Interview with Gene Furchgott
How did you become involved in the loggerhead project?
I went to Porter Gaud High School with Rhett Talbert. It was
Rhett who asked me to work with Mac Rhodes who was a
filmmaking student at Duke University.
How long did it take to complete the project, and who
created the script?
The project lasted about four months from mid-summer into
fall. Originally, Rhett Talbert and Tom McKee created a rough
version of the script. Mac Rhodes and I then completed the
final version with voice over and music.
What was the most challenging part of the project?
Editing the script and tracking the loggerheads to the sand
dunes at night with floodlights.
Where are the students involved in the video today?
Mac Rhodes is a private forester and Treasurer of the South
Carolina Forestry Association. Tom McKee is a pediatrician
in Savannah. Rhett Talbert is a Presbyterian pastor in
Conway, South Carolina. Heyward Robinson is a private
environmental consultant in Charleston and was a staff
member of the South Carolina Coastal Council for many
years. J. Wyman Frampton, Jr. is an OBGYN in Charleston at
Creekside Women’s Care.
Did the students submit a written report?
The script and movie were initially the primary report.
The nesting and tagging study continued for several more
years after 1973 with support from Coastal Shores Inc. and
was expanded via state-wide aerial surveys. The results
were reported in a series of research articles in scientific
publications and presentations at sea turtle conferences.
Describe the most memorable moments during filming.
The night filming of the turtles laying eggs and the re lease of
the hatchlings.
Who was the faculty advisor for the project?
Dr. John Dean was the faculty advisor for Rhett Talbert who
submitted the grant proposal to the NSF.
Were there any specific improvements or changes made as a
result of the students’ research?
The original study and the follow up studies that continued
for three years were incorporated into the in-depth
environmental inventory commissioned by the Kuwait
Investment Company when it purchased Kiawah Island
and conducted through the Environmental Research
Center founded by Dr. Dean. The work was replicated on
many beaches in Georgia, Florida and other locations. The
collection of data on nesting, egg depredation and offshore
mortality resulted in restrictions on beachside lighting for
houses and roads, limitations on close inshore shrimping
in early summer and protection of nests from raccoons and
other predators. The developers of Kiawah Island limited
lighting and beach traffic as a result of recommendations by
the researchers. NK
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