IT’S NESTING SEASON

Nesting season has arrived in Florida, but before we start tallying this season’s nest activity, let’s take a look back at the 2019 statewide totals.

Florida Statewide 2019 nesting numbers:
106,650 loggerhead nests
53,105 green nests
1,105 leatherback nests
11 confirmed (and 6 pending) Kemp’s ridley nests
No hawksbill nests
These totals were presented by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staff during the state Marine Turtle Permit Holders meeting held in January 2020 in Panama City Beach, FL.
The Statewide Nesting Beach survey data for 2019 was gathered on 229 beaches, or 846 miles, that were surveyed by 2,900 volunteers statewide.
In addition to these totals, FWC staff presented research on loggerhead nesting trends. The conclusions of this work:

• Florida is the most important nesting area for loggerheads in the world (hosting more than 40 percent of the nests laid globally).
• Annual loggerhead nest counts fluctuate widely in the most abundant management units and appears to be increasing in the smaller management units.
• Even though nest count has been increasing in recent years, there is NO clear evidence of a female population change.
• Strong population recovery has not occurred.