Sea turtles set new nesting records in Georgia, Florida [View all]

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By RUSS BYNUM

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Wildlife biologist Doug Hoffman and his two interns kept busy this summer finding, cataloging and protecting a whopping 570 nests that giant loggerhead sea turtles had filled with eggs along the unspoiled beaches of Cumberland Island.

"It's a lot of physical effort," said Hoffman, a biologist for the National Park Service on federally managed Cumberland Island off the Georgia coast. "You're talking about being in the sun, hauling equipment and digging holes, pounding stakes."

All the hard work seems to be paying off. Researchers say sea turtles rebounded from a slump last year to deliver one of the strongest summer nesting seasons on record on beaches from the Carolinas to Florida.

Preliminary numbers from Georgia show scientists and volunteers counted a record 2,292 loggerhead nests during the season that runs from May through August. It's the fifth season in six years that Georgia has surpassed its previous record.

FULL story at link.



In this Aug. 13, 2015 photo made available by the University of Central Florida, green turtle hatchlings emerge from their nests at the Archie Carr Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne, Fla. Florida's nesting season still has a month to go, but scientist have already counted a record 12,000 nests dug by endangered green turtles. Other turtles have also had a nesting comeback in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. (Gustavo Stahelin/University of Central Florida via AP)

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/699a1e82cc1b4a35a6d13caab525b901/sea-turtles-set-new-nesting-records-georgia-florida

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Marta and I donate to a couple different turtle rescue sites. We have sponsored turtles in the wild including nests.


Here is a good one. You can donate here: https://seaturtles.org/support-us/donate/


We recommend renting this video: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Turtle-The-Incredible-Journey-Blu-ray/27584/#Review