The diamondback terrapins that live in the Oyster Bay-Cold Spring Harbor estuary gained new supporters after listening to the presentation by Dr. Matthew Draud, chair of the Biology Department at Long Island University's C.W. Post Campus. He spoke of their plight at the Friends of the Bay annual meeting on May 8 at the Sagamore Yacht Club. Dr. Draud and his students have been working on several terrapin research projects for the past four years.

Dr. Draud's talk focused on several points: the health of the terrapins; their movements in the bay; their nesting areas; their population figures and the resulting information that the hatchlings need a viable habitat. He said that while the terrapins themselves are healthy, they have a great immune system, most have scars from being hit by boat propellers. Their great immune systems make them able to repair the physical damage and continue to thrive.

They have done research on the adult terrapin's movements in the bay and have learned about their nesting habits. The terrapins favor an area near the present Oak Neck Athletic field and Dr. Draud said they need the town to put up a fence to protect their nests. He showed a picture of SUVs parked in the area, although, he said, there is sufficient parking at Centre Island Beach.

Oyster Bay Town Councilman said the town would get involved in helping the terrapins. (The audience applauded and cheered in response to his statement.) Mr. Coschignano said, "I grew up on those beaches as a kid. My daughter was just born and I want her to be able to go there too."

Dr. Draud said the problem of the Diamondback terrapins in the OB/CSH estuary is that while there is a thriving adult population, there are no younger hatchlings coming along to replace them. Using their research on hatchling behavior he explained why few survive. The first is that raccoons raid their nests. "They are caviar to them," said Dr. Draud. The next big problem is that those who survive have a limited habitat to grow up in, the amount of Spartina alterniflora (salt marsh cord grass) and Spartina patens (salt hay) in the area is limited.

The diamondback terrapins are the only turtles in North America that exclusively inhabit the brackish waters of salt marshes, estuaries and tidal creeks. The species is native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States from Cape Cod to Texas.

Dr. Draud said in 1920 the terrapins sold for $90 a dozen and they were hunted to the extent that in 1930 they were believed to be extinct. In 1960 they were discovered on Long Island. There have been several studies done of the terrapins in the area of Centre Island Beach and Mill Neck Creek, so there is an existing data base for comparison, he said. The studies include the Marganoff study done in 1969-70 and the Steven Morreale population study done in 1991. From that information they know how large and how old the population was then. "The comparisons available made the population attractive to me (for study),' said Dr. Draud.

His group has continued the population survey, "tagging" the terrapins they find so that they can study them in the future. The existing terrapins are growing bigger. They have more eggs at 55 than at 50. The terrapins live about 50 years. The females are larger than the males and have more eggs as they age. What they have discovered is that there is an aging population of terrapins here, but that there are no babies, no new recruits for the ranks.

They have tried to mark the known nests to watch them, but it requires a great deal of work and attention. "They are producing lots of eggs. Most of the eggs are eaten by raccoons. Last year the team dug up every nest and counted the eggs and found each had about 13 eggs in it. They are about the size of ping-pong balls and are leathery, not hard as chicken eggs are. It takes 60 days for the eggs to hatch. Those born in September of last year are not the size of a fifty-cent piece.

The team put screens over the eggs and they hatched a hundred percent last year. The good news is "We can rejuvenate the population by protecting the nests," Dr. Draud said and identified the problem, that their "nursery" habitat, where they spend their first three years is too small as a result of the invasive fragmities grass. But, he said with hope, "Their preferred spartina marsh has been successfully recreated all over the country."

Dr. Draud said the team tried to protect the nests last year, but it takes an enormous effort. They used hardware cloth to cover the nests but they had to come back and take them off to allow the terrapins to escape from the nest "or else," (they die). He said it is better to create a good area for them to develop and suggested an area by the Mill Neck Rod & Gun Club, which he called an excellent place. They can extend the beach and add a salt marsh to the area with the proper vegetation for the baby terrapins. There are two forms of Spartina grass as a nursery habitat: Spartina alterniflora (salt marsh cord grass) and Spartina patens (salt hay).

Dave Relyea of Frank M. Flowers & Sons, Inc., said the Incorporated Village of Bayville has a one-acre preserve in the area and thought they would be interested in the project.

Dr. Draud said the terrapins ride the tides in to feed and go out again. "They are surfers to conserve their energy," he said. They surf in the Mill Neck Creek area. In September they expand their range for foraging getting ready for October when they hibernate - which most of the terrapins do in the same spot in Mill Neck Creek. That is posing another problem for the terrapins. The Village of Bayville is proposing to dredge Mill Neck Creek next October. He said it is the time the terrapins burrow down in the water. Through October to December they stay underwater, a few inches deep.

But Dr. Draud said he believes he can work with the Village of Bayville to prevent a problem.

Dr. Draud had some suggestions for people interfacing with terrapins. If you find a nest let it be. If the nest is dug up put sand over it and it will be fine. If you see a terrapin on your property call the project hotline, (516) 299-3040. If you see a turtle on a road, pick it up and gently carry it across the road in the direction it is already heading. (They know where they want to go.) Never take an adult or hatchling terrapin home because they need a combination of salt and fresh water - brackish water - and do not survive if captured.

As the program began, Louise Harrison, FOB executive director, said the group's main project this year was to work with the Town of Oyster Bay to begin planning the Eastern Waterfront. "We are encouraging them to apply for a state grant to help fund the planning process for a comprehensive plan," she said. "If we get the grant, which I think we will, we will find the accepted vision for the waterfront that people want and that will protect the estuary, our focus," she said.

Ms. Harrison added, "We are partnering with the Town of Oyster Bay on a grant called the Mill River Watershed Study and we will start working on that this year. FOB's role is to reach out to the land owners in the Mill Pond watershed area and give them information on the best management practices for curbing non-point source pollution that ends up in the Mill Pond and ultimately in Oyster Bay Harbor. We will be particularly reaching out to the horse farms and golf courses."