea turtles since plastic bags look a lot like, yummy jellyfishes. We eat it, get sick and sometimes die. So, please stop trashing my ocean home; we don’t trash yours. Instead, let’s work together to clean up the ocean. There is a lot of work to do, so what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!

Yours Turtle-y,
Tommy C. Turtle

Nice job Tommy, telling everyone about the trash in our ocean home. So friends, what can you do to help keep my ocean home “Clean and Blue, and Trash Free”? You can follow Fletch’s “Four R’s and a C” each day and share them with family, friends, classmates and co-workers.

Reduce the amount of waste you produce

Reuse something instead of throwing it away

Recycle something old and make it into something new

Respect the environment, never trash it

Clean-up the environment where others have trashed it

Protecting the environment is your responsibility. As Tommy C. Turtle said: “There is a lot of work to do, so what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!”

 


Support Sea Turtle Conservation!

 

Adoption Spotlight The holiday season is quickly approaching, and we have the perfect gift for all of your turtle-loving friends and family members: sea turtle adoptions. Being a proud parent of one of our current patients is a great way for people all over the world to connect with LMC, as recipients of sea turtle adoptions can follow the progress of their adopted turtles online, keep up with the Center by receiving our newsletter, and be notified when it’s time for their adopted turtles to be released. You can adopt today at marinelife.org/adopt.

 

 

Gift Store – Do your holiday shopping with a purpose this season! We have a lot of deals coming up for you. On Blue Friday, Nov. 24 come in-store to receive a free small turtle plushie with purchase of a large turtle plushie (38 inch) and receive a free small reusable bag with an ornament purchase! Please also come in on Small Business Saturday (Nov. 25) to support our nonprofit with your purchase and receive a free small reusable bag with an ornament purchase. On Cyber Monday (Nov. 27) shop online and receive FREE shipping on any purchase!

 

 


THANK YOU TO OUR outstanding SUPPORTERS!

Thank you to Eva Smith, who after visiting the center decided to raise money for LMC. For three days, Eva had a lemonade stand with homemade turtle crafts and brochures about sea turtles. She also inspired her best friend, Jaclynn, to help. Thank you girls and we hope you can visit our sea turtles soon! 

 

Special thanks to this month’s beach clean-up sponsor Betsy Munson, Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
Thank you to Bank of America for their generous donation to LMC, which will allow our conservation team to build a permanent marine debris sorting station on campus. Bank of America also came to visit the our patients and clean up our coastline. Thank you for your incredible support of the community!
In October, LMC hosted the Ninth Annual Go Blue Awards Luncheon. We are very proud that as a result of the generosity of the event sponsors and attendees, we were able to raise over $70,000 for Loggerhead Marinelife Center, making this year’s event the most successful Go Blue Awards Luncheon to date. As Florida’s largest ocean conservation awards event, the luncheon brought together ocean heroes from around the world to meet and mingle, congratulate the winners and hear from special guest and keynote speaker, Brian Skerry. Special thanks to Go Blue Awards Luncheon Co-Chairs Pete and Lynne Wells, as well as sponsors: Presenting Sponsor Manatee Lagoon – an FPL Eco-Discovery Center; Pete and Lynne Wells; The Gardens Mall; Pratt & Whitney; Douglas Elliman Real Estate; Bart and Julie Livolsi; Samuel J. and Connie M. Frankino Foundation; AW Property Co.; Seven Kings Holdings, Inc.; Tire Kingdom; Barbara Savastano; Ann Miller; Sam Forrest; Bob Chlebek and Sandy Humbert; WLS Vitamins/Dr. and Mrs. Jefferson Vaughan; Betsy Munson; Chip Block and Leanna Landsmann; EDS Air Conditioning; PNC; North American Veterinary Heart Center; Holtec International; Sustainable Palm Beach County; Gunster; In Memory of F. Ross Johnson, Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa; Deluge Biotechnologies; Tommy Bahama Restaurant Bar & Store; Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce, P.A.; Jensen – Johnson, LLC; The Capital Grille; Tiffany & Co.; Gretchen Scott; Florida Weekly; PGA National Resort & Spa and Jupiter Magazine.

 

 


MANATEE LAGOON

Manatee Lagoon is re-open after Hurricane Irma. Have you ever visited Manatee Lagoon – An FPL Eco-Discovery Center? We are very thankful to have this wonderful partner in conservation here in the Palm Beaches! During your visit, you’ll learn about manatee and ocean conservation. While attending the center, you may see a few manatees in the lagoon and learn about how manatees play an integral role in the overall health of Florida’s ecosystems.

We encourage you to take the time to spread information about the gentle sea cow, especially if you live in South Florida or a place where manatees congregate during manatee season. The Manatee Masters at Manatee Lagoon will provide you with all of the educational materials you will need to spread awareness. For additional information about manatees, please refer to Manatee Lagoon’s activity calendar.

LMC is grateful to partner with Manatee Lagoon, which features a multifunctional educational center, a manatee webcam, two levels of observation areas and so much more. We are excited to watch the center grow as a world-class educational facility in Palm Beach County. Together, we can continue to raise awareness about the sea turtle and the manatee, and help inspire our neighbors, friends and family to be leaders of ocean conservation. Pre-registration is required for events.

November Activities 

Manatee Lagoon Tour – Join us on a walking tour of our visitor center and learn about manatee anatomy, physiology and the importance of GPS tracking devices, as well as the Lake Worth Lagoon.

Mindful Moments Yoga (Adult) – Join Manatee Lagoon for yoga classes against the beautiful calming backdrop of Lake Worth Lagoon.

Manatee Tales Story Time – Listen as a Manatee Master storyteller reads colorful books about aquatic species that live in Lake Worth Lagoon. Children ages 2 to 5 are welcome.

Junior Aqua Lab – A series of four experimental activities that deal with some of the properties of water. Ages 9 to 14.

Children’s Art Class – Every Saturday express your creativity with a different art theme each week.

 

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