Assessing risks from harbor dredging to the northernmost population of diamondback terrapins using acoustic telemetry

The northern diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) is a saltmarsh-dependent turtle that occupies coastal habitats throughout much of the Atlantic coast of North America. We used a novel application of acoustic telemetry to quantify both mobility and occupancy of terrapins within a dredged harbor and surrounding habitats, and used these metrics to quantify relative risk to individuals posed by harbor dredging. Terrapins showed strong fidelity to brumating areas within subdrainages, but extensive movements between these zones during the active period. Activity was greatest in late spring and early summer, declining to near zero by December. Occupancy of the dredge zone was also greatest during spring and summer and declined throughout the autumn months to an annual minimum during winter. Taken together, these data indicate that risks from harbor dredging are minimized during the autumn and early winter months.