Page 6 - Jupiter West - April '21
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Page 6, Jupiter West
      Sea Turtle Nesting Season Returns To Palm Beach



      County With ‘Respect The Locals’ Campaign



        Researchers at                                     During periods of heavier wind or wave action on   sightseeing. Situated on one of the world’s most important
      Loggerhead Marinelife                              Florida’s coastline, sea turtle eggs may become exposed.   sea turtle nesting beaches, Loggerhead Marinelife Center
      Center (LMC) are                                   LMC advises beachgoers to leave exposed eggs and nests   is open daily and hosts over 350,000 guests free-of-charge
      keeping a watchful eye                             untouched; disoriented hatchlings should be brought to the   each year. The center’s conservation team works with 90
      for the return of sea                              center’s 24-hour hatchling rescue cooler, which is located   local and international organizations across six continents
      turtle nesting season                              at the entrance of the center. Threatened and endangered   to form partnerships and share conservation initiatives
      in Palm Beach County                               hatchlings should be transported with extreme care, in a   and best practices that are core to its mission of ocean
      and have kicked off its                            bucket with damp sand and no water, to prevent accidental   conservation. The center is expanding and has launched
      “Respect the Locals”                               drowning.                                         its Waves of Progress capital expansion campaign,
      awareness campaign.                                  If you discover a sick, injured or stranded sea turtle,   designed to accelerate and amplify LMC’s conservation
      Between March 1 and                                please call Florida Fish and  Wildlife Conservation   and education impact. When complete, the facility will
      Oct. 31, sea turtles nest                          Commission (FWC) or LMC’s Sea  Turtle Stranding   offer one of the world’s most advanced and unique
      on the 9.5-mile stretch                            Hotline at (561) 603-0211.                        experiences for guests and
      of beach that LMC                                    Want to help protect nesting and hatching sea   scientific partners. For
      monitors, which spans                              turtles this season? Use the #respectthelocals and   more information, visit
      from the northern Palm                             #loggerheadmarinelifecenter hashtags to keep social media   www.marinelife.org or call
      Beach County line to  Morning surveys (Jennifer    users informed and engaged this nesting season. Follow   (561) 627-8280.
      the northern boundary  Reilly, LMC research operations   LMC’s social media and website for Respect the Locals
      of John D. MacArthur  manager)                     information, materials, and merchandise.
      Beach State Park.                                  Loggerhead Marinelife Center
      Last year, the center                                Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) is a nonprofit sea
      documented 16,935                                  turtle research, rehabilitation and educational institution
      sea turtle nests totaling                          that promotes conservation of ocean ecosystems with
      286 leatherback,                                   a focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles. The
      13,059 loggerhead and                              center features an on-site hospital, research laboratory,
      3,590 green sea turtle                             educational exhibits and aquariums, and also operates
      nests. Additionally, it’s                          the Juno Beach Pier, which hosts world-class angling and   Nesting leatherback (storm) Loggerhead hatchling
      estimated that 800,000
      hatchlings  w ere
      produced from the
      2020 nesting season
      alone.
        However , the  Hatchling emergence                                                                      You’re Retired
      previous nesting
      season had some advantages due to temporary beach                                                         Your Money Isn’t.
      closures. According to LMC data, loggerhead nesting
      success on Juno Beach was 60 percent when they first
      arrived in April during closures, whereas nesting success                                                  To learn why consolidating your
      dropped to 48 percent when beaches reopened. In short, the                                                 retirement accounts to Edward Jones
      data showed that there were a smaller proportion of false                                                  makes sense, c
      crawls during the shutdown, which is when nesting females
      crawl onto the beach and return to the water without laying
      eggs.
        As mothers return, it’s especially important to remind
      beachgoers of best practices during the season. This                Sally S Stahl, AAMS®
      includes:                                                           Financial Advisor                       www.edwardjones.com
        • Keeping your distance: Never approach or touch a                                                        M   e m b  P I S   r e  C
      nesting sea turtle. Keep your distance, always stay out of the      1851 W Indiantown Rd Ste 106
      line of sight, remain quiet and keep all lights off (including      Jupiter, FL 33458
      flash photography and cell phones). Touching, prodding or           561-748-7600
      shining lights may cause her to not lay eggs or disturb her
      and affect how well she covers and camouflages the nest.
        • Letting hatchlings emerge: If you see hatchlings on the
      beach, allow them to crawl to the ocean on their own. Do
      not remove or dig hatchlings out of a nest. Removing sand
      above the nest will make it more difficult for the hatchlings   CAMPBELL AND KARLIK, P.A.
      to emerge.
        • Turning off lights: Keep lights off at your house while                    ATTORNEYS AT LAW
      not in use and close your blinds at night to avoid adding
      to the overall glow. Sea turtles crawl towards the brightest
      horizon, and artificial lighting can cause them to disorient.
        • Filling in your holes: Fill in all holes and knock over              Wills • Trusts • Estate Planning • Probate
      sand castles so that nesting turtles and hatchlings do not
      fall into them and are not hindered as they crawl on the                   Taxation • Real Estate • Corporations
      beach.
      Do Not
        • Leave it behind: Remove obstacles such as beach
      chairs, tables, water-sport equipment and umbrellas before
      dark. A turtle nests every 3 to 4 feet. Therefore, there are
      high chances of puncturing sea turtle nests or eggs when
      umbrellas are staked into the ground.
        • Dig holes: Avoid digging holes or using shovels in
      order to not interfere with incubating sea turtle nests.
        • Be a litterbug: Do not leave any trash behind. Trash can
      hinder nesting and hatchling turtles from crawling to and
      from the beach. Also, sea turtles may accidentally ingest
      trash left behind.
        • Release balloons: Don’t release balloons, they travel
      far distances and can be eaten by sea turtles and other
      marine organisms.
        • Host bonfires: Bonfires may be accidentally situated
      on a nesting site. Also, hatchlings can often be lured or                           Diane L. KarLiK
      disoriented by light emitted by fires.
        “It’s apparent that the temporary beach closures from last
      season led to fewer obstructions and human interactions for
      nesting sea turtles,” said Dr. Justin Perrault, LMC’s director                                                     Tel: (561) 625-5220
      of research. “However, we can’t rely on closures to do the   3450 Northlake Boulevard Suite 210        Fax: (561) 625-5201• Mobile: (561) 797-5004
      work for us. Rather, it’s important for us to follow proven   Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33403                       EMail: dlkarlik@aol.com
      methods that contribute to a successful nesting season. ”
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