Turtle Cove

Turtle Cove

Mission Statement

The mission of the Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station (Turtle Cove ERS) is to facilitate and support a better understanding of Southeast Louisiana's coastal wetland environments through research, education, and public outreach activities and programs for Southeastern's students, faculty and staff as well as the greater University community.
 
Follow us now on Instagram at our account: turtlecove_selu

 

Tour Information

Our Galva Canal Boatshed Complex in Manchac is in full operation, however our Turtle Cove facilities on Pass Manchac (i.e., the main Turtle Cove Guest House/Boardwalk) are still undergoing renovations/restotraion from Hurricane Ida. We are doing education/outreach field trips to Turtle Cove two days per week in Spring 2024---Mondays and Wednesdays, approx. 9/9:30am-12/12:30pm. For more information contact Turtle Cove Education Coordinator Ariel Ebanks (ariel.ebanks@selu.edu) to arrrange a date for your trip. 
 
Note that under our "Education and Outreach" link we have several on-line (virtual) types of activities that your groups can do and participate in in case your group is not able to attend our actual on-site field trips for whatever reason (i.e., weather conditions, future covid restrictions, etc.). Thank you, and we look forward to working with your group.

 

Current News and Events

The Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project real-time water quality buoy data is now available on the project website here. Visit the homepage of the project here for more information on the monitoring study, research teams, and other sampling data. 
 
Year In Review: See our most recent Annual Report for CY 2023 here.
 
Deployment of donated Christmas trees from the 2023 holiday season has begun! 

 

About Turtle Cove

Station History

Turtle Cove itself is a historic structure located in the wetlands on Pass Manchac, a natural pass that connects Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas in southeastern Louisiana. The building was built in 1908 and is home to a variety of ecological and environmental research and educational programs. See our 20-minute Public Relations video at the bottom of this page for more information about everything we do at Turtle Cove.single tree in the swamp
 
We invite you to visit the station itself, possibly as a student, volunteer, community member, researcher, or educator. Join us on a field trip or an ecosystem tour, begin a new research project, or attend one of our teacher workshops. We also ask that you consider helping to support our programs by making a donation to Turtle Cove through our Southeastern Foundation.

  

What goes on at Turtle Cove? 

  • University classes (at both undergraduate and graduate levels)
  • Professional Interdisciplinary Research and collaborative opportunities, primarily in biology (wetland ecology, cypress restoration, aquatic microbiology, entomology, herpetology, etc), but also environmental issues in chemistry, history, economics, education, the arts, and more, and not only from Southeastern, but other regional universities as well.
  • Marsh Restoration Programs (Christmas Tree Recycling Program)---in the past 26 years Turtle Cove staff have deployed over 40,000 Christmas Trees in the surrounding marshes of Turtle Cove for the benefits of erosion control, habitat creation, diversion of trees from landfills and for hands-on environmental work.  Turtle Cove also partners with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana in helping to replant cypress trees in the area.

 

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Troubled Waters: A History of Manchac

Ecosystem and Turtle Cove (2019)

 

Turtle Cove Public Relations Video  (2012)

  

If you visited Turtle Cove or participated in any Turtle Cove activities, please take a moment to fill out the Turtle Cove Satisfaction Survey. It takes about one minute to complete and is anonymous, and will help us provide a better Turtle Cove experience for everyone. Thank you.