Decontamination Protocols

Like many researchers, we are concerned by the growing reports of turtle die-offs associated with Ranavirus and other pathogens. We take strong precautions to decontaminate equipment between sites. We follow the guidelines outlined by Miller and Gray (SEPARC 2009) including sterilizing equipment in bleach solution, minimizing disturbance, and not restraining animals in the same container during regular measuring and processing. Generally, we do not disturb individuals or populations except as a component of standardized population assessments contributing to larger conservation objectives. For more information, see Gray et al. (2009); Miller and Gray (2009); and Gray et al. (2012). We also take strong precaution with boats and traps to avoid transporting aquatic invasive plants.