In Florida we share the beaches with snowbirds otherwise known as tourists, the remains of fossil fuel drilling debacles and the original owners; the magnificent, ancient reptilian Sea Turtles.
My life has revolved around the beach and the seasonal changes to its environment. Living in close proximity to these natural changes has made me sensitive to the lives of the creatures with whom we share this environment. So it is that as the future of Sea Turtles has been endangered by human encroachment, climate change, water acidification and pollution I have become active in trying to protect these vulnerable creatures.
Sea turtles are a protected species in Florida ocean waters
Five species of sea turtles inhabit Florida's waters during some of the year. Florida's nesting sea turtles include the loggerhead (most common), and leatherback (least common). During the summer months, there are approximately 50,000 sea turtles in Florida. This makes it the most important nesting area in the United States. Other species of sea turtles that frequent Florida waters but generally do not nest here include the Hawksbill and the Kemp's Ridley.
In Florida, sea turtles come ashore to nest beginning in May and hatching continues until late October. A female can lay several nests during one season and only nests every two or three years. The hard process of nesting takes hours. A turtle must drag her massive weight out of the water to the dunes. She uses her back flippers to dig a hole and deposits about one hundred rubbery eggs, each the size of a ping-pong ball. The turtle disguises the nest by flinging sand over it. Once she leaves the nest, she never returns.
Protecting the nests is where our work begins. Throughout the summer months and nesting season there are many of us on call 24/7 to see that as many as possible of the turtle eggs survive to hatching and successfully make their march to the sea where they will spend the rest of their lives. First thing we do is set up warning signs.
We often set up cages around the nests to protect from natural predators such as sea birds, snakes and humans too!
Here are tracks that Mama Sea Turtle leaves as she makes her way to and from her nest and back to the sea.
An uncovered Sea Turtle nest. Nests are checked several times daily for predators and also temperature. This is becoming more of a problem as planet warming advances. If the sand around the eggs hits 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), the gender balance shifts to females. and at about 32 degrees (89.6 Fahrenheit) they are all female. Above 34 (93), “you get boiled eggs,” So if the internal temperature of sea turtle nests approaches 86F the nest must be moved to a cooler climate.
On some nesting beaches, scientists are artificially cooling nests with shade or irrigation and trying to protect broader areas of coastal property from development to ensure that turtles have a place to nest as the seas rise.
Here are the adorable results of a successful hatching. It's difficult to take photos of newly hatched sea turtles on their return to the sea because you can not use artificial light as their instincts take them to the brightest horizon and they can become disoriented. Often, you only have the moon light to guide you.
Sea turtles have been in the news lately as the US government is being sued for failing to take urgent steps for loggerheads' survival, required by the Endangered Species Act
The suit, brought by the Centre for Biological Diversity, Oceana Inc and Turtle Island Restoration, cited the destruction or degradation of nesting and foraging habitats, pollution including oil spills, climate change and sea level rise among other threats to the long-term survival of the marine turtles.
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Defendants named in the lawsuit include the National Marine Fisheries Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
"The services are depriving this critically imperiled species of significant legal protections that are important for its conservation and recovery, especially in light of the continuing negative effects of climate change and commercial fishing activities which include the use of harmful longlines, trawls and gillnets," the lawsuit said.
And so our work continues.