Record-Breaking Year for Manasota Key Sea Turtle Nests

The Coastal Wildlife Club (CWC) ended the 2023 sea turtle nesting season with a record-breaking 5,909 nests, the nonprofit reported recently. A breakdown of the nesting totals by species is 5,320 loggerhead (Caretta caretta); 588 green (Chelonia mydas); and one Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii).

Each year from April 15 into October, CWC volunteers monitor about 14 miles of beach daily – all of Manasota Key and part of Knight Island. 

Manasota Key hosts the highest nesting density on the Gulf Coast. Record nest numbers in 2023 are a testament to decades-long conservation efforts dating from the US Endangered Species Act of 1973 and including fishing regulations requiring turtle excluder devices in shrimp nets. 

Unfortunately, disappointing preliminary data show a fewer than usual number of eggs hatched relative to total eggs deposited in the sand, perhaps attributable to an exceptionally hot and dry summer and, to some extent, Hurricane Idalia’s surge. We hope to see a higher percentage of hatchlings in the coming seasons. 

A single nesting season won’t immediately affect the sea turtle population. Sea turtles have a nesting strategy that accommodates natural events. A nesting female turtle deposits several nests throughout the nesting season - essentially hedging her bets to make sure that even if a storm hits at some point during the nesting season, there is a high probability at least a few of the nests will incubate successfully. 

CWC thanks the many dedicated turtle patrol volunteers who endured long hours in the excessive heat this season. Additional thanks to the residents and visitors on Manasota Key for keeping the beach dark, clean, and free from obstructions and holes. 

If you see a dead or debilitated sea turtle, contact FWC Wildlife Alert at 888•404•3922 to initiate a stranding response. 

You can find CWC on Facebook /CoastalWildlifeClub and their website:
www.CoastalWildlifeClub.org.

Photo: An adult loggerhead turtle digs a nest amid railroad vine. Photo by Steve Daniel, CWC volunteer.