Mrs. Nubs, a two-legged, ten-year-old turtle, is the Marine Biology Lab’s newest resident.
Each summer, Waynesburg’s Marine Biology Program sends students to intern with Project Terrapin and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation at the Jacques Cousteau National Estuary Research Reserve. During the most recent trip in June, Mrs. Nubs was captured and deemed unable to survive in the wild – so she was brought back to Waynesburg, where she is recovering.
Wayne Rossiter, assistant biology professor, hopes that the Northern Diamondback Terrapin will be able to return to the wild someday. Mrs. Nubs can swim with her two back legs, but the wounds on her front legs may reopen from walking on land.
At Waynesburg, Mrs. Nubs’ habitat consists of a large 400-gallon tub, complete with a soft-sand beach area and UV and sun lights for basking.
The Marine Biology Lab
In the Marine Biology Lab, students observe and study many species of fish and oceanic life. Inside the lab are multiple tanks and large aquaria, including an aqua cube used for healing fish and a Caribbean tank that contains live rock from Fiji. Students help take care of and learn to maintain the facility starting freshman year, providing essential professional training skills beyond the classroom.
