WINTER/SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 35
Photos by Jack Kotz
Guillette’s primary research
interest concerned the influence of
environmental contaminants on
the developmental genetics and
reproductive biology of wildlife and
humans. This was exactly what we
wanted to know: is the water quality in
our many lakes and ponds sufficient to
allow this important part of Kiawah’s
ecology to thrive?
When we asked if he could
incorporate Kiawah Island into
his broader study of the alligator
population on the southeast coast,
he was enthusiastic. As he told us,
“the alligator population at Kiawah
Island, South Carolina is a unique and
exceptional resource for expanded
studies on basic crocodilian biology.
First, this population largely exists
in an ‘urban’ environment and as
such faces a unique combination
of conservation threats including
habitat loss and alteration (e.g., from
development), environmental pollution
(chemical exposure from golf course,
lawn, pond, and pest management),
harvest due to human-alligator conflict
(e.g., ‘nuisance’ animals), disease (e.g.,
numerous animals are found dead
of unknown causes on the island
annually), and climate change (e.g.,
increasing salinity in aquatic habitats
as a result of sea level rise, influences
of local temperature shifts on egg
incubation temperatures).”
Professor Guillette also told us
that, “Despite these threats Kiawah
Island appears to support a relatively
robust alligator population, and may
be a mod [