{"id":2136,"date":"2023-04-19T10:31:31","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T14:31:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mote.org\/?p=2136"},"modified":"2024-06-12T14:37:30","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T18:37:30","slug":"motes-sea-turtle-patrol-finds-first-nest-of-the-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mote.org\/news\/motes-sea-turtle-patrol-finds-first-nest-of-the-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Mote\u2019s Sea Turtle Patrol finds first nest of the season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mote Marine Laboratory documented the first local sea turtle nest of 2023 on Tuesday, April 18 in Casey Key.<\/p>\n

Mote’s\u00a0Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program\u00a0(STCRP), interns and approximately 300 volunteers began monitoring Sarasota area beaches on April 15, finding the first nest early – just 3 days after\u00a0patrolling began.<\/p>\n

Mote\u2019s Sea Turtle Patrol monitors nesting activity on Longboat Key through Venice every day of sea turtle nesting season, which officially runs from May 1-Oct. 31 in southwest Florida.<\/p>\n

“Sea turtles don’t necessary stick to the calendar, so we typically start patrolling a few weeks before the official season, and we’re glad we do, otherwise, we might not have found this nest today,” said\u00a0Melissa Macksey, Senior Biologist with Mote\u2019s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program. \u201cToday marks the earliest documented nest in our program\u2019s history, which might mean, we\u2019re in for a busy season, and it is more important than ever before that we do as much as we can to keep our beaches turtle-friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first nest was laid by a loggerhead sea turtle, a threatened species protected under federal law. Loggerheads are the most common species on southwest Florida nesting beaches, followed by endangered green sea turtles. In recent years, Sarasota County has also hosted a handful of endangered Kemp\u2019s ridleys, among the smallest and rarest sea turtles.<\/p>\n

This year, Mote\u2019s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program will continue its long-term studies of local sea turtles by documenting every sea turtle nest and false crawl (when a turtle emerges but does not leave a nest) in Mote’s patrol area, marking each nest with yellow stakes and flagging tape and collecting a suite of data.<\/p>\n

Mote research has shown that nest numbers have increased recently on local beaches, with several record-breaking years in the past decade. In 2022, Mote reported 4,483 nests on Longboat Key through Venice.<\/p>\n

The public will be able to view Mote’s weekly counts of sea turtle nests on Longboat Key through Venice at:\u00a0www.mote.org\/2023nesting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Now that we know sea turtle nesting season is underway, we strongly urge beachgoers to enjoy our beautiful beaches while making sure we do our part for these sea turtles that are endangered and threatened species that have been nesting here for millions of years,\u201d said Macksey.<\/p>\n

How to protect sea turtles<\/strong><\/p>\n

During nesting season, it is important to keep local waters and beaches sea turtle friendly.<\/p>\n

Sea turtles are swimming just offshore to mate before the females come ashore to nest, juvenile turtles are feeding along the Gulf Coast, and by early summer the first hatchlings will venture into Gulf waters.<\/p>\n

On the nesting beaches, light from waterfront properties can disorient nesting female turtles and their young, which emerge at night and use dim natural light to find the sea. Also, beach furniture, trash and other obstacles can impede sea turtles and their young.<\/p>\n

On shore<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do:<\/strong><\/p>\n