GULF BREEZE, Fla. - Biologists identified the first sea turtle nests of the season at Gulf Islands National Seashore, May 27.
A total of two loggerhead nests were identified, one in the Fort Pickens Area and one in the Perdido Key Area.
Each year, between May and October, the seashore provides ideal conditions for sea turtle nesting. Several species of sea turtles to include loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, and green sea turtles’ nest within the seashore. During the 2020 nesting season, a total of 59 nest were discovered.
The main factor that impacts nesting sea turtles at GUIS is artificial lighting.
“Adult and hatchling sea turtles can easily become disoriented by artificial light sources like flashlights, headlights, and sky glow from neighboring cityscapes," said Jennifer Manis, GUIS biologist. “Artificial light draws turtles away from the Gulf of Mexico and inland. These disoriented turtles then often die from dehydration, predators, or vehicle strikes."
By turning off excess outdoor lights and installing wildlife friendly lighting fixtures, visitors and locals can protect both nesting and hatching sea turtles. If you see a sea turtle at night, keep your distance and turn all lights off.
Visitors can help promote the “lights out" campaign by displaying the park’s free sea turtle magnet that can be picked up at any GUIS entry station.
Park staff and volunteers are monitoring park beaches daily for nesting and hatching activity as the season progresses. For more information about sea turtles at GUIS visit http://www.nps.gov/guis/learn/nature/seaturtle-species.htm
About Gulf Islands National Seashore: Created in 1971, the national seashore stretches 160 miles along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida and Mississippi, and includes barrier islands, maritime forests, historic forts, bayous, and marine habitat. -30-Visit us at www.nps.gov/GulfIslands, on Facebook www.facebook.com/GulfIslandsNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/GulfIslandsNPS, and Instagram www.Instagram.com/GulfIslandsNPS.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
