The coastal dunes crowned snake (Tantilla relicta pamlica) is a subspecies of the Florida crowned snake that resides in loose, sandy soil on the Atlantic coastal ridge of Florida. Due in part to its nature as a small, burrowing species, there is very little information available on this snake.  Only a limited number of historical records of the snake have been documented, all of which have been found on the Atlantic coastal ridge (Volusia to Palm Beach County). Very few comprehensive studies have been done on Florida crowned snakes, none of which focused on this subspecies. Because of its small range and limited data, the coastal dunes crowned snake has been categorized as a species of greatest conservation need by the FWC. 

The FWC’s Wildlife Legacy Initiative and Regional Operations Subsection are collaborating with partners who manage public lands in the agency’s Northeast region within the species’ habitat (Volusia, Brevard, and Indian River Counties) to identify the basic distribution of this snake and document the habitats it is using. FWC staff also are collecting genetic samples to contribute to an ongoing genetic assessment of Florida crowned snakes at the University of Florida to identify its relationship to the other two subspecies of Florida crowned snakes. Filling this gap in distribution and taxonomic knowledge for the coastal dunes crowned snake (CDCS) will help inform decision-making as to whether the snake meets criteria to be listed as a state-threatened species or subspecies. It will also provide preliminary information on areas potentially critical to CDCS conservation. With funding from a Conserve Wildlife Tag Grant provided by The Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida, the objectives of this study are to:

• Determine the effectiveness of carpet tile cover objects (see photo) as a methodology for surveying CDCS.
• Conduct presence surveys of CDCS on public lands in Volusia, Brevard and Indian River Counties.
• Collect genetic samples to assess the taxonomy of this subspecies in relation to the other Florida crowned snake subspecies.

This study began in July 2018 and will continue through April 2019. Using 24” x 24” carpet tiles as cover objects, sites are set up in scrub, sandhill, coastal strand and xeric hammock habitat along the Atlantic coastal ridge and checked weekly. Carpet was suggested as the preferred cover object material because it easily conforms to the sand and provides cover for these snakes. A field technician was hired to check cover objects daily, identify new sites to sample and process snakes for the project’s duration. To date, this study has resulted in the capture and sampling (size and shape measurements, photographs, habitat assessment, and genetic sampling) of two CDCS. Additionally, two new CDCS records have been acquired from Brevard County employees based on GPS locations, dates and photo documentation to add to historic records.

Major partners for this project include: FWC’s Wildlife and Habitat Management Section, Brevard County’s Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Air Force, and Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Genetic assessments for this project are being conducted by Dr. Coleman Sheehy with the University of Florida. For more information about this project, please contact Anna Deyle, NE Wildlife Legacy Biologist (Anna.Deyle@MyFWC.com) or Tyler Turner, NE Assistant Regional Biologist (Tyler.Turner@MyFWC.com).

In the colder months, Florida manatees can be found aggregating in both natural (springs) and artificial (power plants) warm-water refuges. Unlike other marine mammals and despite their size, manatees do not have a true blubber layer and need to seek out warmer waters when Gulf and oceanic water temperatures drop. Springs in Florida remain a constant 72°F year-round, offering respite from colder winter waters. Manatees can be observed in aggregations in these areas with increased presence in adjacent waterways as the manatees move in and out of the springs during the day in search of food before returning to the springs for the night. If manatees remain in cold waters too long, they become susceptible to cold stress syndrome, a condition similar to frost bite or hypothermia. To ensure that these warm-water refuges are protected and that the manatees remain undisturbed, some springs and powerplants are designated as No Entry zones in the winter months. Several of these warm-water refuges also offer the opportunity to view the manatees from elevated viewing platforms or boardwalks without disturbance. While a recent manatee population estimate is larger than previously reported and adult survival rates are high, threats such as boat strikes, harmful algal blooms, marine debris entanglement and ingestion, and cold stress syndrome persist. To help reduce human-related impacts of Florida manatees, there are numerous ways you can help.

• Respect posted/no entry zones.
• Keep a lookout for manatees while boating, adhere to all posted slow speed zones and wear polarized glasses to help you spot manatees better.
• Keep your distance. Do not pursue or harass manatees.
• When kayaking or paddle boarding, do not paddle over manatees. They can often be found in shallow warmer waters in the winter where the presence of paddlers can cause them to become startled. Their sudden movement can overturn paddlers.
• Keep the waterways clean and debris free. Reduce and/or eliminate use of fertilizers.
• Never feed or provide water (such as hoses) to manatees. It changes their behavior by habituating them to people and boats/marinas which can be harmful or even deadly.
• Always practice passive observation of manatees should you find yourself in the water with them.
• If you should find a sick, injured or stranded manatee, do NOT try to push it back into the water. Call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Toll-Free Number 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or *FWC from your cell phone immediately.

Manatees are a listed and protected species, and we want to see the Florida population continue to thrive. 

Some manatee viewing areas:

https://www.tampaelectric.com/company/mvc/

http://www.visitmanateelagoon.com/

http://www.threesistersspringsvisitor.org/page/By%20Boardwalk

1. What is your title? Conservation Science Coordinator
2. What organization do you work for? Marine Discovery Center, a small nonprofit in New Smyrna Beach that focuses on environmental education and outreach
3. What type of work do you do? Community-based shoreline restoration and citizen science projects.
4. What project(s) have you recently been working on? Phew, a variety of things! I run our organization’s citizen science programs. We partner with ongoing research projects around the state and get our community members involved in real scientific research programs. Right now, we’re focusing our efforts on nesting horseshoe crabs, water quality, seagrass health and density and microplastics. I run our organization’s oyster recycling program called Shuck & Share. We have been working to grow Shuck & Share and have expanded the program into six counties in Florida. Collectively, all counties and organizations in Florida have recycled 4.1 million pounds of oyster shells since 2014. I also coordinate Project H2O, a collaborative effort to get local government, NGOs, universities and community members in the same room to discuss problems and solutions to water quality issues in Volusia County. Lastly, I have been assisting the FWC with the creation of living shoreline workshops aimed at professionals in the area. The goal of this program is to get professionals comfortable enough to create living shorelines on private properties. Sometimes I also get to moonlight as Oakie the Oyster or a real-life mermaid during outreach events.
5. How long have you been working in the coastal environment, and what are some lessons you have learned? I grew up along the coast of South Carolina, and I have had the privilege to get involved with volunteer work along our coasts early in life. Professionally, I have been working in this field for four years and have learned many things. First, volunteers are the biggest asset to any community-based project. Finding and hanging on to hardworking, trained volunteers makes the work so much easier, it makes it more fun, and it helps the volunteers feel connected to what is happening in their community. Secondly, working out in the field a lot has taught me to always bring a change of clothes! I cannot tell you how many times I have left a fieldwork day soaking wet without another pair of shoes or T-shirt. It is always better to be over prepared than under prepared. Lastly, I have learned that everyone receives information in a different way. Since taking over citizen science programs, I have gotten the opportunity to tweak the way our volunteers learn about various protocols. Not everyone is a visual learner, so we have incorporated hands-on training into our workshops in addition to videos and PowerPoint presentations. It has helped our volunteers learn better and feel more confident when working their programs.
6. What do you think is the greatest threat to coastal ecosystems, and what action(s) should be undertaken to address it? There is no one answer for what is the greatest threat to coastal ecosystems, I think everything is connected and there isn’t one way to protect our coastal environments. I think reducing our carbon footprint, reducing our single-use plastics and reducing our use of lawn chemicals can have a positive influence, but the only way to do all of that is to educate your friends and neighbors on the problems and solutions.
7. What is your favorite coastal animal, and why? The oyster! These little guys are not cute, but they are salty and delicious, a keystone species in Florida and a great component to shoreline health! I love watching and listening to their shells “snap” closed in low tide.
8. Do you have a message you would like to share with readers of this newsletter? Saving our coastal ecosystems is a daunting task, and sometimes at this job I feel tired and defeated. However, with the power of positive thinking, strong partnerships and many, MANY volunteers we can make a difference in our small coastal communities.

This issue’s Critter of the Quarter is the sunray venus clam (Macrocallista nimbosa), a large, attractive, native bivalve distributed in waters from North Carolina to Texas. Oblong in shape, sunray venus clams can attain a length of 7.6 cm in in a year.

The shells of sunray venus clams, commonly found on Florida beaches, are hinged and have interlocking grooves, or cardinal teeth, that help them fit tightly together with the help of a ligament and two adductor muscles. A soft membrane, or mantle, lines the shell and secretes calcium carbonate and proteins that form the hard shell. Clams have no eyes, but they respond to touch, vibrations and chemical cues in their environment. They have two tubes, or siphons, that extend or retract in response to predators or fluctuations in water quality. Water flows in though one siphon, carrying oxygen and food particles over the gills and mantle. Millions of tiny hairs, or cilia, work together to push water from the other siphon, expelling the filtered water and waste. Because clams are filter feeders, they absorb whatever pollutants are present, making them good indicators of the overall health of a water body.

Clams begin life as males but often change to females. Approximately half of the population will undergo this sex change, which usually occurs by the end of the first year. In Florida, spawning occurs in spring and fall when water temperatures reach ~73°F. The release of sperm into the water by males stimulates females to expel eggs. A female may spawn several times each year, producing millions of eggs. Within 12-14 hours, the fertilized egg hatches into a microscopic creature called a trochophore, which is fringed with cilia to help it move. In less than a day, it transforms into a veliger, a free-swimming animal with tiny wing-like lobes that propel it through the water. The foot, shell and body organs begin to form during this stage which lasts 6-10 days. As the tiny shell develops, the veliger drops to the sea floor and sends out thin filaments to hold it in place. As the clam matures, a muscular foot will replace these filaments, allowing the clam to bury itself in the sediments with only its siphons protruding.

The sunray venus clam was commercially harvested along the northwest coast of Florida in the 1960-70s. However, attempts at locating additional populations were not successful and the fishery became inactive. Due to its high growth rate, this species was identified as a candidate for the shellfish aquaculture industry. To provide the impetus needed to advance production and distribution of this species, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences launched Project VENUS in 2014. This project provides the necessary infrastructure via a public-private partnership to advance the production and distribution of the clam through demonstration, education and technology transfer to seed suppliers, growers, and wholesalers.