The Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) is offering workshops for people interested in joining the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN), an initiative created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to document and save stranded sea turtles in several U.S. states, including Alabama.
As hundreds of endangered sea turtles make their way to Alabama Beaches in May to lay their eggs, many of them face potential dangers. This includes getting entangled in debris and getting washed up on shore. The STSSN aims to collect information on these standings and to provide potential aid.
As part of the ACF’s goal to promote environmental wellbeing in coastal Alabama, the nonprofit has organized a series of workshops for those interested in being a part of the STSSN in Alabama.
“Our mission is to improve and protect our coastal environment, and we do that through anything that is positive to help our coastal environments, such as the sea turtle stranding network,” said Mark Berte, executive director of the ACF. “We try to promote those workshops, being a good example and just educating people in general.”
The workshops are intended to inform participants how to carry out the procedures of the STSSN such as:
· Collecting data in accordance with STSSN protocols.
· Understanding cause of death and threats to sea turtles in the marine environment.
· Monitoring stranding trends.
· Providing aid to live stranded sea turtles.
· Providing timely data for conservation management purpose
“They have different protocols that people will learn about in those workshops, but it really does help to provide initial to live stranded sea turtles,” said Berte. “So, it's a really important network to be a part of and ACF is just honored to be one of the partners.”
The workshops will be held both virtually and in person. It is mandatory for those wanting to participate in the STSSN to attend one meeting a year.
Registration is open for workshops scheduled on March 7 at 2:00 p.m. at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and on March 12 at 2:00 p.m. at the Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores. A virtual option is also being offered on April 11 at 1:00 p.m. through Google Meet.
The AFC also provides a Sea Turtle Stranding Network Hotline for beachgoers who may come across a sea turtle in need of help this season. The number for the hotline is 866-732-88768.
