Sea turtle enthusiasts were really diggin’ the Coastal Connections Turtle Dig last Wednesday morning, getting a close look at a recently hatched loggerhead sea turtle nest. Coastal Connections conducts these free public nest excavation and evaluation experiences three days after hatchlings begin their crawl to the surface, generally about 60 days after the nest was laid.
There are currently 27 nests marked for educational purposes in the area, with the remainder monitored but left unmarked. Early each morning, members of the Indian River County Coastal Engineering Division, Coastal Connections and other volunteers note the locations and types of nests laid during the night along our beaches. Nesting season runs March 1 to Oct. 31, and thus far, 4,407 loggerheads, 598 green turtles and 23 leatherbacks have nested locally.
Kendra Cope, Coastal Connections founding director, explained to the crowd of more than 60 onlookers that her volunteers would measure changes in the height of the sand surrounding the marked nest, before carefully digging down to count the number of eggs in the clutch, both hatched and unhatched.
The evaluation complete, Cope happily reported that 109 eggs had been found, approximately the average number of eggs laid by loggerheads. Of those 109 eggs, 106 had hatched and there were no hatchlings left behind, an excellent outcome.
Giving them the ultimate ooh and ahh moment, one of the county’s sea turtle surveyors brought over six hatchlings he had found in a nest earlier that morning, which attendees admired before they were released into the ocean – a rare treat indeed.
Each of the 27 education nests has been “adopted,” said Cope. Adopters receive educational updates on the stages of their nest’s development, including the types of environmental influences, such as water temperature, that could affect their nest’s hatchling success rate.
They’re also given a front row seat during the dig along with an informational adoption packet with the nest’s results.
“It helps them to connect in a different way; to be a part of that conservation process,” noted Cope.
Through conservation efforts and education, sea turtle conservationists have observed a notable rise in the number of nests laid each year, including some 6,000 nests on Indian River County beaches annually. Considered a keystone species, sea turtles help keep beaches healthy.
“Sea turtles are such an ecologically important animal to keep around,” said Cope.
“We have three different species that utilize our beaches for nesting. Each of them makes a lot of nests on this beach, which helps fertilize our dunes, keeping our beaches healthy. This helps grasses grow on the dunes that protect all of our upland development. When they are in the water, they are mixing nutrients and creating a home for other animals, feeding fish, keeping coral reefs and seagrass beds clean and managed; they manage other ecosystems.”
She stressed that the removal and reduction of plastic debris, and eliminating artificial lighting along the beaches during turtle season are essential to ensure sea turtle survival.
Once these tiny hatchlings leave the nest, they begin a perilous 20-year journey to adulthood, before returning to lay their nests on the local beaches where they were hatched.
Coastal Connections helps to protect coastal habitats by educating and connecting people to the environment. This year, its volunteers have participated in six coastal cleanups, removing 1,383 pounds of debris, and during turtle digs have rescued 43 hatchlings.
From noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 25, Coastal Connections is teaming up with Walking Tree Brewery to host a Green Grand Prix – a recycled soapbox derby car race aimed at promoting litter reduction through recycling.
To register for a free Turtle Dig or Turtle Nesting Walk, or for more information, visit coastal-connections.org.
Photos by Kaila Jones
