ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. — Our beaches took a beating after three hurricanes last year. And with sea turtle nesting season fast approaching, advocates have new safety concerns.
They caused a disruption to wildlife, including sea turtles.
"We lost about 200 nests during the storm," said Kristen Mazzarella, the executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch.
Every day from April 15 to Oct. 31, the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch team patrols the beaches to look for tracks and mark sea turtle nests. But when the hurricanes hit, there wasn't much volunteers could do.
"Mother Nature has her plan," said Lisa Picciano, an AMI Turtle Watch volunteer. "Yeah, if she said, you know, 'Hey, go early, put your nest in, let's hatch, because I'm going to wreak havoc,' and they did."
There was already a record number of hatchlings before the hurricanes. Mazzarella said while there was loss, it turned out to be an average year.
"In the end, we actually got out about 20,600 hatchlings," said Mazzarella.
Dunes are one of the key players in helping protect sea turtles. Mazzarella said some dunes on Anna Maria Island went from about five feet high to about ankle high because of the hurricanes.
"So there are more lights that are being seen from the beach now because there aren't any dunes," said Mazzarella.
Mazzarella said this is concerning. Sea turtles use the light as a guide to move towards the horizon, but if there are lights on the beach, they will follow those instead.
To avoid this, Mazzarella said you should dim your lights or use amber lighting. She also encourages beach goers to throw away their trash, knock down sandcastles, and fill in holes.
"Remember, only one hatchling in 1,000 will survive to adult maturity, so every single one that we can save will make a difference," said Karen Anderson, an AMI Turtle Watch volunteer.
For more resources on how to protect the sea turtles, you can visit AMI Turtle Watch's website.
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