Amanda Post

How Coastal Stewards Can Protect Florida’s Beach-Nesting Birds

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  • Article Highlight: Florida’s beach-nesting birds need your help! Development has decreased the birds’ nesting habitat, so mindful cohabitation is necessary to ensure successful nesting.
  • Key Takeaway: The key to successful nesting is to minimize human disturbances. A good rule of thumb is: if you cause a bird to take flight, you are too close.
  • Take Action: Watch the video below to better understand how to help shoreline birds. If you’re a waterfront property owner, reach out to Dune Doctors to have our coastal restoration experts come evaluate the health of your native landscape and address any erosion issues that impact both your property and wildlife.

The beach teems with life during warm weather. While tourists flock in mass to enjoy the coastline, millions of birds do the same – seeking out isolated Florida beaches to build nesting colonies. With this increase in human activity overlapping such a critical time in the lifecycle of different shoreline birds, mindful cohabitation is necessary to keep the environment safe and conducive to nesting. Ongoing development has made it increasingly difficult for coastal wildlife to find undisturbed, people-free beaches. Therefore, as the nesting birds are forced to share the environment with beachgoers, Coastal Stewards can help protect them by educating others on how to enjoy themselves without posing a threat to the nesting population. Through collective awareness, we can increase nesting success and hatchling survival. Below are eight ways to help beach-nesting shorebirds.

How to Help Beach-Nesting Birds Fledge their Young  

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife, birds that migrate to Florida have flown hundreds of miles to reach our shores and are “pushed to the very limit of their physical abilities” when they arrive. In a weakened state, the birds become highly susceptible to any disturbances and prefer to nest on barrier islands and sandbars, away from land predators. However, human and domesticated animals present a considerable risk – as these barrier islands and sand bars, once isolated areas, now increasingly attract beachgoers, their pets, and their boats. The vulnerable populations include gulls, terns, black skimmers, plovers, willets, and oystercatchers. Coastal Stewards can help Florida’s beach-nesting birds fledge their young by following the steps below. 

  1. Stay at least 500ft away from a group of birds. Minimizing disturbance is the key to successful nesting. The camouflaged nests are not easy to spot, so stay back to avoid accidentally crushing eggs and hatchlings.
  2. Don’t force the birds to fly. Flushing them will cause adults to leave their hatchlings vulnerable to scorching sunlight. With enough disturbances, the adults may abandon the nesting colony altogether. 
  3. Leave pets at home or keep them leashed. One dog can compromise an entire colony in a matter of seconds. 
  4. Don’t leave any trash, fish scraps, or food behind. Predators like raccoons, foxes, and coyotes will follow these food sources to the beach.
  5. Don’t feed the birds. The food source, again, attracts predators. 
  6. Don’t shoot off personal fireworks. Fireworks scatter debris along the beach, and birds may eat it. Also, the noise frightens the adults and hatchlings, leading to potential nest abandonment.
  7. Respect nesting warning signs. Avoid areas that are sectioned off for nesting and encourage other beachgoers to do the same.  
  8. Get involved! The Audubon Society and other environmental agencies are always on the lookout for volunteers. Click here to find out more.

Remember: If a bird takes flight or dive-bombs you, you are too close. 

How Can Coastal Property Owners Help Protect Shoreline Birds?

Waterfront property owners can help nesting wildlife by preserving and maintaining their coastal landscape. If a private dune system is overrun with invasive plants and dead plant material (thatch), it creates a hospitable environment for invasive animals that will prey on native species. Furthermore, if erosive issues like stormwater that drains seaward through the dune, an active irrigation system that kills dune-stabilizing vegetation, or unmanaged foot traffic are not addressed the dune system will enter a heightened state of erosion – negatively impacting the beach where shoreline birds build nesting colonies. Healthy, well-maintained coastal dunes are the first lines of defense against storm surge. However, their purpose extends beyond absorbing the impact of destructive wave action. Dunes are part of the coastal ecosystem that hosts a wide range of resilient animals. From shoreline birds to sea turtles and dune mice, the survival of these species, much like the survival of coastal communities, depends on proactive stewardship of our native protective landscape. That being said, proactive coastal stewardship is achieved through longterm planning and consistent dune maintenance. Dune Doctors can help you build sustainable coastal resiliency and solve erosion issues that are impacting your dune system with a personalized Dune Master Plan™ that addresses the unique needs of your property. Our team will manage all aspects of restoring and maintaining your coastal landscape in full compliance with local and federal environmental regulations. Reach us at 866-386-3737 or contact us through this form to request a site visit today.

Coastal Steward Resources to Help Shoreline Birds: 

Planting for Protection with Indigo Condominiums

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On May 27th, 2021, Dune Doctors and Indigo Condominiums hosted a Planting for Protection event in Perdido Beach, Florida. Over fifty coastal stewards of all ages participated in the installation of dune-stabilizing, native vegetation. Planting for Protection is Dune Doctors’ educational initiative and is designed to educate children and the general public in the importance of coastal resiliency. Working with local schools, organizations, and communities to conduct these unique, hands-on experiences in the dune ecosystem, Dune Doctors encourages participants to develop a personal stake in the environment and a sense of ownership over the dune’s well-being. Dune Doctors’ CEO Frederique Beroset commented, “After a child has planted a sea oat on a dune and understands how the plant helps protect against erosion, they are significantly less likely to walk through the fragile ecosystem and are empowered to educate others.” A total of 180 plants were installed by the participants in one hour.

How Sand Cliffs Condominiums’ HOA is Working to Achieve Coastal Resiliency

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Article Highlight: Resiliency against storm surge is a choice that starts with strengthening your coastal dunes.

Key Takeaway: Every storms will eventually pass. The purpose of strengthening your sand dune is to build a resilient and continuous barrier that can help absorb a storm’s destructive impact. Even if the waves severely damage the dune, protection is achieved when the storm surge is held back long enough for the storm to pass without its wave action damaging water-front communities and infrastructure.

Learn Fast: Watch the video below to learn how Sand Cliffs Condominiums maximized their investment in coastal resiliency when they restored their dune to pre-Hurricane Sally state.

Watch the Restoration of Sand Cliffs Condominiums’ Massive Dune

How can you Build Protection from Storm Surge too?

Before we expand on Sand Cliffs’ history, here are two actionable steps that can help you accelerate your recovery from erosion-based damage and fortify your property before the next storm hits.

  • First, identify any potential weak points along your protective dune. Schedule a site visit for your property and have our coastal restoration experts conduct a dune health assessment.
  • Second, strengthen your protective dune. Our team will analyze your dune’s assessment to develop a customized Dune Master Plan for you to achieve and maintain coastal resiliency.

Dune Doctors will streamline and handle your entire restoration process, from acquiring all necessary permits to ensuring the completion of your dune’s construction. For a comprehensive approach to dune management, when needed we enlist the industry’s best contractors for boardwalk repairs or replacement and sand installation.

Hear it from Randy Smith the Property Manager at Sand Cliffs Condominiums

“Dune Doctors made my job easy. All I had to do was worry about signing checks. They handled all of the coordination between government regulatory agencies and the sand contractors. We reached out to Dune Doctors after Hurricane Sally. They took care of the permitting for our emergency sand placement and provided quotes from different sand contractors. After the new dune was finished, they stabilized the loose sand with native vegetation and installed a row of sand fences to initiate another protective berm. The old dune is gone, but the dune and plants did what they were supposed to do. They protected our infrastructure.”

– Randy Smith

Sand Cliffs’ History of Coastal Stewardship

Since the early 2000s, Sand Cliff Condominiums’ HOA board and property manager have achieved coastal resiliency by investing in their protective dune system. The community recognizes their dune is a valuable asset that should be invested in and cared for to bolster their protection from storm surge. Sand Cliffs preserved and maintained their dune-building vegetation by having our team add grasses and fertilize the plants as necessary. To help further delay storm action from ever reaching their infrastructure, Sand Cliffs also installed vegetation and sand fences seaward of their existing dune. The sand fences helped trap wind-blown while the plants anchored it in place. These combined efforts resulted in a dune system with multiple lines of defense that were able to protect Sand Cliffs from storm action for nearly two decades.

How did Hurricane Sally Impact Sand Cliffs Condominiums?

When Hurricane Sally made its unexpected landfall in Alabama, Sand Cliffs’ dune absorbed the shock of the powerful storm surge and 90% of it was eliminated in the process. However, besides the erosion, the storm’s wave action caused zero structural damage. Located roughly 120 miles east of where Hurricane Sally made landfall, Sand Cliffs Condominiums sits on the outskirts of Panama City Beach and experienced storm surge that was estimated to be 3-5ft high. Their beach’s width roughly measured a mere 70ft north-south. This short width of recreational beach area led the surge to directly crash into the well established dune. While the waves caused heavy erosion, Sand Cliffs’ dune did precisely what it was optimized to do: absorb a hurricane’s destructive wave action, sparing the community’s infrastructure.

Four Invasive Plants that Can Disrupt your Dune Ecosystem

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Four Invasive Plants Crowding Out Native Coastal Plants

Coastal plants anchor sand dunes and protect against erosion, but these four invasive plant species are crowding out native vegetation and could disrupt your dune ecosystem. 

Very few plants can survive the dynamic forces that shape the coastal environment. From powerful winds to temporary periods of drought, the dune ecosystem can home only the most resilient collection of well-adapted plants and small animals. Unfortunately, four invasive plant species have managed to grow under these conditions and compete with native plant communities for the limited food and water available. These threatening plants include beach vitex, beach naupaka, Chinese tallow, and the Australian pine. All four have caused documented damage by displacing or hybridizing with native species. 

Brought in from all over the world due to quality traits deemed useful or beautiful, exotic plants, if left to grow unchecked, don’t face the same restricting environmental factors from back home and can greatly alter the plant communities they are introduced into. With many major ports of entry all along the Gulf Coast, the American South has received countless foreign plants and animals that have been either deliberately introduced or happened to hitchhike into the country hidden amongst cargo.

What are invasive Plant Species? 

Every year, the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council releases a comprehensive list of invasive plant species and divides the plants into two groups: Category 1 and Category 2. The first group is comprised of plants that have caused ecological damage through crowding out or hybridizing with native vegetation. Category 2 is a collection of plants that rapidly spread but has not yet altered local plant communities as drastically as Category 1. Once a species from Category 2 is documented to cause ecological damage they are reassigned to Category 1. For the sake of this article, we looked at Category 1 coastal plants listed in the 2019 Florida report and cross-referenced with the noxious weed list of each Gulf Coast state to see if there was any overlap. For a standard definition, any foreign plant that gets established and spreads is considered invasive, and a noxious weed is a plant that is legally restricted by a government body.  

Beach Vitex: Vitex Rotundifolia 

Native to the western Pacific from Korea to northern Australia, the beach vitex was intentionally introduced for horticultural purposes including dune stabilization. The University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants explains that a decade after being introduced the plant demonstrated its invasive potential by rapidly reproducing with short growth time. The beach vitex affects dune plants by smothering the vegetation and reducing sunlight levels with its dense leafy mats. With a high drought and salt tolerance, the beach vitex is a strong competitor. Unlike sea oats, the primary dune stabilizing plant along the Gulf Coast, this invasive does not have a complex root system and is, therefore, less effective at anchoring sand in place. 

Beach vitex covering sand dunes

In the picture above, beach vitex is growing out of the cracks in the concrete and spreading along the walkway. In the picture below, you can see how the plant has overtaken the landward portion of the dunes.

Half Flower, Beach Naupaka: Scaevola Taccada 

Often depicted on postcards sent from Hawaii, the half flower or beach naupaka is a beautiful plant known for its year-round flowers. Native to the Indian and Pacific Ocean region, the beach naupaka is a large, bushy shrub that grows directly on the beach. Used to prevent coastal erosion on certain islands of the Pacific, the plant prefers well-drained pebbly or sandy soil and can handle saline spray. Unfortunately, it has invaded and displaced native vegetation of many Caribbean nations and certain Gulf Coast communities. The Florida Department of Agriculture Consumer Services classifies the beach naupaka as a noxious weed and legally prohibits its distribution. 

Invasive plant Beach Naupaka growing along the coast

Australian Pine: Casuarina 

The Australian Pine is another plant legally prohibited to buy or sell in the state of Florida. Native to Australia, the South Pacific Islands, and Southeast Asia, the Australian Pine can grow up to 150 feet tall. According to the Florida Wildlife Conservation (FWC), the trees were originally introduced into the US to form windbreaks around canals and other structures but has since escaped cultivation. The FWC states the population must be managed because the tree threatens “beach plant communities by quickly invading newly accreted beaches, beaches where dredge spoil has been deposited, and beaches where a storm has destroyed existing vegetation.” The Australian pine produces a dense leaf litter that covers the ground. This decaying matt limits the sunlight’s reach to the native vegetation below. The pines also tend to uproot easily during high winds and topple over to create safety hazards that block coastal storm evacuation routes. 

Invasive plant Australian Pine growing along the coast
Image was taken by James St. John

In the image above, you can see the Australian pine’s dense leaf mat.

Chinese Tallow: Sapium Sebiferum 

Introduced to the USA during the 1700s, the Chinese tallow was primarily used as an ornamental plant but has since exited domestic cultivation to the wild where it presents an enormous issue for a variety of native habitats. The Chinese tallow can grow along the coast or in swampy waters and can thrive in both shade or direct sunlight. The University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants states this highly adaptable plant has invaded the southern coastal plain from South Carolina to South Texas and can be found in over half of the counties in Florida. The plant is legally prohibited in all Gulf Coast states. 

Invasive plant Chinese Tallow
Image was taken by Tatters.

What can you do to protect your dune ecosystem from invasive plants?

A dune ecosystem is a living community of plants and animals that requires routine maintenance and special care to help mother nature protect your property from storm surge and erosion. We have discussed the impacts of four invasive plant species, but not everyone is qualified to remove them. Follow these steps to preemptively minimize invasive species around your property:

  1. Do not attempt to trim or remove the invasive species, as these plants often can reproduce from seeds or cuttings. Weed whacking will burst ripe seed pods and cast them into the wind causing the invasive species to spread at a higher rate. 
  2. Have our professional team come look at your dunes to diagnose weaknesses in the plant community before invasives can take advantage of your property.
  3. Analyze your dunes with our Dune Diagnostic Form in hand to spot different environmental threats by matching what you see around your property to the images on the form. Download the form here. 

References and Useful Links 

University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: Chinese Tallow

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Australian Pine

University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: Beach Naupaka

University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: Beach Vitex

Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council’s 2019 List of Invasive Plant Species

Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States 

National Park Service: Alien Invaders – Exotic Plants in the Everglades

   

Planting for Protection with Fabien Cousteau and the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station

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A Day for the Dunes

On September 28th, a group of roughly 500 community members and volunteers came together to plant sea oats on a vulnerable section of Navarre Beach dunes. Over time, the public had cleared a foot pathway to the beach, and we were given the opportunity to plant over this trail and on the landward side of the dunes. In partnership with the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station and the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center, we organized A Day for the Dunes an educational event about the importance of protecting our coastal ecosystems.

In addition to sea oats planting, the event had educational stations hosted by local organizations and schools. Gulf Breeze High School, Navarre Beach Lifeguards, Navarre Beach Fire Rescue, UP Divers, Pensacola Beach Elementary School and the Rotary Club of Navarre each directed a station and offered interactive activities to teach the public about the coastal ecosystem. Attendees who registered were given the opportunity to participate in Planting for Protection and help us install sea oats. Together with the outstanding students from the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station we taught the public how to plant sea oats and installed a grand total of 1,350 sea oats in a two-hour time span.

What is Planting for Protection?

Planting for Protection is our hands-on educational initiative designed to teach kids (and the general public) about the importance of coastal resiliency. Native sea oats are planted by participants under the guidance of mentors trained by Dune Doctors. For each event, we collaborate with teens who are passionate about the environment and show them how to install sea oats. The teens we train then mentor the little ones, and we observe a double positive. The kids get to plant sea oats on the dunes and by doing so take ownership of an environment they were not previously that aware of or familiar with. On the other hand, we have young adult mentors who are given a platform to share their passion for the environment with a young audience that embraces what they have to say. Everyone walks away feeling proud of their accomplishments and energized to educate loved ones and friends that could not attend.

Special Words from Fabien Cousteau

Fabien Cousteau, famed oceanographic explorer and conservationist, made a special appearance at this past event. Fabien has dedicated his career to educating society on the importance of protecting our oceans and is currently working to expand his educational non-profit the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center. The first grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Fabien embarked on an underwater expedition that lasted 31 days and live-broadcasted the journey for the whole world to see. As beaches are often the connection between ocean and land, protecting the health of our coastal ecosystems is vital to minimizing the amount of trash and debris that ends up in the water. Fabien urges everyone to pick-up trash left behind on the beaches and to embrace environmentally-conscious lifestyle changes such as avoiding single-use plastic.

Fabien Cousteau teaching a child how to plant a sea oat

    “A Day for the Dunes is extraordinarily important for many reasons, its a sense of community. Its a sense of empowerment. Its a sense of doing good for our aquatic life the ecosystem that supports all life on this planet. It’s very important for kids to be empowered to make change happen and to make sure that their parents and their communities are helping them make that change.” 

Fabien Cousteau 

Our goal is to educate the next generation of coastal stewards who are joining in the fight in protecting our coastlines from erosion. We look forward to a new year full of Planting for Protection events. If you would like to implement a similar event with your community, email us at info(@) dunedoctors.com or call us at 866-386-3737.

“When you give a child a plant to put in the ground you give them ownership of a portion of that dune. After planting, they will be much more considerate of that environment once they hold a stake in it.” 

Frederique Beroset, MBA & M.S. Biology 

How You Can Help Save Baby Sea Turtles

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It’s Time for a Sea Turtle Baby Shower!

Mid-July, from beneath the sand all along the Florida and Alabama coast, hatchlings (baby sea turtles) began their journey to adulthood. Witnessing the turtles emerge from their nests and scurry to the water is a bucket-list experience for most beach lovers. With all the strength they can muster, the babies will have to brave enormous odds before finding safety in the open ocean. Relying on their sheer volume for protection, the hatchlings move in unison to overwhelm predators who lurk nearby. Those hatchlings who successfully make it to the crashing surf will have to swim long distances to make it past the coast. In the open water of the Sargasso Sea (an area of the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast), safety lies in free-floating seaweed. These island-like masses of algae function as nurseries in which the hatchlings can mature into adulthood. But, only a few will survive this dangerous journey. This is why we should do our best to provide safe passage for these hatchlings.

How Long Does the Incubation Period Last?

Buried out of the tide’s reach, thousands of sea turtle nests, from five different species, line the coast of Florida and Alabama. According to an in-depth Q&A provided by the Sea Turtle Conservancy, the average incubation takes 60 days and varies by species. During incubation, sand temperature greatly impacts two important aspects of embryo development. First, it dictates the speed of the process. The higher the sand temperature surrounding the eggs, the shorter the incubation periods. Second, the temperature of the sand impacts the ratio of the sex of the hatchlings. Cooler temperatures yield clutches (a group of eggs) with a higher male count while warmer temperatures tend to produce more females.

sea_turtle_boil

After Incubation Comes Digging!

Once incubation is complete, the hatchlings break out of their eggs using a temporary tooth called the caruncle located on the edge of their mouth. The eggshell has a soft, leathery texture and is roughly the size of a ping-pong ball. After hatching, the baby turtles remain under the sand for a number of days. During this time, the first few to exit their eggs, stimulate the others to do the same. According to SEE Turtles, before the babies can surface, each hatchling absorbs the remaining yolk attached to its umbilical cord. The yolk, an essential source of nutrients, is vital in providing the newly-hatched sea turtles with the necessary energy to dig, crawl, and swim their way offshore.

What Can You Do to Help the Hatchlings?

In order to achieve higher odds of survival, the hatchlings climb out of their nest in groups and huddle under the surface until the temperature of the sand cools. Cooler sands typically indicate that it is nighttime when hatchlings are less likely to overheat or be preyed on. By swarming out together, the hatchlings strategically overwhelm nearby predators. Raccoons, birds, lizards, crabs, dogs, wild pigs, coyotes, dolphins, sharks, and a variety of carnivorous fish all prey on the hatchlings. In addition to these predators, human activity also adds a complicated layer of obstacles for the hatchlings to overcome. The Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) offers a list of steps you can take next time you visit the beach.

  • Remove any leftover trash on the beach. These sources of food may attract unwanted wildlife that may destroy the nests.
  • Avoid leaving pet food (intended for domesticated animals) outside as these food sources also may attract predatory wildlife.
  • Remember to minimize obstacles on your coastal property. Fill up holes, knock down sand structures, and remove beach accessories such as tents and umbrellas. Baby sea turtles that get trapped by these obstacles will most likely be eaten. 

S.T.O.P. Beach Front Lighting!

Scientists observe that sea turtles exhibit phototactic behavior. This means they are attracted to light. The hatchlings appear to be guided by instinct to scurry towards the brightest light around—believing it is the moonlight reflecting off of the ocean. Unfortunately, on coasts that contend with heavy light pollution, hatchlings have been observed to migrate inland, away from the sea, often to their premature death. When hatchlings are found moving towards the city lights they are deemed ‘disoriented’ and must rely on volunteers (if there are any present) to redirect them to the water. According to the Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (S.T.O.P.), one in three hatchlings move inland towards artificial lights instead of towards the ocean. However, through the volunteer efforts of S.T.O.P., the hatchling death rate has gone down by 50% in Broward County where the program is active. Volunteers closely watch the nests and make sure to move disoriented baby sea turtles to the sea. In order to lessen the chance of turtle disorientation on your property, dim your beach-front lighting as much possible.

How Many Sea Turtle Hatchlings Survive?

Based on the estimates provided by the National Ocean Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, roughly 60,000 nests will be laid along the Florida coast this year. Assuming 70% of all sea turtle hatchlings survive incubation at 100 eggs per clutch, that would produce an initial hatchling population of roughly 42,000. By applying the survival ratio to that population number, a high estimate of only 42 baby turtles from this turtle nesting season will survive to sexual maturity.

If You Find a Sea Turtle, Please Call!

If you come across an adult or a hatchling, please remain at a distance, do not flash any bright lights at it, and immediately call your local sea turtle initiative to report your finding. Do not disturb the animal. Frightened pregnant females may return to the water without nesting. Also, do not touch the turtle’s track marks, as scientists use these as a means to locate the nest and identify the species that laid it.

If you come across a sea turtle, whether it is dead, sick, stranded,  injured, or even if it seems fine, do not touch the animal. Call your local Sea turtle Initiative and report the incident.

The STC provides a list of questions that you should be prepared to answer when reporting the animal:

  • “Where is the exact location of the animal?”
  • “Is the turtle alive or dead?”
  • “What is the approximate size of the turtle?”
  • “Is the turtle marked with spray paint? (This may indicate that the turtle has been previously documented.)”
  • “What is the location of the closest access point to the turtle? 

Depending on location, here is a list of sea turtle emergency responders:

State Authority Number
Alabama Alabama’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program 1-866-Sea-Turtle

(1-866-732-8878-53)
Florida FWC’s 24-hr hotline 1-888-404-3922
Georgia Georgia Stranding Hotline 1-800-272-8363
North Carolina NMFS SEFSC Beaufort Laboratory Hotline 1-800-922-5431
South Carolina South Carolina Stranding Hotline 1-800-922-5431

 

If you are outside of the regions listed above, you can report a stranded or injured marine animal to the NOAA Fisheries by following this link.

Cleaner Beaches Make Happy Turtles!

The spectacle of watching baby turtles hatch, and make their way to the water, is an emotional experience. Those who are fortunate enough to observe this event will never forget it. Undeniably, these two-inch-long turtle hatchlings are incredibly strong and must brave enormous odds at a very young age. It is our duty, as coastal stewards, to protect and facilitate the hatching process as much as possible. One of the most impactful ways to help sea turtles and other at-risk species is to participate in beach cleanups. For updates on local cleanup efforts in your area, follow this link for more information. Also, check-in with your local sea turtle conservation effort to see if you can participate in any upcoming hatching events. Through mutual effort between conservation initiatives and coastal communities, we can work towards higher survival rates for the sea turtles that also call our shores home.

 

References:

SEE Turtles, www.seeturtles.org/baby-turtles.

 

Sea Turtle Conservancy, conserveturtles.org/information-sea-turtles-frequently-asked-questions/.

 

Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/florida/faq/.

 

“Sea TurtleOversight Protection.” HOME – Sea Turtle Oversight Protection, www.seaturtleop.com/.

 

Sea Turtle Conservancy, conserveturtles.org/nesting-season-is-may-october/.

 

Fascinating Facts, 16 June 2015, oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/june15/sea-turtles.html.