Trained volunteers monitoring 250 miles of beaches in Florida counted 58,172 loggerhead nests, one of the highest counts since monitoring began in 1989.
Threatened loggerhead sea turtles had a banner nesting year in 2012, according to data compiled by state wildlife researchers.
Trained volunteers that monitor 250 miles of beaches in Florida counted 58,172 loggerhead nests, one of the highest counts since monitoring began in 1989.
Nesting on these beaches peaked at 59,918 nests in 1998, and hit a low of 28,074 in 2007.
“After a steep decline in Florida loggerhead nesting between 1998 and 2007, nesting has risen over the past five years,” said Blair Witherington, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission research scientist.
“We’re pleased to see this increase, but we recognize that loggerheads, and other sea turtle species, still face many challenges.”
As hatchlings will continue to emerge from nests through November, people are asked to stay at a distance if they spot sea turtles on the beach. People are also asked to remove beach furniture and other objects from the beach at night so there is a clear path for hatchlings to make it to the water.
In the U.S., 90 percent of all loggerhead nesting occurs in Florida, the majority of which takes place along the state’s east coast. The loggerhead is the most common sea turtle species to nest in Florida.
Green turtles and leatherbacks, both federally endangered species, also nest on Florida beaches, primarily on the east coast, and their nesting numbers have been increasing over time.
Since tracking began in 1989, green turtle nesting in Florida has increased about tenfold. This year, surveyors found 6,054 green turtle nests, down from last year but within normal year-to-year fluctuation.
Leatherback nesting in Florida also has been on the rise since monitoring began. For the 2012 season, surveyors counted 515 leatherback nests on index beaches. Only 45 leatherback nests were counted on the same beaches in 1989.
For more information about trends in sea turtle nest counts, visit http://myfwc.com/Research.