eggs taken from a nest, 90% were found to be fertile, and 75%
hatched. However, very careful experimental measurements
at the Hollings Laboratory revealed two compounds, PFOS
and PFDA, to be present in alligator body fluids in a larger
amount than at other comparable sites and on par with that
found at Cape Kennedy. (PFOS is a compound based on
perfluorooctanoic acid and PFDA is perfluorodecanoic acid.
They are both widely found in our environment, having been
used as surfactants and in fire-fighting fluids, among many
other applications, for some time. Both can have long-term
health effects.)
It is only speculation at this point, but the team thinks the
alligators may have acquired the compounds by spending
time in the salt marshes of the Kiawah River. Both chemicals
are known to be in the waters of Charleston Harbor. The data
on these analyses have been reported at several scientific
meetings and will be published in the widely respected
journal Chemosphere.
Much more needs to be done over a long period of time
42
to answer questions regarding “our” alligators. For the 2016
season Thomas Rainwater and his team will capture up to
40 animals, hopefully with an equal sex balance, and they
will continue to take samples of body fluids for analysis at
the Hollings Laboratory. In addition, as described in detail
in another article in this issue of Naturally Kiawah, captured
animals will be tagged with colored, numbered tags, and
VHF radio tags will be placed on a few animals. Tagging the
animals may begin to answer the question of the range of the
typical alligator. In addition, it will add to the work of another
South Carolina biologist who found that captured animals did
indeed avoid later human contact. This last fact is in all of our
best interests.
The overarching reason for our interest in understanding
our alligator population, and its health, goes back to a
statement that Lou Guillette made when we began the work.
“If the environment is healthy for the alligators, then it is
healthy for us.” We hope the studies now being done help to
ensure the health of their environment and ours. NK