Chesapeake Quarterly
December 2008, Vol. 7 No. 4

Tracking Terrapins, Training Scientists

Biologist Willem Roosenburg, born and raised in Southern Maryland, has been tracking terrapin populations along the Patuxent for 22 summers now, compiling one of the longest-running natural history studies of this well-known Maryland native. Working with him this past summer were students from Ohio University where he teaches and from the University of Maryland where the diamondback terrapin is the school mascot. Also assisting were two field biologists sent from Myanmar where the Burmese roofed turtle has become an endangered species.

According to Roosenburg's records, terrapin populations in the Patuxent have dropped 75 percent in the last 12 years.



Featured Photographers

Maryland Sea Grant Writers and Editors

Jeff Brainard, writer and communications director, brainard@mdsg.umd.edu

Michael W. Fincham, writer and film producer, fincham@mdsg.umd.edu

Sandy Rodgers, art director and editor, rodgers@mdsg.umd.edu

Other Photographers

Chesapeake Quarterly also features the photography of others, including professional photographer Skip Brown. Brown began shooting for Maryland Sea Grant right out of college in the early 1980s and over the years has produced many classic Bay photographs.

Rights to the photographs in this gallery are owned by the photographer or by Maryland Sea Grant. Contact Skip Brown (skipbrownphoto@gmail.com) to inquire about the purchase of his photographs. For use of other photographs, contact Sandy Rodgers (rodgers@mdsg.umd.edu).

Photo Gallery
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