Brian Crawford, PhD
decision scientist / conservation ecologist
Featured past projects
The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is an iconic species of turtle inhabiting salt marshes along the Eastern and Gulf Coasts of the US. Terrapins are declining across the majority of their range due to many threats, including high rates of mortality from vehicles and nest predation from raccoons on coastal roads. Since 2009, I have worked with faculty at UGA, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Georgia Department of Transportation, and other local partners to investigate how roads are impacting terrapin populations and what we can do about it. Our work focused on a regional hotspot of road mortality - the Jekyll Island Causeway (JIC) on Jekyll Island (JI), GA. We completed this work in stages, where we integrated different types of research, management, and engagement with stakeholders, to identify optimal decisions for the JIC that recover terrapins and satisfy Jekyll's patrons. Brief descriptions of the stages are below.
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Integrative conservation for diamondback terrapins on the Georgia Coast
2009-2016
Using collaborative decision making to address the questions: How are roads impacting terrapins and what can we do about it?
Questions
Objectives
Methods
Outcomes
Stage 1 - Are roads a threat to diamondback terrapins and how? (Fig a)
Estimate rates of road mortality & nest predation on the JIC, determine population impacts, & assess where & when peaks of terrapin mortality occur to use these as mgmt targets.
Road & nest monitoring, mark-recapture (Fig b), population modeling, spatial analysis
JI's terrapin population is declining from current threats. Without intervention, declines will continue. We found hot spots & hot moments to use when designing mgmt.
Stage 2 - What mgmt options will most satisfy stakeholders?
Measure attitudes of JI patrons toward different mgmt options to prioritize these based on public acceptability.
Sociological surveying, expert elicitation, public engagement
Mgmt options that did not impact driver safety or road aesthetics were most acceptable to JI patrons.
Stage 3 - Can these options reduce threats to terrapins?
Implement & estimate impacts of 2 novel mgmt actions on the JIC: 1) hybrid nest box barriers (Fig c) at a mortality hot spot, & 2) flashing warning signage (Figs d&e, similar to school zones) programmed to flash around daily high tides, corresponding with hot moments of mortality.
Management intervention, monitoring, population modeling
Hybrid barriers significantly reduced road mortality & nest predation. Flashing warning signage decreased terrapin-vehicle collisions by 30% when lights were flashing, presumably through more drivers being aware when traveling on the JIC.
Stage 4 - What mgmt strategies are best for people & the terrapin population on JI?
Use structured decision making to identify optimal decisions that meet social & ecological objectives for the JIC together with managers, researchers, & public groups (Fig f).
Structured decision making, stakeholder workshops, expert elicitation, population & decision modeling
Multiple mgmt actions are needed to sustain the terrapin population & ensure the safety & satisfaction of patrons on JI. Best actions include flashing warning signs, roadside barriers, & predator mgmt. We will continue to work with the Jekyll Island Authority to measure our success as these actions are implemented on the JIC.
Simplified version of Rare's integrative model to facilitate conservation behavior change
Applying a novel model for community-based conservation behavior change
2013-2016
Achieving conservation results through community-driven behavior change.
Through the Integrative Conservation PhD program at UGA, I completed a fellowship with the Conservation Research and Monitoring (CRM) team at Rare – an international conservation non-government organization based in Arlington, VA. Rare has targeted global conservation issues with a people-centric approach. Rare implements social marketing strategies, known as Pride campaigns, to motivate people in local communities tied to threatened natural resources to replace destructive behaviors with more sustainable ones, including reciprocal watershed agreements, adoption of fuel-efficient stoves, and community regulation of no-take zones for local fisheries. The Pride approach operates under an integrative behavior change model, and I collaborated with Rare staff to evaluate how effective campaigns have been at facilitating change. We conducted a meta-analysis across 84 campaigns and found the approach was significantly improving conservation knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors within communities worldwide. Our work showed that behavior change campaigns can be a viable tool, which has often been overlooked, for reducing human impacts on biodiversity while also inspirng people to be conservation stewards of their natural resources.