Page 14 - Southern Exposure - April '21

Page 14, Southern Exposure

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Sea Turtle Nesting Season Returns To Palm Beach

County With ‘Respect The Locals’ Campaign

Researchers at Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) are hatchlings were • Letting hatchlings
keeping a watchful eye for the return of sea turtle nesting produced from the emerge: If you see
season in Palm Beach County and have kicked off its “Respect 2020 nesting season hatchlings on the beach,
the Locals” awareness campaign. Between March 1 and Oct. alone. allow them to crawl to
31, sea turtles nest on the 9.5-mile stretch of beach that LMC However, the the ocean on their own.
monitors, which spans from the northern Palm Beach County previous nesting Do not remove or dig
line to the northern boundary of John D. MacArthur Beach season had some hatchlings out of a nest.
State Park. Last year, the center documented 16,935 sea turtle advantages due to Removing sand above
nests totaling 286 leatherback, 13,059 loggerhead and 3,590 temporary beach the nest will make it
green sea turtle nests. Additionally, it’s estimated that 800,000 closures. According to more difficult for the
LMC data, loggerhead hatchlings to emerge.
nesting success on • Turning off lights:
Juno Beach was 60 Keep lights off at your
percent when they house while not in use
first arrived in April and close your blinds
during closures, Hatchling emergence at night to avoid adding Morning surveys (Jennifer
whereas nesting to the overall glow. Sea Reilly, LMC research operations
success dropped to 48 percent when beaches reopened. In turtles crawl towards the manager)
short, the data showed that there were a smaller proportion brightest horizon, and
of false crawls during the shutdown, which is when nesting artificial lighting can cause them to disorient.
females crawl onto the beach and return to the water without • Filling in your holes: Fill in all holes and knock over sand
laying eggs. castles so that nesting turtles and hatchlings do not fall into
As mothers return, it’s especially important to remind them and are not hindered as they crawl on the beach.
beachgoers of best practices during the season. This includes: Do Not
• Keeping your distance: Never approach or touch a nesting • Leave it behind: Remove obstacles such as beach chairs,
sea turtle. Keep your distance, always stay out of the line of tables, water-sport equipment and umbrellas before dark. A
sight, remain quiet and keep all lights off (including flash turtle nests every 3 to 4 feet. Therefore, there are high chances
photography and cell phones). Touching, prodding or shining of puncturing sea turtle nests or eggs when umbrellas are staked
lights may cause her to not lay eggs or disturb her and affect into the ground.
how well she covers and camouflages the nest.

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