Storm Takes Out Hundreds Of Florida Sea Turtle Nests

Turtles were nesting at or near record numbers along parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast this summer.

Then came Debby.

Surge and battering waves lashed barrier islands and washed out beaches on the south side of Tampa Bay, especially on Manatee County’s Anna Maria Island and neighboring Longboat Key in Sarasota County.

Mama s​ea turtles dig thousands of nests in the area each year, where they lay eggs, bury them in the sand and swim away.

Hundreds Of Nests Gone

Kristen Mazzarella, a marine biologist and director of the nonprofit Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, said about 479 nests thought to have eggs still in them were on the island in early August. An estimated 182 were wiped out by Debby.

About 1,200 of 3,000 nests that were still on beaches in Sarasota County were washed away, according to Mote Marine Laboratory.

“It's better than I think we were expecting,” Melissa Macksey, senior biologist and conservation manager of Mote's sea turtle program, said.

What Does This Mean For Turtles?

S​ea turtles can nest along almost any Florida beach. The most common are loggerheads, followed by green turtles and leatherbacks. The nests are marked and closely monitored by a large network of volunteers and scientists. More than 200,000 nests were counted statewide last year, the most in records going back to 1989.

W​hile the majority of nests are on the Atlantic Coast, nesting numbers have steadily grown on the Gulf Coast, too.

N​esting season starts in early May and viable eggs that escape predators hatch about two months later. That means many nests were empty before Debby's blow.

M​azzarella's group already had counted a record number on Anna Maria Island this year, and Macksey said the nests in areas monitored by Mote were in the top five.

T​hat will help lessen the impacts from Debby, as well as any other storms the rest of the season.

"It's not great for this year, but it's not the end of the world, basically," Macksey said.

S​ea turtles often dig multiple nests with hundreds of eggs.

"T​hey hedge their bets that way," Mazzarella said.

Storms Aren't The Biggest Threat

"They know what they're doing and we have got to have faith in that, and that Mother Nature will take care of her own," Mazzarella said.

A​nd there are other things to worry about.

"The loss of habitat from the things that we as humans do to protect from storms is the bigger concern, building all these sea walls, building all these armoring structures, putting sand on the beach," Macksey said.

L​ight pollution is also a problem because hatchlings navigate by the glow of the moon and the stars.

"If you think about moths being attracted to light, it's kind of similar to that," Macksey said.

Artificial light can override that natural instinct and send baby turtles in the wrong direction.

H​ow You Can Help

Sea turtle season runs through Oct. 31. Remember to:

-Keep beachfront lights off at night.

-​Don't leave chairs, canopies or other items on the beach.

-​If you dig a hole, fill it in before you leave.

"They've already been through this storm," Macksey said. "So let's let them get out to the ocean as quickly and easily and naturally as possible."

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Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.