Loggerhead Nests Drop By 4,600 In State

Spotting a loggerhead sea turtle waddling back to the surf, or even discovering a flipper-mark trail to the water or a caged nest of eggs, is among the special joys of Florida beachgoers.

But such sightings are becoming less and less frequent.

Florida accounts for 90 percent of the nation's loggerhead nests, which have dwindled by half since 1998. The most recent count, according to figures just released, shows the state down another 4,692 nests. Just 45,084 were counted last year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says.

"There is not a simple answer to this," says Anne Meylan, who coordinates the statewide nesting beach survey program. "That green turtles and leatherbacks are doing so well on these same beaches says that something is going wrong specifically for the loggerheads."

Disease, oil spills, red tide and boat collisions kill many sea turtles, she says. Beach development also takes a toll on all wildlife. But the loggerheads' drop-off - they're on the U.S. threatened species list - can be blamed in large part on shrimp boat nets and long-line fishing hooks. Unlike some sea turtles, loggerheads go after shrimp and other hard-shelled invertebrates, which puts them in particularly dangerous situations.

"There has only been a rule for a few years that shrimp fisheries must use nets with turtle excluder devices," Meylan says.

"Loggerheads take up to 30 years to begin reproducing, but live to between 50 and 100. So, it will be decades before we begin to see a positive impact on their numbers because of the turtle excluder devices, called TEDs, that allow them to escape."

David Godfrey, executive director of the nonprofit agency Caribbean Conservation Corp., blames long-line fishing for most of the loggerhead losses.

"They began fishing with massive vessels with miles of baited hooks about 20 years ago," he says. "The first loggerheads lost from being snagged by those hooks should be maturing and nesting on our beaches right now, but they are not.

"The reason leatherbacks and green turtles are still thriving with nests increasing is because leatherbacks feed on jellyfish almost exclusively and green turtles eat seagrass and algae."

Those species are not as prone to go where the nets and hooks are.

Pinellas County is not terribly significant in regard to the future of loggerheads, according to Meylan. Last year, Brevard County had the most nests - 14,829, compared with Pinellas' 78. Hillsborough County had 21 both years.

"Pinellas is not one of the better counties in addressing the effects of lighting," Meylan says. "Artificial light distracts hatchlings and disorients adults. They wander into roads and get hit by trucks and cars. The light on the horizon is what attracts them, but they get fooled by streetlights and car lights."

The TradeWinds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach made a big effort to help. "They swapped out every ocean-facing light for one with a different wave length that doesn't distract turtles. They shielded other lights and shut off spotlights during nesting season."

Nesting begins in April, peaks in June and July, and ends in September, with 90 percent of nests on the Atlantic side of the state.

On the Gulf Coast, Sarasota County was the top nesting site with 1,592, down from 1,960 the year before.

"Loggerheads are like the canary in the coal mine," Godfrey says. "It tells us a lot about the health of the marine ecosystem if they are declining. The nutrients they bring ashore are important to healthy sand dunes with prospering sea oats and sea grapes."

Godfrey's Gainesville-based organization is lobbying the fishing industry to switch from j-hooks to circle hooks because they will not snag loggerheads.

"We are losing the loggerheads everywhere in our state, and they are an important part of the marine ecosystem," Meylan said.

"Some beaches among the 196 we survey had no nests for the first time. Locals and tourists miss seeing them. People just love them."

BY THE NUMBERS

4,692

Decline in number of loggerhead nests in Florida, 2006 to 2007

7,782

Increase in number of green turtle nests in Florida, 2006 to 2007

902

Increase in number of leatherback nests in Florida, 2006 to 2007

14,829

Loggerhead nests in Brevard County in 2007 (the most in Florida)

78

Loggerhead nests in Pinellas County in 2007

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission